New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-04-20
WAGES AND LIVING ~ CITIES.

tia snd o., ct cities These struggles are generally
crowned with succcss which oe, proves bu. traDsi-
tory; as much being gradually silently lost daring the
business wear as has been gained at rs are nenf
There are trades IL which tie wsges pad twenty yeas
AGO with the successive advances from ihat period 70
this would low amour, to 500 per week, yet they ara
not nov, SIS per week although no public a'owed r.
ducton has intcrnedistey taken place Still the iacE
ia upaeLiabe tha wages haze advanced here within the
tat twenty years-we should say from ten to twenty
nor cent Epcravers and some other artisans are do
inc stn better than this; but we judge fifteen per
cent ID outside estnste for the average enhancement
,fwsges at this point since April 1874
necessity for this advance is found in tbe increased
cost Of living here especially in the items OF S,nt AMI
Pro,ifions This increase Of cost ia real, though
ecnersIy exaggerated Rents in The fashionable quar-
Ter Of he City ire high in Broadway ana below Ca
raj * still more go; bu tbs BY no means proves cor
resordire advance in the tenercns usually occupied
r. tLele.oring class % the east side OF tie Cy DC
And beside such sre The improved fa: ties for riding
into ard through TIE City that residence four miles
from The City Hall practically that poo- than
WIS one nile and half out twenty Yeas ago. Aoj,
though Bread and Meat are low dearer than in =,
think tlDlli0 = 6IO uti hft fASeptif NAAc ia
warts are suppliedat least chc9gly as then. E7e'
CroceJies-Tea Coffee, Sugar, Mol1sses G,c-lre
gold o. low az in 81 aud these eatar quite IS largely
Tito laboIers annual expenses as do Bread AMI 1lea
We doubt Whether the lair average cost o. Irving y
tits voneet-vfen the influx OF Gold, The shor.ncs5
oflast YEARS Crops and the icmibenee Of crest
Var cor spire 20 enhance the prices of FO9l-en pr
cent higher than they were in 1871
All Ills affords 10 proof that libcrer should self
IA services for less than the highest psice they VIII
commend though that be FIVE dollars per- d5y. the
worth Of 'hrg as thc wOrid goes is the money l.
.'wiil brig" aud if the cotou-broker, the grain
merci al, the Wholesale grocer, the lumbeTman the
lane owner nay sell his commodities for the most he
csn get WHY not tho carpenter or s5egelOre'
When The world IL ready 70 ADOPT abstract social jus
lice as tic basis of all dealings il Will be perfectly
lepitiG 5;e to argue that workman 0agt to have 80
much or 80 work for ltle per dag but so long az
three cuJths Of all busiaes transactions are based
tie old principle Of Every man for himself it were
absurd TO put Little vine in.O the old bottles and
iDsist on is stay Dg there amicabJ md quietly. 81
lorg as he farmero merchant sells his Gre at famine
prices whenever the supply is deficient SO long must
he Pay for labor whatever price it may comnanl
snd 50 long a the labOrer feels entitled TO ASH CHER
ard higher prices the demand for labor gains upon
the supply 80 long must lie be wil,cg 10 take lower
and lower yes when the supply eails upon the de-
mand The hardet fend of beeg the admitted
rU it nus. be submitted to when f works against
q. vel rs enforced when it works for u.s.
The right Of workmen in say trade 10 combine for
the enhancement or maintenance Of special rate Of
a.es has been often disputed we never could see on
what ground Aside from the notorious fact that en-
ployerB continually combine to re}gct wages lawyers
Ell doctors to establish rates of charging for t.r
vices Railroad aad SteamOOa! owners TO more
satisfactory return for their investments &c We see
no Other mode in which Labor pOss bly, protect it.
sefsganst the overwhelming power OF Capital than by
this very method OF Combination. For an employer to
fay, viii pay my they and shall sgree bat
''I won't stand auy outside interference between u.s.
and won't employ Cor Ietsn) men who belong
adhere such om5inatioo :" is to say in effect "
will pey just what wsges choose; aud whoever on.
"ects TO tits viii kick out of my shop For Teach
employer msy fix his rates of wages aud forbid his
voIkn en- to combine with others 10 counteracng 4 e
his iourTeymen must thereafter accept Just such rates
he chooses TO pay Ifttey demur, he may turn them
away and replace them from the ranks of the unwll
ling IDLE and needy; and in this way he ma soon re-
duce hs payments for labor twenty-five per cent below
the ordinary standard melting other employers to fol-
low if not surpass Lis example Aud thus. through ac-
ton aud II acton, wages may he crowded down, not
in trade only, but in all to the line just above star
ysOn OF as near it as possible.
But vi le we believe in Combinations or Trades
Unions we have 10 faith in Strikes, except as the
raresr possible recourse against fscrant oppre .son
4 strike is declaration of Industrial War; aud war
should he tie very last argument OF republicans as il
proyertially though not practically is of Kings A
STRIKE should never be resorted TO until every DIR
expedieut Las been fairly tried without success And
whenever body Of wofkmen is obliged to strike it
Should be impeled to find labor at some other pursuit
or in TOWc other locality without the loss Of day
Let carpenters or ma.Ons Of any time compiled t.
strike betake Themselves to hoyelng AMI wheeling on
an Illinois Railroad at dollar per day, if no better
employment is offered; but for Labor to stand sl aad
expect to slarye Capital into submission is as absurd
oT parry of Indians to undertake the siege of
Gibr5liar expecting TO compel it TO surrender.
THERE'S one view Of he general subject of vital i'm
rcEtsrce TO capitalists interested in Ctr Property.
which We trust they may be Induced TO consider While
consideration will avail viz Either The cost Of yioq
III our City nust be Kept within reasonable o;ts o.
cur work must r.suly GO elsewhere an our CITY con-
"qu'i y decline. II IN ectenic must pay $500 per
ntum here for tolerable s,elter for his f,mi- We
eanrot lopg CONTINUE to buli SHIPS pin, book, mike
rope DC here for those who prose ute these bracho
OF rsruf'ctu'e at poin's where as good teneneats
nay he had for 500 rs here cost $500 VIZ Inevitably