The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-06-18

those shops that formerly paid good wages are CON-
PEELED TO reduce them to enable them to sell cheap
as others.
THE APPRENTICESHIP SYSTEM
We may here remark that, as general thing, the
system Of apprenticeship in every trade is not so
strictly carried out now it was twenty or thirty
years ago. At that time it was considered absolute
ly necessary for tradesman to serve five or seven
years before he would be considered qualified to work
at the same bench with his fellow workmen. Anap-
prentice was ndentured generally at the age Of four
teen or sixteen, and his services were the property
of his master until he attained the age of twentyone
as may be seen from the following section of the
statute in relation to this subject: =
Every male infant and every unmarried female under
the OF eighteen years with the conseat Of the
officers hereinafter mentioned may Of his her
free viii, bind himself herself, in writing to
clerk apprentice servant in any profession trade
employ mert-n male until the age Of twenty years,
and female until the age eighteen years or for any
fectua IL such infant Of full age at the time Of
making such engagement.
The "persons or officers hereinafter mentioned
are the parents of the infant "a pretty heavy in
FAINT to carry in the arms) or, if he should be an or
phan, his guardian is authorized by law to act in
their place.
1t is more profitable for employers in the furniture
business, to engage workmen who have partial
knowledge of the trade and who are willing to
work at half price, in consideration of being instruct
cd in the details. There are hundreds of Germans
who, as we have stated, bind themselves by contract
to work for four and five dollars week. They are
capable of doing large amount of coarse work, and
after one or two years practice many Them become
excellent tradesmen. Emigration, therefore, we see
has not only reduced the rate of wages, but has
changed the apprenticeship system it existed for
merly whether njudiciously or not, we will not I'M
dertake TO say. When the five and seven years sys
tenn of apprenticeship prevailed, the apprentice
sometimes boarded at the house of his master at
the masters expense, and received about forty dol
lars year during the term for which he was bound.
They were not entirely dependent on this stipend,
however for after serving two three years those who
skilful at their trade could make three or four
the proportion of apprentices to tradesmen is re-
markedly small, being about one to every fifty, aud
every year the number is growing still less. The
term of apprenticeship varies from two to four
years, according to the age at which the 'nant" is
bound for the master has claim to his services az
ter he arrives at the age of twentyone Those who
have had experience in the trade say that it is al
most impossible to obtain q complete practical
knowledge of it in so short time, and the conse-
quence is that considerable number of workmen
are incompetent for anything except the toughest
and coarsest work. We thiRk however, that mans
natural ability has more to do with his competency
than the number Of years he serves, for there are
some who would never make good tradesmen.