The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1868-05-15
PRICE FIVE CENTS.
Communicated.
CFSrRAitA, April 2SlsGs.
IIMES.

CETrEk1tA, April % lsGs
TIMES.
a MAN in America should at least
receive living remuneration for his
labor, but it is otherwise here, the work
is steady enough but the wages are too
small. The living Of man compared
with the times is such that even the
most casual observer can hardly refrain
from letting ii come before the public.
The state Of things is very depressing;
gloomy, and discouraging to the poor;
for the wages of each working man
average some where in the neighbor-
hood OF nine dollars per week. If he
makes what we call full time he re-
ceives Sl0,jl there being - working
days generally in month, but here we
allow nothing for accidents which are
well known to be no strangers to Col
lieres and the like. Most of the men
count or call it good month if they
make 81 days and for this they receive
$36. This is all his income now for his
outgoes. To show how depressing this
are we will give the living and condi-
ton of the single and married man sep
aratel y.We have seen above that a man
receives S36 per month, he pays $25 for
board, ten dollars for pair of working
boots, and three and four pairs of those
in year, because the work on them is
very heavy and rough, together with
the sulphuric water acting on them
which gnaws them away like gangrene
with the flesh. Now we find him left
with only one dollar to meet all other
demands. Is this a living salary? Al
so it is called Il very good year if he
works nine months. Now for view
Of the married man. 1t is here we find
the awful cha~m Of starvation. He Is
surrounded with helpless care, shiver-
ing with the told winters blast and
crying for food. The winter is APP
preaching fast on many a poor family
in sglorious'and free America, and he
has not 100 pounds of brcadstutf to meet
it. Here is a question that is no way
intricate: Can married man live and
This man is most likely to have five or
six helpless responsibilities depending
on him fora livelihood, together with
the monstrous operator and his disin-
tcrestcd store-keepcr (by the way who
extracts every penny that the sweat of
his brow may provide.) Each operator
generally has great many houses
Called Company houses very good no
doubt, in one respect, and the married
men that work for this operator are re-
quircd to live in his houses, and pay
| him the rent he pleases to ask, for it is
the first that is stopped out of his wages
/ Next, he Is required to deal in the
store that Is connected with the Colliery
either directly or indirectly. It makes
but little difference how they may have
il arranged between them, we find the
logical conclusion to be that the stare
has to leave the greater part of his wa
ges therein. And besides that, they set
their own prices for their goods, viz:
from to 6 cents advance per pound on
groceries, and the same in proportion
on dry goods. And if they do not COM
ply with the wishes of those men, they
are discharged. Many families, have
heard say while dealing in these stores,
they could hardly keep themselves in
bread and moasses without running in
debt. So it is hard to say whether they
are any better Off than were the slaves,
except in the selling and voting line.
We have Irish Landlordsm here. The
Government would perform a charta-
bic duty byreversing the Frcedmen's
Bureau and sending it to the poor of
the North, and let the so-called white
fr.cmen have suck of the tit. The
cause of these times is known by near
ly all, and | will not dare to offer rem
cdy, | will leave that for more influeu-
tial and wiser heads. All | wish is to
give Il slight view of the comparison OF
the times and the condition of the poor
man. j, j. c.