The Portland daily press., 1867-05-08

We cut the following from the Boston Com
naercial Bulletin of last week. The suggestions
it contains so full of practical good sense,
and their bearing on the interests OF our own
eommunityis is so direct that we copy the arti-
Gle entire, commencing it to the careful con-
sderation Of those workmen among us who
seem disposed to risk so much in the future for
the sake of gaining an Immediate but inevita-
bly, only temporary advance in the rate Of re-
Enumeration for their labor T-ff-- iir
Though the labor Strikes" which lately
? Threatened to completely paralyze mechanical
and manufacturing industry throughout large
sections of the country, have partially subsid-
ed, there is continued holding out among
large bodies of skilled workmen III some OF our
great cities and centres OF production. There
Is great injury being done Doth sides, by
this doad lock, in which the issue is lett to be
settled by the simple power of endurance.
ol This is indeed, sad state of affairs and one
that seems, to admit OF no compromise on the
part OF employers, in view of the d. pressed
and generally unremuneraiive condition of
| nearly all branches of productive Industry
10 yield to these demands tor more pay and
less work, is to Increase the cost of production
beyond the limits within which produc ion is
possible; and hence to bring the operations of
industry to q stand 10 refuse them rs an al
Tentative equally painful and inc Convenient to
all concerned. The question is not wheth la
DOR Is uuuer OF Ovef-plla,-tnat m gnC be eaSI-
ly settled IN ordinary times, when there is
| fair margin of profit on the results OF labor;
| but it is now practically whether labor snail
| continue to De employed at al, either for tho
benefit of itself or the frueiificaton of capital.
H. This is 3 mOmentous question, and one upon
| the issue of which hang all the great material
| interests of the country. 1t concerns the mer-
| chant equally with the manufacturer, tho
wheels OF commerce must cease to revolve the
moment the machinery of production loses its
nx>.sxr No. h.,
and capital must be employed, in some way
But higher prices for labor means higher prices
for eue1ything provisions, rents Jaet and cloth
tno; and the pressure ofhigh prlces is the very
fact upon which labor, at the present time,
bases its demand for increased compensation
This alternative, ii complied with, must OF
course aggravate the evil and the pressure un-
der which the working classes are now suffer-
ing, and in the end we fear, their condition
viii not be much improved. 7. .-.--.a.-. ~
| we should not regret to see some bran, b es
| of production-such as that of textile fabrics
slightly enrtailed at the present time believing
that such restriction would have a healthy and
recuperative effect. But in 0theTs-Such dS ski)-
/ budding and real estate improvements such a
curtditrcnt Uoud be disastrous in the e1ire1le 10
all classes, and to none than to that cldss Of
mechanics who are engaged AZ building opera
1 TONS - ...
These particular branches of industry have
lately started up, under circumstances of great
difficulty and encouragement, to supply .
great public need in all our large cities, whero
/ dwellings and stores are scarce, and rents ex-
,orbitaDtiy high. A very little obstacle h,own
| IN the way Of landlords and contractors, will
suffice to nip this desirable movement in the
bud, throwing tenants back upon their present
limited resources This carpenters and
bricklayers' strike is jusG the obstacle calcuat-
ed to disgust and discourage real estate owners
who have another formidable difficulty to over
come in the high cost of building materials
The inducements aad discouragemvnts are at
l aa,,ta oh ,,aIIx kal Al.
/ ers are likely to turn the adverse scale.
A NEW BUsINEss.-There are great many
different ways Of raising che wind. The firm
of Edwards & Griffin were lately brought be-
tore court in Chicago, on the charge of being
+ vagrants, when ono of them made the follow
ing revelations: ri .t ,4.rY.
. These two gentlemnn and myself are the
firm Of Edwards & Griffin. We are prooosers
, | By that mean we propose TO young ladies ana
, help to get them married. we are Deneiac-
? tors. When we see "a young lazy VINO ~ hos
i and never has been engaged, one OF us says 10
her: ave will get you married for s., pay
: able after marriage" OF course she says yes
For the time being, one of us is considered as
engaged to her We trumpet the TACT abroad
Whenever the other two of us meet youne
, man who il not engaged, we say: hat
: | lucky, dog Griffin is He has won Miss y -
, And we praise her We encourage the young
man to go in and cut Griffil out, T the fun q
/ the thing. Being fool, like most Young men
, he does it. he proposes to Miss X KNOWN,
that she is engaged to Griffin, and hardly ex
] pecting that she will accept him. But She al
t ways does. And he can never cut loose from
: her he must marry her or be tried for breacl
oil promise. myself have been engaged TWEEN
t y-hye times during the last year. We are do
Ing so well that we think of hiring clerk {,
do part of the work for u.s. should not hay
: told you this but for your atrocious threa
. about Bridewell. But as we have given falls
, ] names, it does not make much difference.