New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-03-15
NO LEGISLATION FOR TIE LABoRER.

nrooc that excitement and agitation are
not devoted to the encouragement OF
labor. Another evidence is that lmnlgra'
ton goes around us as past an injected
city.
This Injustice 70 labor exists elsewhere.
but it is no excuse for rs. Our legislation
is for the benefit of capital rather than of
labor. The consequence is as stated.
The poorer classes suffer less in New Or
leans than elsewhere, but it is because our
climate is mild and our soil fertile. Food
and fuel are obtained here with compare
tive ease. Elsewhere they are the prime
necessities Of the poor. There are no
laborer5 so well paid and Sc content as the
field workers of Louisiana. Yet still So
ciety has not done its duty by the poor,
either in their education or in making
provision for those improved modes of in
dustry which diminish toll and increase
the hours allotable to rest, recreation and
intellectual improvement. Nature has
done much for our poor, and we should
add the care and culture that renders them
happy and useful. Suppose the mass OF
our day labores are of complexion diff
ferent from our own. Suppose that they
| have no wish to force social intercourse.
alike repugnant to each. Does that pre-
vent us from giving the mental and moral
instruction which will make them better
citizens! Is not anyone interested in
having an intelligent. orderly. sober and
honest society? Is anyone DESTROYS to
promote drunkenness. criminality or pau
perism? And yet. to avoid these evils
constitutes the great problem Of modern
political economy.
We need not here place education Or
employment on the basis of philanthropy
or moral duty. This is the province of
even higher calling than our own. But
it is the highest service of a statesman to
commend this fundamental canon Of social
economy. At the South it is an indispen-
sable duty. Review our political compli-
cations OF the past few years. and tell us
who has spoken for the laborer or the la
boregs family! Who is he that has pro-
posed one measure for the benefit of that
class upon whose labor society reposes?
Such man can not be pointed out. No
such measure can be found on the statute
book. Plans for attracting capital or for
enabling the combinations Of enterprise
to yield a better return. appropriations
of State or city credit, for special works
to be executed in good part by manual la
Dor. have been advocated. but no system
70 give the mechanic or day laborer more
comforts and improved intelligence has
been presented in our legislation.
These comments have not been madein
spirit Of reproach, for We will proceed
to show that in other communities the
same error has been committed. Such
communities must bear the censure with
ourselves. and they must with Us repair
the wrong 10 the interests and duties Of
civilized society. We have before Us the
condition of labor in the enlightened
ctlIc OF NldSStCulSSItS.
1t is very natural tina. thi, great State
should have manifested more sympathy
for the slaves, because the condition Of
her own 1abcring classes presented exam
pies at home Of extreme restitution. The
report of the Bureau Of Statistics for the
last year furnishes our authority for the
statements which follow:
The great fire revealed AZ neve. before
the condition and poverty OF these poor
women. the working women and girls.
Children of ten and twelve years are
put to work, and this is denounced by the
report as ''barbarous. The further re
duction of the hours OF labor is recon-.
mended. The average daily wages of
male mechanics is - ~: of women 81 OF;
of the children sixty-eight cents. The cost
of living for family of five is S697 II.
or Sl39 81 a head year. This does not,
we may infer. include rents. since it is
subsequently said:
The grocery bills oc factory families In
MANY places average about $2l per month
corporations, $40. which gives total 81.
and represents ST 80 in excess OF a mans
earnings in a month of twentv-six working
DAYS, at 81 - per day, besides showing the
need of extra work from wife and children.
The bureau. as the result of tour years OBJ
servation, think that, as rule, men of the
working classes, skilled and unSkIlled, are
unable to own a house or to obtain a com
petence, while great number are not able
to keep out of debt. Investigation shows
that many operatives children are fire.
quently kept out of school for lack of
money for clothes. shoes and books. They
live from hand to mouth. The general way
of providing is to buy bag of -four, quar-
ter of pound of tea, and two pounds OF
butter. Not one in ten can put IN a winters
supply of coal
We have seen 4 female weaver in 4 man.
ufacturing town enter "A grocery store IN
midwinter, and holding up her half-covered
feet, saying, with tears in her eyes: PAY
day has come, and | have worked all the
time and you have trusted all my pay. and
there is nothing left fog me and my three
children. and they are too young TO work.
The hopeless dest.tution Of these people
is shown by the questions:
liow does il happen ;hs: ~ wo.k.n,
people continue to 1--we IL ..eot:
It is answered:
Even the thrifty can no: Eve fearl. 81 OF
debt. II they have average ianlilic. to sup
por. on prGvailp. average annual earnings.
In proc! of this point. reference is made -
the statement respecting Lowell. that
about 1000 trustee warrants AZ. sent Ont
annually from ITS police eour: in addition
20 the assignment .! wages ~ l.,9 persons.
!: i very >H.a!! c"intor: - the people II
New Orleans /, know :"v mach more
miserable axe ;,.,:,o.ic o: Massachusetts,