The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-12-19
TEE HARD rIMEs.

Aeos u new 40rk C1tys
Since the great financial revusion in 1887 No know
OF no year during which there such large nuuhsr
Of mechanics and laborer out Of employment a. there ID
at present ID estimated that there arc about tws.ty
thousand persons Of AL occupations idle in thise
alone, and from present appearances the probability
that, In two or thu 20 weeks, ten thousand more VI
added to the number The esets Of the prsseat dsprs
sion in business anticipated for some months ~
fore they wore actually realised and nearly year 60
We warned the community Of their approach. Ths ass
who suffered were the workers in plate and other sr6
cles ofluxury; while those who employed In the
manufacture Of shoes and articles Of necessity have -
far experienced but little Inconvenience from The prs-
sure. Even those, however, must evsntsAH1
be affected by 1t, ~ large portion q
their customers to b. found amsng ths
unemployed. When we speak Of articles Of nsoss-
sty No do not include the tailors among those e.
gagged In their manufacture and who, In the
prosperous times occupy, perhaps, the lowest posso
among the trades, far compensation u oonesrnsd
In proportion to their numbers, there are perhaps
more Of them ct present In want Of work than Of ~
other occupation. But while the tradesmen and ms
chanics have been reduced for the time being 70 ssual
poverty, those who had regular Of support.
and who partially dependent upon individaaa -
nsvolence, now in state Of the most sxtreme dss
tuition. Within the past week tho number Of appu
cants for relief to the amshouss in tho Park bssa
increased 1t least third whis such is the distress
among the poor In the Seventeenth ward that soup
kitchen has already been established for thsu-
This establishment was opened yesterday fer Tie
first time, and although its existence was net
known generally throughout the ward, over . hun
dred persons received liberal supply from It. Tho
building IN which the soup is prepared il .
small wooden shanty, one story high, and containing
only two apartments, Of which is used store
also distributed. On tho front Of this unpretending
structure is the following significant inscription in lst
tiers large enough for the eyes Of poverty to them
mile OF -
% . Q . Q - . Q . . . . . . %
THE SEVENTEENTH WARD RELIEF ASSOCIATION.
oe %
This institution was originated among the butchers q
Washington and Fulton markets, who supply the msst
and excellent meat it s-while the vegetables are con-
trbuted by the green grocers OF the soup have only
to say that If it is all Of the same quality as we saw
yesterday, it 10 substantial and nourshing than
the best maccaroni turtle tasted. As yet
told ruos have been adopted In regard TO its
distribution but in the of few days win be
found necessary to have regulations, whom each
applicant must be provided with ticket
We have said that the tailors have suffered
vere than any other trade by the present depression.
Der, being In want Of work. while of the needle
those employed in shirt making, &c.-two Thousand
idle. The wholesale clothing trade il almost entire
y suspended and the retail business is said to b
In state Of collapse People are brushing up aaa
patching old clothes that intended for the ragman
10 that poor taors have compelled to throw
by the needle 1t has only been to increase the labers u
the thrifty housewife.
of the the cabinet Makers and others engaged in up
holsey chair making, and kindred occupations about
fifteen hundred are out Of work. We were tsld By .
manufacturer that there win be large addition after
Christmas by which time most Of the orders Of cosnv
dealers and others win be supplied. It is expseasd
however, that the business win revive in the spring.
Building operations have been 10 great extent
pended throughout the city, and, consequence .
large number Of carpenters, laborers, and Al
who in any way connected with building, have been
thrown upon their own resources and the bensve-
encc Of the public. or the six thousand masons In
this city, about two thousand cannot obtain employ
ment. It must be remembered, however, that the
winter is the most unfavorable for their trade
snd that there Is generally about this period from vs
undred to thousand idle. Taking this into consider-
ion, therefore, may fairly estimate the number a
sufferers BY the present depression at thousand
In the manufacture Of ron the hard times have aso
exercised depressing influence, as exhibited in the
number of machnists, smiths, &c. who out of work
The Novelty Works. which noticed among others n
Sundays HERALD having discharged great number
of Its workmen happy to find, has employed at
this time between and eight hundred men. The
propretors constantly discharging and taking in
their work VARIES but the quantity Of work on
hand at present compes them to keep this large forcs
employed. We are sorry the same cannot be said -
other establishments which have discharged in the e.
gregatc about fifteen hundred of their employees.
Among the printers, those employed at book or Job
work especially the hard times has fallen with great
severity In the majority Of the job Offices one half and
in twothrs of their hands have been discharged
while the hours Of labor Of those who retained have
been reduced The total number In the city looking
for work is estimated at Ave hundred but it must 10
understood that large number who failed procure
employment have left New York in search Of II else
where
The stereotypers are also suffering in the proper
ton the job printers, but they not nume-
rous the number out of employment is of not %
large These doAot it IL said exceed hundred ana
fifty.
or the one thousand bookbinders in New York. absat
two hundred and Fifty have been discharged during the
past fortnight The large religious book concerns have
been compelled 70 reduce their force but expeotel
that they win be enabled in the course Of couple a.
MONTHS at the farthest, to reengage them The girls
employed in the folding and stitching departments have
also suffered in equal degree over two hundred Il
them having been discharged.
We have alluded to few of the occupations in which
females employed, but they that il
would be impossible in this article to speak of them N
detail. We do not over-estmate tn number who have
been thrown out of employment, however, when ak
it at eight thousand Among these include SEAM
stresses Of all kinds well the females Employed 81
iferent occupations. Over hundred and City eisas
who were engaged Ia working sewing machines In Ala
been discharged and help to swell the aggregate W
have given above Although tho number Of working
matters have been diminished about one third ths re-
ducton does not appear to have affected the rate q
wages which stili remains the One hundred aal
fifty are, We have been told, out Of employment
We have said that the shoeakers have suffered laas
than any Of the Others but be supposed that
they have been entirely exempt About four hundred a
them are idle at present but shoes and boots are In