Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1869-05-26
From the Scientific Amsrican.l
Why is Mechanical Labor ObjeetiOnabl

/ eighteen applicants for the one clerk.
ship. This afforded n very fOrciblC
: illustration of the extent TO which the
occupation of clerking and bookkeep,
J ing is OverstOcked. But a few months
since the head of a business establish
ment, who wished some help i'm the
way of writing, but in which some
literary ability was required, adver.
: tised for an assistantat q moderate sal
ary, and having incidentallymention.
ed that the position might suit a law.
yer or n physician, not in good prac'
tice, got more than a hundred applica.
! tiOns, of which fifty-three were from
1 young lawyers and doctors.
"Here was another illustration of al
Over-supply of the professional or gen,
| teel OecupatiOns.i Another advertiser
! who wanted a person to take charge
I of the editorial work of weekly pa
per, got fifty-seven applications, moi
more than half a dozen of the appli.
cants being recognized newspaper
writers, but nearly all of them being
clerks, book-keepers, and professional
men. Still another advertised for two
apprentices in a Wheel-wright and
smith shop, in one of the semi-rural
wards of the city, requesting appli-
eants TO give their address and age
He got three applicants, but in every
case the applicant was too old, two Of
them being over eighteen, and one
nearly twenty. Still another adyer-
tised for an Office boy, about fourteen
years old, and had so many applicants
that his place was crowded for more
than five hours, and the applicants
were of all ages, from mere children
not more than twelve years old to full
grown men of twenty-One,
''These are not very cheerful or en-
couraging signs. The present genera
strong aversion to every kind of trade,
business, calling, or occupation that
requires manual labor, and an equally
strong tendency towards some so
called "genteel" employment or pro-
fession. The result is seen in such
lamentable facts as those above stated
"a surplus of bOOkkeepers and clerks
of every kind who can get no employ
ment, and are wasting their lives in
the vain pursuit of what is not to be
had, and a terrible over-stOck of law
yers without practice and doctors
without patients. The passion ON the
part of boys and young men to be
clerks, Office attendants, messengers,
any thing, so that it is not work of the
kind that will make them mechanics
or tradesmen, is a deplOrable sight to
those who have full opportunities to
see the distressing effects of it in the
struggle for such emplOyments by
those unfOrtunates who have put it
out of their power to do anything else,
by neglecting to learn some perma-
nent trade or business in which train
ed skill can always be turned to ae-
count.
1.-THE applications for clerkships and
similar positions in large establisll-
ments, are numerous sbeyOndanything
that would be thought of by those
who have no chance to witness it,
Parents and relatives, as well as the
boys and young men themselves,
seem to be afflicted with the same in
fatuation. To all such we say, that
the worst advice you can give to your
boy is to encourage him to be clerk
or bookkeeper. At the best it is not
a well-paid occupation. Very fire.
quently il is among the poorest. This
is the case when a clerk is fortunate
to be employed, but if he should hap
pen to be out of place, then comes a
weary scarcity, the fearful struggle
with thousands of Others looking for
places; and never ending disappoint-
ments, the hope deferred that makes
the heart sick, the humiliatiOns that
take all the manhood out of poor souls,
the privations of those who depend
upon his earnings, and who have no
resource when he is earning nothing.
No father, no mother, no relative
should wish to see their boys or kind
red wasting their young lives in striv-
ing after the genteel positions that
bring such trials and privatiOns upon
them in after life."
1t would almost seem that comment
on the above facts and accompanying
remarks is superfuOus, but in daily
received correspondence we frequently
find inquiries for advice from those
who think their talents are not prop
erly appreciated and their efforts not
compensated. The state of
affairs shown by the instances quoted
by our cotemporary, we think, are not !
only easily explained, but are suscep-
tible of improvement. One cause of |
it is innate laziness and the OtherfoOl- !
ish pride. There may be others, but |
these are the principal ones; the lazi-
ness that prevents man from learn
ing his chosen business, and the pride /
that prevents him from choosing one |
suited to his capacity and education. /
Yet the lazy often desire the most la |
bOriOus places, and the proud those /
where they are the servants of ser !
wants.
He who would turn up his nose in /
,coIn at serving an apprenticeship at |
4 trade where his hours of labor would |
be but ten at most, possibly only eight /
1ut of twenty-four, and who, at the 4
expiration of three, four, or five years
would he competentworkman worth /
/ handsome compensation, possibly 4
capable of acting as foreman, superin-
or employer, chooses toagOn-
re and struggle for place in some
business where he is the
lrudge of his fellow employees, and
almost a thrall to his employers for
years, only to find himself a clerk for
he best part if not the remainder of
his life. As a jOurneyman in almost
INV mechanical business his pay would
)e absolutely greater than as clerk;
his hours of labor would, in most cases
De less, his responsibilities less, and
he wear and tear of his body and mind
ess. But-the mechanic labOrs with
lis hands, and soils them, and wears
,veralls, and cOlored shirts, and rolls
I'D his sleeves, and carries the hOnora-
lie insignia of toll about with him,
While the clerk may sometimes keep
lean hands, and dress neatly, and
how a white shirt front, and carry
,nly a pencil behind his ear; eonse-
luently the choice of the show with
IS accompanying drudgery, rather
han the substance with its indie
,endence.
aWithin two weeks we have had calls
rom young men who have studied for
he ''professiOns;n two had studied
aw, one medicine. Each wanted ad-
ice, and, ifpOssible, aid; but although
leither could succeed in his chosen
,rofession, neither was willing TO at
empt manual or mechanical labor
What each wanted was either an insu-
ance agency, a elerkship, travelling
OF place as eOpyist-anything
ather than soil his hands. We can
,oint to men who write IN. d. after
heir names who cannot compose a
arseable English sentence. We
now of members of the "bar" who