The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1868-05-09
CHICAGO, MAY 8, 1858.

| ~ said. "Thst 10 piece Of foragn joiners'
work" told him that had had good
look q II, and that found II far interior 10
| he Englinh work. That Fiecs Of foreign
joiners' work was brought into that place
nads Of good oak, the same a. the English
york that had been done By Mr.. Smiths
workmen, with the intention Of vanishing 81
With pale garnish to show the quality OF the
work, bat 1t was found to be 10 inferior that
4 was ordered to bs painted over, and when
Issw It again such was its dignified appear
lance, owing 10 the paint and putty that had
kbeen bestowed upon It, that hardly recog-
|nixed Il until made Inquiries 10 make SURF
1t was the same. That is . fair specimen, /
hshould presume Of foreign work. II the best
Pthat Foreigners can do 10 nos done for place
|iks the lnda Office, where everything 10
tdone In workmaniike and skilful manner,
kcannot imagine any place where 1t is likely
4 " be found. There Il one important fact
which cleaned In connection with those
Foreign Offices think worthy Of mention.
These disputes mentioned ID Mr.. Mault's ev-
idence II all pot together would mot number
very many, thousand workmen. and the,
|doabtless would extend over many years. /
believe many Of them are confined withiE
the compass Of very few workmen.. Here
is remarkable fact In cDatrsdistinction to
those cases Mr.. Harrison, the foreman,
states to me that during the I've years that
those Foreign and India Onices have been
progressing he has had on On average 1000
men under bis employ, and be has had soel-
ETY. and ron-society men (; they have been
working all times, ordinary times, and, when
necessary, overhcurs. He has had men re-
ceiving all wages, and be has never had such
thing ~ dispute, though he has had such
vast number OF men in bis employment.
Now | tribute that directly TO this fact,
Mr.. Ha son is q practical workman, anu
that comO.ned with that he has q practical
knowledge Of how 10 organize and handle a
large body OF men and those are two exc eli
tent qualities which are not always found
either in foremsn or in employers Of labor
He has exercised the poser which he has had
vested in him with an amouat Of moderation,
which has brought ITS fruit, and thai is thai
the men respect him eoraialfy. have aske
the men there, from our own meu, who ar,
she most persons employed there, on to tn
|bricklsyers, and FROM them down 10 the IA
borers, what is their opinion Of Mr.. Harri-
son and Of the way in which he conducts his
business and every one gives the man
good word. But the conditions the men ar,
working under there are precisely the same
Is the conditions men s-e working under in
all parts OF the country, and II it is necessary
there should always be disputes where there
s-e Large bodies Of men, there have been
grounos Tor disputes there but as say
there have been no disputes under Mr..
Harrison There had been some
thing said about the bad feeling that exists
now between employers and their workmen,
whereas formerly there used to be more fa-
theriy feeling between master and mac than
exists at the present time can only ac
count for this in this way, which, believe,
are the real causes Firstly, there is the faei
that master joiuefs previously were content
70 be master joiners, and master bricklaysrs
were content 70 be master brickiaye ers, and
master joiner was never above coming into
the shop and taking up his rule ana explain,
ing the work himself 70 the men; aud the
same was the case with master brickiaY ers.
But at the present time the masters are gem
erai contractors; many Of their own men
hardly Know them. asked . laborer vhe..
went into the Foreign Offices last time Il
Mr.. Smith was about the works. "What
Ma. Smith do you meanf'' be asked me. l
said ~I mean your employer" al do not
know him." was the reply. asked several
Others with the same result; those who did
know hIm seemed merel, to know him
only as the Mr.. Smith who came in his car
riase. Under such circumstances it is not
likely that they should regard Mr.. Smith as
having that fatherly feeling towards them
that they might suppose to exist In the man
ager whe is in contact with them every day.
Therefore, say, that the absence OF this
feeling that formerly existed 10 attributable
to the fact that the masters do not now come
into direct contact with their men. As o
general rule they take large jobs and sci iom
meet their men, whilst the foremen, if they
only treat the men fairly, have that respect
which the masters used TO have. There is
another thing which believe it is reasona-
BILE 10 suppose has something to do perhaps
with the FEELING that exists between rs.
Formerly men worked for very low wages
ard long nours; now since our trade organ
! cations have extended themselves to an I'M
precedented extent, employers begin 70 see
that by means Of trade combinations the men
are getting fairer share OF the wealth which
We believe God Almighty intended % Dc
shared equally amongss eli. We believe that
our trade combinations are getting on to-
wards that, and / fhink that instead of turn
| ing their attention to how much they might
fairly get out Of the public aud yet share
with us, the employers turn their attention
, towards opposing our claims and seeing how
much can be got from the pub; for them
| selves. That, believe, is the fair explana-
| ton Of the state Of things existing. Thst
such state Of things should exist II pity.
| admit the necessity that it is one that
should be rsmsdied - soon - possible, and
| believe thsre 10 disposition Of The men to
agree to any System which would bring abodt
better state Of feeling equally as there ex-
lists among the employers. a
Yon cay that trades unions tends towards
an equal share of the good things which
God AInighty had allotted to mankinds Yes,
clearly 20. w fa Hsis bd'
What is the share you would say YOU are
entitled 70, is 4 % aliquot part OF ali the
wealth Of the kingdomi No; believe that
every man who is willing 10 toll for bis bread
h entitled to suf6cient 10 Feed, ,.clothe, and
edecate his family, and to lay By something
10 keep him In his'oM age, 20 that he shall
not need to work alter he is fifty-ive or sixty
years old. ae
Yon hare not got wish to divide ~ the
wealth equally No, I do not entertain any
such revolutionary notions M
fro Bs coETrSUED.l A
<~< S
The German settisments IN western
Texas.
Tbs San Antonio Exprss says: aThs Ger.