New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-01-27
LABOR MOVEMENTS.
n. Y. City Industrial & ongress. SD sEss

h. ARTHUR DAlLE1s IIcstuShe " ~-~~@
and the Secretary read the roll of officers.
Minutes of the last session read and approved
and the order Of business commenced.
Delegates were received from the Cooperative
Labor League, consisting Of Slas N. Hamilton,
]. J Franks and II J. Crate
Vice President Hennessy reported, from the
Shirt Sewers Society Committee, that they had
obtained the use of the Carpenters Convention
Hall Wooster st. to hold their sittings and would
meet there next Thursday evening.
Secretary Pond from the Cooperative Labor
League Association made highly favorable re-
port of its present success and prospects ior the
attainment of its end, in the combination oil pur.
chasers TO buy of those who would sell upon the
most favorable terms to its members ina
League meets every week at the Bakers House
of Call. l27 Grand. st. to take in members on Thus
day evenings
The re.reading of Mr.. Daviss Report upon State
Contracts for Public Works was now called Tor
and its adoption debated.
MIR Rogers did not approve OF 1t, as any change
in the present mode of State Contracts would bat
change the principle of giving them to the lowest
bidder TO giving them 70 political iavorltes as 0
old, and there was little choice of the systems.
| MIR Jonassohn did not like the ungrounded ap-
prehension that our Legislators could not dc an
| honorable thing or practice upon principles Of
equity in the giving out of public jobs
Mr.. Barr would prefer the old system OF con.
tracts to the present mode, as the one IN exist
'ence would uniformly injure the laborlng classes
| in throwing them into competition where those
only who could do the most work and suffer the
| greatest amount of starvation without complaint
! could have a chance 10 live by labor.
The memorial of Mr.. Davis was adopted and
ordered to be sent 10 the Legislature in the care
ofMr. Gregory, memberfrom the FourteenthWard
of New York City and Delegate to the lndustri-
al Congress.
Mr.. Hennessy offered the following resolution;
ResoIred That Committee be appointed by this Con-
gress wait the Mayor of the City urge upon him
the necessity Of appointing competent Practical Mechanics
with view prevent such wholesale msnsau ghler
has recently occurred in Twenty -hrst-st
Mr. Bassett suggested that such proposition
was acted upon and Committee appointed some
months since, but the cry of its being political
was raised and nothing was further done; In the
meantime wholesale murder had grown out OF tho
apathy of the Common Council and the public,
and he denounced the entire building system
as deleterious to health and dangerous to the
public.
Mr. Archdeeoon commended action by this Con.
gress and the adoption of the resolution did al
so Mr. Turner delegate of the Reportersl who
said our system of erecting buildings was danger.
Gus in the extreme, and the public should be
aroused to the improvement before more evils
should occur
Comm on Council to appoint inspectors of build.
ings in the process of erection and commended
the memorializing the Legislature for the passage
of general law for cities and villages, creating
from practical Mechanics, inspectors for the pur.
pose OF preventing future disasters from falling
buildings.
Mr.. Day denounced the apathy or stupidity Of
the public and the spasmodic sympathy only when
disasters had occurred
Mr.. Ryckman spoke Of New-York as peculiar
city, and too commercial in spirit to care for the
interests of the masses or Of individuals, and
commended political action by the masses, as bat
little was ever done in society by voluntary &C
ton. Compulsory laws were necessary alike 10
the soldier and the citizen for the performance OF
social duties. He commended that those most Ia.
terested in the public welfare were the citizen and
laborer buttbey would never obtain by legislation
their rights or get protection unless they egislate
for themselves. Their elevation was at their own
option, and could be secured they had sufficient
intelligence and courage combined TO assert their
rights. There was Aotbing in the nature of the
higher Attachments OF those who were not in the
category of workmen that warranted the arrogant
assumption OF superiority of position or Of com
pensstion. The Doctor, Lawyer and Divine bat
achieved their elevation through labor, in the d.
rection most agreeable 10 them and without com.
pulsion. nor were those labors Of such undoubted
utility as to warrant the pretenses set up OF high
er claims to respect and emolument The me-
while the labors of the professions were often Of
doubtful utility and frequently entirely useless
or charlatanic.
Mr.. Hennessy's resolution was here adopted
The following additional one, upon the same
subject was offered by Mr. j. Commerford, from
the Chsirmskers:
Rsoired That the Legislature Of this State be requested
to enact law sppoiEtbg Commee of Practical Worx-
ngmen IN each city and town OF this State whose day
shall be that private puoc buildings Goa.
or calamity from the u'e OF improper or insufficient ms
teTles.
Mr. Commerford proceeded TO denounce the
carelessness and apathy of our Fire NvardeBs He
had, himself seen buildings altered where beams
had been left running across haes that wefe
changed from stable ventilators to chimneYs and
be predicted that those buildings would take ire
ere long, aud they were Of the most costly ana
splendid in the CITY.
Mr. e. II. Rogers Printers UnionD condemned
the Aldermen and other public individuals ana
bodies OF our City for neglect Of their dates ~
not voluntarily interfering against the erection
buildings OF doubtful strength and materials 10 ~
parts Of the city, and commended Mr.. Conner
ford resolution.
Mr. Hamilton from the Shoemakes) thoag1.
the Legislature ought 10 make il penal 70 efse'
buildings that would not sustain themselves az
der ordinary circumstances of wind and weather
Messrs Commerford, Ryckman and others con-
cured in this view.
PJ Downie, lBricklayer,) stated that the Coz
gress little knew how the workingmen on bubo
ings in this City were treated. In fact, they ven
not Southern slaves, nor galley slaves, buttn
were worse than either. He The said was PSF
ing down FOurth-st, and between First and Dc.
ond avenues; there was building there in coeIs'
OF erection and be saw men, three, four and n'S w.
IN regular succe ssion, each carry up from twsny
10 thirty OF stone hard marble, on their shoulder,
Aeeyery ring they had TO WAIVER and baiaacte,,d
that he left, not being able to bear the sigh"
even looking at them, for he feared at every NJ NJ
ment that they would fall and be crushed NV
F