New-York daily tribune., 1866-01-12
WORK AND WORKERS.

The Greenwood Opinion Qowa). noticing our
statement that twelve hundred workmen were
recently discharged from the Brooklyn Navy
Yard and that many Of them would have great
difficulty in readily finding o'hor cmp!oymcnts'
thus forcibly comments:
How happens it that. here in tho West. oil our pro
ductiye and industrial pursuits must continue TO bs
crippled and retarded for want Of labor willie II New
York appeals charity being constantly made for
the workngmen IL these days Of newspapers ani tce
grams We cannot unders,ani. II ve have an 0verpus
OF pork or beef to-day business NowYoTk knows and
, acts upon II 70 morrow and If calico fcl cent per
yard yesterday in Ncw.Yori husin.ss Iowa know /!
before breakfast this morning; and thus prioe'
adjast themselves Immediately But lsbor!ng Now
York il seems mus. sbiver a1i freeze and appeal 10
charity for help 10 fill the mouths and warm the feet oil
hungry and fleeing families in tot, Ignorance oi the
fact that industrial Iowa Is srfeTGg ooiTesondingy
for the want OF that very labor II Is oharacers'ios
Western people to be independent, bu. Il we have one
class Of people Independent than another II 10 Tho
laborer-tho man who Las sk!l! and muscle to hire
II Is notorious hero TIA. fer years labor haa been
scarce and high. and especially has 1t been % for
the pas, year Houses could not be b1il. IA town nor
barn. /. the country for wan. Of mechanics TO 10 the
Work. IDTe0 10 uNc poi u"y ivA N'tS"sf''f
briok.masons. plas,crcrs &c. which was freely oaercj
failed TO obtain tie necessary labor with Western low
prices for hog and hominy.' Two dollars day for
field hands and boarded failed to obtain men enough
TO crb our musnse crops Of corn ana enough Of that
precious article stands In tie field "a, prey Of
Winter weather and wild gam. in Mills County aiono
TO feed and fat.en al the starring aborcrs in New
York Again wo ask why will not the labor ofthc coun
try like its business affairs adus. it,en morercady'
Ia il for the want OF information ThOn let those who
contribute 10 stop th, mouths OF hungry aborers In
the East Civ, half that amount 20 sproai the news
among the tive % hundred discharged laborcrs that
Eve thousand families can como 70 Western Iowa ncx!
Spring. where homes cost comparatively bota.aS-1al
20 to work on farms or in shops-and from the start
can bid defiance 20 want and bs tho most inicpend'
ent people we have. and by industry and rugality in
few years acquire property sufficient 10 place them on
the list Of employers-not employed That word not
only relieve sroh Of the burdens OF The poor but add
millions to tho weatl OF the West"
1t is a deplorablc fact that the Laborng
Glass riN crowd into the cities, where they are
not wanted, rather than 90 where their labor is
in eager demand. Dayby day are we entrcated
for something to do by persons who thus in
sist on living where such ai they are in excess,
and mistakenly suppose it in our power to assist
them in so doing. There are to-day at loast
900, 900 people living in this cty and its suburbs
who are not wanted here, yet who would be
useful and welcome in the mower aud less
densey peopled sections Of our country. Yet.
were they where they ought TO be today, they
would begin to drift back 10 the orcr-pcoplcd
cities tomorrow. Thus they conspire to starve
each other, and will not be persuaded to do
otherwise.
Thousands Of these insist that Capital op-
presses Labor, compels it to work too many
hours per day. and robs it Of half its earnings;
yet they insist on subjecting themselves con-
tnually to these very expressions. Wo gave
much time and earnest effort to tho passage Of
an act of Congress whereby every ono who
would was enabled to possess himself Of iOo
acres of our Public Lands yet very few dccept
the proiIer. Therc is not an unmarried mechanic
in good health this day in our city who might
not, within tho noxt yoar. earn and save
tho means Of transferring himself TO tho
Great West, and therc make himself
master Of o spacious Homestssd-to DO
his aad his shildron's forsVsr--and hs might