Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1872-09-27
The Apprenticeship Question.

published sOne OF General Sherman's Euro
Iean Impressions, a. given by him to the Herald
correspondent. Among other things, / noticed
this land, in view Of the stand which THE STAR
bss taken on the subject, commend il to YOUR
fof Germany and other European national
would adopt some system of keeping their num-
her 70 status OF supply aud demand, by a sort
Of emf grazing conscription good daal of
misery might be obyiateCi and the Iah,r n,%rket
elevate! u more healthy tone"
cannot OK course, speak authOritati Tely for
iLs HoIhthsmen of tbis country; but. IL YOU
~ Permit me, 4 would like TO say few words
lrluters.
JHE STAE has, from time 20 time, published
many articles on 1.-the apprenticeship question
ou have taken the ground that no youth
should he Gebarred the right to acquire a aie
whereby be may earn a livelihood, cOndennipg
Eafies unions for limiting the number Of an.
Irentiyc>. &c Your arguments have seemed
TAR erouEh' and just; but they have been
II l. well known that the printers unions a,
Limit the number OF apprentices. The reason
u = Just thls-they desire 10 keep their num-
ger down 20 status Of supply and demand"
4 ne proct edings OF the twentieth annual ses-
zion OF The National typographical Union IL be-
fore me. Under the head OF "Demand and
supply tie secretary of that body report:
''Nhile n nearly every city from which a report
has heenTeceived trade lie represented a. fair,
and in many rs excellent, not one locality is rep
resensSi a. having An unsuppied demand for
printers. The majority report supply and de-
1Hand abOut equal, but there are many places
exist The reports indicate that the number
81 printers Is increasing more rapidly than the
demand for them"
The VOTkingmen OF America have no ''system
OF emf grating CONSUMPTION" TO nd themselves
az the surplus of mechanics. Consequently
they have 20 do the next best thing. G., limit
Tie number OF apprentices; and your correspon-
dent, With thousands OF other intelligent me-
Chanics. thinks il a far better plan to limit the
nun number CT apprentices than to open wide the
vast majority would only serve a weary appren-
;iCeship OF from TO 10 years to abandon il for
lack Of employment. X.
We might retort upon our correspondent that
his Arguments have only surface fairness.
What would be the result supposing the 8. ins'
n al the other trades, professions, and csliings
should undertake 10 regulate the market of
demand and supply according 10 their own
Interests, or notions, aud refuse to allow their
fellow men the privilege of earning a livelihood
N the occupation for which they are best fitted
by natural inclination, and qualifications of
body and mind. What, fOr instance, would
become q The sons Of printers If similar restric-
lions 10 those of the Typographical unions lin
itlnS the number Of apprentices, were adopted
1y The "ins" or every other calling-the me-
chsnlcs, artists, merchants, doctors Iawvsrs
preachers, labOrers, SC. 1t is safe to saw that
The g ms IL every one of these classes would
assert, a questioned, that their occupation is
crowded and IN danger of being "oyerdopen
Suppose they should set up their code OF
restrictions Ike the printers unions, where
would the young men Of the rising gener alton
COZ Are they TO starve, or are they to
be maintained in idleness By the community
A youth may have particular fitness for a par
ucular occupation, but he is forbidden to fol-
low the bent Of his genius because the s'ins wan,
TO make close monopoly of the business. The
round pegs must 90 to the square holes, and
rice reTsC. The boy of mind and the boy of
muscle must each be thrown out OF his proper
sPhere IN accordance with this selfish idea OF
eopscriFtion" to keep down the supply.
N0such attempt TO regulate the labor market
can work Like all other markets, it must regu-
late itsei 10y the ordinary laws Of demand and
supply. L he unions have no more right to
say that there shall be no more printers than
the groetrs have to say that nobody else shall
set GP IN their line of business, lest the supply
shall exceed the demand.
AZ bearing on this very point, we NAV refer Z,
the repcr. lately made at a meetin, in San
Francisco Cf the Protection and Relief S,cietv,
OF that city. In seeking employment for bows.
the secretary says - Wherever we turn labor
leagues and trade unions against u.s." Com
mentirs upon this state of affairs the San
Francisco Bulletin says:
Either the BOYS now growing mn here will
run largely 10 hoOdiums, or they must haze en-
ploymeLt or be banshed from the country We
mo" CT number of promising bows who have
zee " sent east 10 remain because there were no
avsu,. es opened here to honor able employment.
We are tamoring for immigrants ali the time
when ever, California boy well tr aimed would be
worth AS a ma, As much a. four average immi,
grants. Not lons ago the pulpit to some extent
ID this CITY took 1p Ne subject OF "hoodiums,,
but missed the most v,.rl point Boys need
sometimes attractive places O, resort But forced
lIieness L to-day the source of We -eater part
OF juvenile yagrancy and c, ime. WHAT hope u
there for a bow brimmip~ ,., :. N-A>
"a, a - IJeS 90 work to do? There nerer
Ioas uGn ,Iat% md brutal cru SADIE lcaged Ggaiast
qfI nr.grs .hSpired By some Of the labor leagues
sDd w. q tie country. III you want hoodlums
nrt~ ..arts, limit tie admission of boys to one
y Eere and there among master mechanics
ID manu- scturing establishments, and set the
rest aLrift."