The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1872-01-12

From the Chicago Tribune.
.gmcricaa .gi,Qrentfces aud strikrs.

now Oh STlRe. Ine cause uOeS not
arise from any question of wages or
time, but the employment Of apprentices.
The trade is a good one, the workmen
earning from $3.50 to So per'day. The
employer had received apprentices, daily
bound TO him by law, TO learn the trade.
The workmen demanded the dismissal
of number Of these apprentices this
demand being refused the wOrkmen,
800 in number, struck. The association
of workmeD have 81 900 cash Oh hand,
and have made an arrangement for the
payment to each Of the striking work
men Of s. q week. The usual notice
has been sent to other ouarries not to
come to Westerly. The employers Civ
ing notice of their willingness to receive
more apprentices 300 boys applied, aud
were put at work under competent in
structOrs.
This is one of those cases of practical
difficulty which constantly arises be-
tween workmen and employers The
Stone Cutters Association by rule OF
dered that nc more than certain num-
Der of apprentices should be allowed to
work in proportion to given number
of journeymen. This rule is not pecu-
liar to stone-cutters, but is general in all
trades. There are objections to such a
rule; but the practical difficulties arise
from the opposing views as to the proper
number of apprentices who shall be al
lowed to work. Thus, one trade may
allow one apprentice to three journey,
men, while others permit one apprentice
to not less than 10 journeymen. The
strikes are the result of all attempt, on
the one hand, to make journeymen mere
instructors of apprentices, and, on the
other hand, to so exclude apprentices as
to make the trade monopoly in the
hands of the present workmen, Instead
OF coming to an amicable understanding
on this subject, Il strike is the result
In an economic point Of view, this strike,
like all others, will result dsastrously.
The daily wages of the men amounted
to $1,000, or 81 200 week. Assum-
ing that the men will remain idle for
four weeks, the loss Of wages will then
be SOS 900 This sum thus lost cannot
be recovered, except by over work ex-
tending through an entire year or more.
The effect upon the apprentices will not
be beneficial. The boys will never finish.
their education as workmen. AS soon,
as they become somewhat proficient they
will be elected members of the union
and thereby bound by its commands
Though but half workmen, they will b,
recognized by the craft, and thencefo, !.
ward will not be at liberty to work {
apprentices wages, and will not be ab le
to earn those Of journeymen. Th ~
will, therefore, be spoiled as stone 81 IT.
ters, and be too much stonc-cutsors 90
be anything else.
One of the best reforms that the la.
Dor Congress can adopt is thor )ugh
revision of the apprentice system. At
present, q boy willing to learn me-
chanical trade has six chances Gered
him of learning trade in the p, ,niten.
tiary to the one he has of learni, lg that
trade in workshop. An advert isement
for an apprentice in any res oectablc
trade would be answered in this citv bv
500 boys; and, Of 800 BOYS applying
for trades, not more than one { AN lind a
place where he can be receiyor 10 learn
the particular trade he wants to learn.
The result Of this exclusion is that there
is hardly such thing know IN as an ap.
prentice system in this cou ntrv. Bows
who want to be carpenters, n masops, or
machinists can find no 81 lop in which
they can be received the bov who
wants to be carpenter 10 ay find place
as blacksmith, or the lad who wants
to be mason may fin place as a
timer, and must take the only place
open or pass the age t which he can
learn any mechanical rade. What we
want is liberal syst EN- by which any
boy can learn any tr ade for which he
has taste and is phys .cally adapted, and
which will require of him a service as
an apprentice for a specified number of
years. If the uni6 ms would perempto-
rily draw a line by which, after a given
date, say five yea RS hence, no workman
should be rated as journeyman who
has not served &C ,ntinually for the speci-
number of years required for that trade,
then there wo' aid be none but good
workmen; the demand Cor equal
wages would b made in behalf of work.
men all comp etent, and not as now, IN
behalf Of ls .rge number of scallawags,
who, though but scarcely fit for poor
apprentice work, have to be admitted
into the unions on au equality, under
the pressu re Of strikes. Now, strike
forces unions 20 admit everybody, in
order to more efectually cripple the
employer; but the admission of such
men reacts injuriously on the craft,
lowers the standard of workmanship,
and places the half.skilled iourneymen
on an equality with the finished work
men. Such law would create more