New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-05-22
r E PORT
ta OF THE
COMMITTEE OF THE PRINTERS UNION
on THE
STATE OF TIE TRADE.
OF THE

The Committee appoin ed BY the Union to Ia.
quire into and Report the State OF the Trade in
| this City, respectfully submit the following:
That this Report IS prepared ia accordance with
a vote Of this Union confirming resolution to the
following effect; 49,.
Rr'oired That's Comnues 81 Seven be appoia,sd IN
ifko into consideration no s'e 4 Ito Trade, and have
power dram Scale Of Prcss ard report poe
slbe,D
which was submitted BY one Of the members and
unanimously agreed 70 \. a regular meeting held
on Saturday, April 9, 1850
The Committee would here observe, that If the
object of this Union 70 represent the state Of
the Trade in its wCrst aspect it could hardly have
selected a more unsuitable time inasmuch as the
Trade is at present in a state of prosperity, rare
even at this time Of the year. aud unexampled at
any other yet even now, when the prospects, ofthe
journeymen are brighter than they usually are, and
when al are willing to forget past trial and suffer
ing in the present. and few care to look far into the
future, your Committee have facts and figures 10
report, which fully justify this Union in nstituting
this inquiry, and demands some immediate meas
at their hands to remedy the evils which these
facts and figures prove 10 exist
Your Committee have received returns from
eighiy.two printing Offices in this City; these re-
turns embrace oil the daily papers, mos. Of the
weekly journals &c. together with the prin-
cipal bcokwork ard .obbing Offices, and some
few of the smaller ones bat we have reason 10
believe the total number OF printingoffces in this
city ia not less than one hundred and fifty.
The Committee believe that tho worst features Of
the Trade are to be found in the smaller Offices.
holes and corners where boys do the work which
men are wanting, and at half or less than BALI
mems wages. There ere a considerable number
of these places scattered about the City, and al.
though the amount OF work done in each Is small,
the aggregate is considerable, and the effect s
alike injurious to honorable employers, and TO
workmen From this ass Of Offices we could get
10 returns which were reliable, and we preferred
10 omit them altogether. rather than use such az
might prove fallacious.
Thus then, We think that we have right to saw
thar this Report presents only the best aspect Of the
Trade aRd that we are warranted in saying tia.
if such the betfeatrres Of the Printing business
is quite tine that all who feel an interest In il
should be up and doing, TO remove the evils under
which it at present lsbos.
In the x o1nces nom Which we have received
returns, there are employed about $50 joaneymen
ard goo boys; end tie nearest estimate we can
logm Of the entire Number Of persons employed in
TIE printing business IN ibis City ia over 1000 who
may be classified thus
Forenen $50, Comrositors 900, Freshmen 900.
Boys at case 500. Boys AZ press lC0 girls at prsss
loOi total. say 2,l5o.
IN this Report We shall confne our observations
chiefly to the Journeyren and Boys
Your Committee will now proceed 10 point o,t
some u the chief evils which affect the TfaIe.
And first, or THE RATE oy Pay:
We ind that there Is only one Office which payx
from which they gradually decline Sowsw,,d 20 =
ems LOIS iast IS act common price, but w.
We are only doug an art If simple just;cein
ItieninE 10 one Considerable Office which employs
cnrreynen al this price, Tor iess, il their necess
sBee his Report was submitted TO the "Un.oovrs
Z" we os OF AhoiheF Cle (Ds,yl have v,lsstary 40
aIefo 'LsI pf.ees TO hiIIy-iwo cent? rer tscosass