The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-11-28
Work and Wages.


IMMEDIATELY after the election, the
Board of Public Works of Brooklyn dis
charged 400 men.
THE Taunton (Mass) Car Company
has reduced the wages of its employees
% cents a day.
OVER 1000 workmen in Louisville,
KY, have been thrown out of employ
ment within few weeks.
Work on the Harrisburg AMI Potomac
railroad has been suspended, throwing
large number of workmen out Of en-
ployment.
A BOSTON telegram says it is rumored
that the great Manchester print works
are going TO shut down and wind up
their affairs.
In view of the failure of the Texas
and Pacific Construction Company,
railroad men now predict that no new
road to the Pacific will be built for ten
years.
THE Boston and Providence Railroad
Company has discharged about 40 Of it's
employees, and it is proposed to reduce
the number of trains on account of lack
of business.
THE Louisville and Nashville Rail
road Company has issued circular an
nouncing a reduction of 10 per cent. on
officers, agents, and employees salaries
after the 10th inst. Other Southern
roads will take the same action.
AT the Baldwin Locomotive Works,
Philadelphia, there were 1900 men en-
ployed when the stringency COM
menced in September. About half of
these have been discharged, leaving
!, $3.50 men now working on three.quarter
time.
DURING the past week about 400 en-
ployes of the American Watch Compa-
ny, at Waltham, Mass, have been dis
charged, and orders have been given for
the complete stopping of the factory on
Saturday, for one month at least.
The Atlantic Mills at Lawrence,
Mass, are running four days in the
week, ten hours per diem. There has
been, however, no reduction IN the
number of employees or wages, and the
management hope to proceed ON this
basis.
The Hartford COUdnt says that the
money stringency has deeply affected
the large manufacturing interests of
Fairfield county, Conn. In Wcstport
there is $500, 900 invested in such enter
prises, and of 700 operatives commonly
employed only about half the number
are now working.
THE Lehigh PENN Register, Of
Wednesday, says 1.-THE pig-iron trade
in the Lehigh valley is extremely dull.
The prices offered are generally below
the cost of manufacture, and the IRON
masters see that, if they run full time
all winter, they would have such an inn
mense stock on hand in the spring that
the trade would be ruined for the whole
of next year. Consequently nearly
every company has blown out enough
stacks to reduce its production
about one-half, and therefore those Who
look for ruinous prices next year viii be
In a hard winter il is criminal to
hoard for the sake of boarding. Every
dollar removed from circulation adds a
pinch of cold or n pang of hunger 10 the
prodigal store of that gruesome patri-
mony always ON hand in the worlds
markets. When possible sickness and
loss of employment have been dis
counted, whatever idle surplus man
has he may better spend than keep.
And the chance is that if he do not dis
burse the whole III the interests of in
dustry, he must part with portion in
the interests of pauperism. For not
only the almshouses but the jails gather
in recruits at such times, and taxes for
both uses grow heavy.-Hcarth and
Home.
EVERYWHERE there are indications
that a decrease in the wages of the
working classes is inevitable. II is hard
to cut down mans income at n time
like the present. but it is clear that the
shrinkage of values and the fall Of gold
must bring down wages, however much
we may regret that result. The organs
of capital are, of course, pleased with
this prospect, forgetting that high
wages means the prosperity Of trade,
and that men who with high wages
can purchase shawls for their wives and
groceries for their tables are restricted
when wages are low 60 the purchase
Of the bare necessaries of life. There
will he much dissatisfaction and not
little distress among workinRmCn this
winter, but they should remember that
labor has profited for some years past
by the imitation of values, and that Il rs
the inexgable law Of political economy
that labor must also share i'm the loss
brought about 10y general shrinknge.
.Gruphic.