New-York tribune., 1872-02-13

Tie Boston Commercial Bulletin hes been
mixing some Investigations i.;o the cculuc, Of the
Tadc Union. and develops the following points il the
hat.Inaliors' operations:
The statement which has gone th" rc'rd o the nevs-
palofe, that G-ht t.u retail LGtt.rs have re-
Gently ia~d n this cJ led us 90 inquire into the cause
O. business. NLlr ofh.r c4u.rs have dOubtie-s had
Their influence the licn cost of production. as copared
cause common all It should he uEGc stood that IN
speaking Of hats' we allrde TO tue Article properly 20
ed in the trade tie nix hat or "st0vepipe" which
e men eI.,cycd in making fhcsc hats ore Technically
called hat fnisieIs.' TIE National Hat Finishers'
Association i organization which meets once IN four
wears aud has jurisdiction over the local organizations
which exist i'll every conideraie city and in the
United states, 0nd . in aiiaton with Kindred societies
i'm Europe 1Arough secretaries its officers are kept
santly informed OF tnc<cOndiiiOn CT the trade every
where, fu iss Of journeymcn and apprentices with all
the facts hearing upon their trade" history are recorded
uuou it, books and al irregularities OF Whatever nature
aic promptly reported. The secretary Of the orsanza
toa issues to every iouraeyman travelling card"
which accIfdts him to an local organizations fa
ing 10 Posre-s which, he cannot work in any far"
Shop in the country When bargain s made
between JOurnc yman and an employer nothing what
ever sail about wages Tie iougneymen settle that
Nor any inquiry permitted as To the capacity OF the
applicant perform the work in question He may he
agooG workman or poor one ne may he sober in
dusiriohs man. OF nc may bea worthless drunken fellow,
whose presence in the shop woud work positive injury
These thnge not to be considered He has served
regular apprenlceShp possesses me requisite card and
the employers rights in the matter extend further
than TO simple yes or no, in response to his application
Should employer presume to employ man not iL
the trade, should he, Ivy mutual agreement pay one
made by the association, his shop Is, after due notice
declared IOul" and no hat fnsher in the trade" can
by the rules of the order, work In il until the offending
cause is removed. Ii works by The week, il must be
at trade price" which, in Boston, is fixed the com
Portable sum of s25 a week Should trade be dull and
the employer be unable 10 pay the ruling rates.
and make profit. work must cease. But the
majority of those employed in this trade
woik by the "piecc," ana make from $50 to $40 a
week when work Is plenty When DUH times come, and
the manufacturer, for the sake OF keeping his shop
going, is willing 10 make concessions TO his
customers provided his iopIneymen viii meet him half
way and be satisfied wi from $40 TO $50 weekly, he
finds compromise impossible the trade forbids: com
pellinr them 10 "oaf" and leaving them without sun
port their families. The effect Of these high prices
be apparent 10 every Intended TO be protect
i've they are 10 large extent, prOlbitive silk hats
formerly much generally than at pres
and when good hat could be bought for and the
very best article cost than &c. the number man
ufactured in proportion to the population. was much
greater than now. really good silk hat is now luxury
which OF moderate means i'll afford, and hence
we have annual crop OF other kinds Of head-gear
bearing all fancy names which answer the pur.
pose equally WELL at cost averaging about third OF
ihat OF the respectable hat