The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1868-06-13
FROM BROOKLYN.
BROOKLYN, June !, 1856

To the Editor Of the WoRENGMAS's ADVOCATE.
Yesterday, the last day Of May, New York
saw with wondering eyes the first really fine
and pleasantly warm da. we have had for
the last seven months, and it being Sunday,
almost every one Of our toiling masses took
advantage Of it, to breathe once more in the
parks q little pure, fresh air. The streets
were thronged with men, women, and chill
dren cars were crowded, and every one
seemed bent on enjoying themselves, after
one Of the longest and most severe winters
New York ever experienced but it is now
gone into history, and perhaps we ought to
let it remain there. Sui, it is as well to
note the severe lesson 1t has taught Us, II
only to show the fleets that the slavery Of
wages has on the people, for contend now,
as always have done, that wages slavery
is more baneful in its effects than personal
slavery the former in times Of pressure,
leaves its victims to die Of starvation, which
the latter is always free from. Being pro
perty, like the horse or any other animal, it
il to the interest of the owner to see that
more than slavery in another form, what
have we gained BY all our knowledgeP lis
true, We have enriched the country-pled
up enormous masses Of wealth; bat have
we beitered the condition Of the people bv
this advanced civilization We need 40 10
more than point to the seer es in New York
last winter, where thousands (some Of them
our most skilled nechanics) were fed daily
at our prisons. They chose these places, I
presume, to deter az many as possible from
applying for and, as they thought no honest
mechanic would like to 50 far humiliate him
self as to 60 to prison to geta meal to save
himself from death by starvation. But this
method, | understand, il TO be altered
another year, and regular districts establish
ed to supervise and look over our paupers,
SO that At last it is acknowledged that there
is paupcrism ia our midst. Are we now in
anv better condition than the other countries
Of Europe? The same thing that produced
paupersn there viii produce 1t here. It Is
in fact already producing it We can now
count our milliOnaires by the score, and as
a natural Consequence our paupers by the
thousands. lis as clear as the sun at noon
day, If one man is continually getting richer
some one else is, and must be, continually
getting poorer, till as we now see it, we have
to make five nfen paupers to maintain one of
our mlllionaires.
We have had quite q new feature in the
labor movement during the last week. The
females have suddenly appeared when least
expected. allude to the Female Burnishers'
Association, who called a meeting this week
to reorganize the association. One Of the
ladies', Miss MacNamara, INDUCED in some
pretty tall talk, which must have brought the
blush Of shame to some of the male gender,
unless they were hopelessly lost to all sense
Of shame. IL has always been understood
that women were employed in factories be-
cause their labor was 10 much cheaper than
mems, but il it be true, as stated at the meet
ing, this order Of things is reversed in the
Furnishing trade, and the women earn more
than the men. As we do not often get
speeches to chronicle from the ladies, will
give your readers short specimen Of two If
the speakers at the meeting:
Miss Maggie MacNamara stated that the OBJ
jects Of the meeting were to devise some means
Of sustaining the Association prices for work in
their business. There are, she said, no doubt
few shops in the trade where lair price is paid
for work done; but how long can this continue
when she majority Of shops are paving less than
one-half the prices specified in our price list
and In order fer the shops that are paying a fair
price for the work done to compete with those
that are laying q small price, it will be absolute,
" necessary 70 reduce the pay m order to get
the same amount Of work and put it in the mar
ket as cheap as those who have reduced their
pay for work done; and in order to stop the re-
ducIlon Of pay in several shops. II will be neces
sary for those employed in the shops not nov
paying the full pre- to refnse to work for said
price. There were, she said, shops enough here
needing help, which are willing to pay the full
price, but should q reduction take place il would
a. q matter Of course, be necessary for those now
paying poor price TO make still further re-
duetion, and il is easy to see how the matter
woald then stand As the prices adopted by
the Association we're sanctioned by the several
employers, aud were declared to be the perma
nent standard prices, il isno more tnau an act
of justice that the same should be enforced
With little aaity and support of the females
by the males. we can raise the Association 10 its
former position, without which we can hardly
exist For he rself, she said, che was willing 10
devote time aud money toward advancing The
Of the trade.
Mr.. Bradley, Of Brooklyn, stated that while
i,is boss was wing "a cents for Furnishing ice
pitchers, tine m-le ARTICLES Are plated and bur
nished In New York fpr $1s butter dishes, for
which ~ eents are paid, can be done in New
York for 80. One Of the young ladies' present
stated that she knew butter dishes to be bur
nisksd ~ Low ~ for eensa, coffee pots 80 celts
and other articles In proportion. There Las
been rsdnction Of from 10 70 A. per cent upon
N kinds OF work. Under the Associations scale
" prices, girIs Who could earn from $l4 to a.
Aigh 40 t10a veek, hare nov 30 be content