New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-05-27
NEW-YORK TRIBUNE.
MASS MEETING OF PRINTERS.

held on Saturday evening at Tammany Hal
There was q very large attendaDcei the largest
ss.hering Of the Trade for many years. At the
6Iest time there must have been six or seven
hundred present.
The Assembly was called to order by +. H. 10
GERS who nominated for President JAMES WHITE
Mr.. w. wished TO DECLINE. but was not pernn''.eu'
He then took the Chair and on notion OhAS' nv
MEvIrr and FKED'K s. THOMPSON were elec'ea
Vice Presidents; Secretary was also aPpoln'e1
Mr. ROGERS then stated the history ana OBJECTS
of The NewYork Prin ters' Union, and stated now
,bs Bsnort on the State of the Trade had been got
up, which it was now proposed to submit TO tn'
meeting.
Loud calls were made for Greeley y "Gree-
lsvP and amidst the most vocifcrous cheers,
HORACE GREELEY came forward and made
byief address He was glad to embrace the pre-
sent opportunity to address the Printers OF this
City. What he should say would be OF sober ma
lure, and he hoped to be listened to with patient
attention. He was one who believed that good
wages were of the first Importance to all trades;
be also believed that the Printers OF the City gen
orally were very inadequately recompensed-
While the Journeymen Ship-C Carpenters get SIS
per week, the Journeyman Printer, whose labor
tasks not only the physical but the mental energies,
realizes less than $40 per week. What is the
reason of this difference and how shall it be RENE
died 2 When first began work in this City,
saw men around me on stereotype work getting
less than 81 per week-scarcely more than the
wages Of a day lsborer on the streets. Then the
Printer must spend five years of his youth in ac'
curing his art and to be adecent printer, he must
be well informed in the literature and news OF the
day. Surely these requirements should command
higher remuneration than the day laborer is Of
fered for the mere use OF his hands What are the
causes ofthe depression which exists in our trade
One is the great number of apprentices turned out
by the country Offices. The apprentices Of the
City are not numerous, and have little effect. For
my part, will not take apprentices, and have re-
fused the solicitations of relatives and friends, tell
ing them that the City is not the place to learn the
printing business. The country is the great nurse.
ry Of apprentices. Every little village will have
newspaper pitts own for the ecat OF the thing to
show their smartness so they seduce some printer
to get handful of materials and start upon list of
three or lOur DuuuItu SaDsSiAOSiS ohu
dozen Of advertisers, who patronize, but never
pay So in order to live he is obliged 10 take lot
Of boys Through these means some two or
three hundred boys, fear, are annually driven to
the city because the country printers cannot afford
10 keep them at journeymen's wages. Ofcourse
we cannot employ them all, and they Immediately
enter into competition with the workmen already
ho.o hova olxuaxo ant
many more work men than can be employed, even
Al low prices am an employer, and am in favor
ofpaying good wages believe it is for my inter
est to pay the highest prices, if not above these OF
other cities The curse of our trade is the ease Of
competition, and the facility with which new pa
pers may be set up. | believe it would be for the
advantage of the established journals and the larger
book printers to advance the rate of wages 25 per
cent What is the difference to the employerwhat
the rate of wages is, if at uniform ratel-
The extra money which they would pay out at
maximum prices would return to them in the
form of diminished competition. The interest of
Prosperity is always on the side Of good prices.
i call myself prosperous workman, aud | do not
complain at paying fall prices for labor. Besides
something is due to the proper dignity and respec
liability which can only be maintained by giving to
the jOurneyman the highest reasonable rate OF
compensation. But how shall we come at it? II
we cannot establish just aud endurable rates in
such time as this, We cannot do it at all. We
are, IN the main, prosperous the country is pros
porous; business is good money is plenty labor
IL in demand many Of our iourneymen friends, say
800 hundred to 500 hundred have left us for Cali.
iornia, thus taking Oft competition for work pub
hshers Of books and papers are doing well; there |
q md M tor lob,
ducts than at any period within the last twenty |
years Advertisements appear daily for journeymen,
ana lew days since was treated to the novelty of
a'sit nom an employer who wanted two Journey |
men, and didn't know where TO get them. If this |
opportunity should pass, and the revulsions which
are sure 70 follow such unexamped prosperity |
come upon US, and lind that We have done nothing /
towa ard improving our condition then we must give
up hope TOR the present generation 1 Joined ,ne |
onlon IN the hope that something good woui[
come OF 1T l expect good from it. Blu
recommend no strke-no hasty attempt, q,
coercive measures. would suggest Comm. ~.
o. the coolest heads among the joarneymen, to .o.
lei win employers ana agree upon a scale Of
prices; consider all things ard form il with Strict
regard to justice; make it fair and equal, and then
resolve that II shall be paid As things now are.
man S GO MT know when he goes TO work in An
1ln0s what ne Is to get Such is not the case IN
LO,iuon OF ans IN no other city is there such an
Hscny ana confusion. Mr. q. proceeded to show the
uS " tue Plesent ruinous competition upon pub
shers who were willing to pay lair WAGES ThSs
state OF anarchy oilers perpetual premium
low wages. 1t was important that ioprns,-,
should have some rule which should he inS;:nn,,
pie He hoped no strike would be necessary and
believed fair scale Iaight be made which two
thirds Of the employers would agree to pay--sEe
other third would then be obliged to pay it v
y. referred to the singular apathy Of Printers
regard to what most concerns them, and urged i'm
mediate action, before the falling off of business
Inc the coming Of Winter should make it necessa-
y ior men to retain their places at any pay He |
neped acareful Committee, representing albranches
;. tne business, would be ordered, aud 80 to work
sI, ,Ssa mere was no reason why, by the 18th of
Prlses, which should be the standard in ali cssss
ana ss ~ Or the collection of deb. for labor in