The New York herald., 1873-10-30
THE woRKINGMEES DANGER.
Reductions in the Rate Of Wages by the Railway
Companies in New York and Jersey City
Hundreds Of Men Discharged
Where Is This to End E"Hundreds
ofMen viii Have to Work for
Their Board This Winter

-
"a very hard wintern-"hundreds OF laporer1
dscharged.n These are expressions which arc
heard everywhere. The fear has become general
that thousands OF poor workmen win be out OF
employment just when the severe cold sets in.
HERALD reporter visited yesterday several Of
the largest railway machine shops, &C, In the city
and in Jersey City, in order to ascertain the true
state OF affairs.
The frst shops visited were the Erie workshops,
Jersey City. Mr.. V. Blackburn, the master me.
chahc SAID That lie had received no orders to dis.
charge any men, but that his force of work.
men would be put three-quarters time
from the LIST OF November. The laborers
who received only 81 80 day will not be
put On three-quarters time, but the men who were
paid at the rate OF 81 As per day and over will
Men who have thus far been paid the enormous
sum OF So ss per week win only receive Sc es in
the future, and. added Mr.. Blackburn, win be clad
TO get that They will only work seven hours and
a-half-from eight to twelve and from one to half.
past four. There are about 1000 workmen EN-.
ployed in the various machine shops OF the Erie
Railway in Jersey City, 800 in the general machine
shop, 400 in the car shop and 250 In the transpor.
tation department. The new order will AFFECT the
majority of the workmen In every department, but
the last mechanics are OF course, better paid than
the ahorers; they get from So to So Ss day.
'How can the laborers live on 81 4S q day, or
IS ss week2' the reporter asked.
"How can they live quarter less9n was Mr..
Backburns answer. Hundreds OF men viii be
GLAD TO WORK FOR THEIR BOARD
this winter.n
"Do you know why the wages have been cut
downs''
"we, it's on account Of the panic, OF course, be.
cause they lock up the money in New York. There
are several other important considerations. BY
reducing the hours of work the company saves
good deal OF gas which is very heavy expense
indeed. l have heard OF the discussion In New York
whether man can live on 81, 200 year. Well
they ought to come over here and live on So GO q
week. The wages, thus far, have been from SO Is
70 81 6s s more an M
ana Essex s.D Division Of the Delaware and Lacka-
chief clerk, said that 500 men had been discharged
all over the road within the last month ana about
year." he said, 1--WE always discharge great many
men. as we cannot do very much on improvements
OF repairs & nave no DOUBT that the panic has had
win the company discharge any more men9"
'No, they won't discharge any more. We have
now Just enough men to keep the road above
water The wages OF the machinists were
on the 18th Of October and I those OF the track
labOrers were reduced from ST. SO to 81 25 dayW
i,S How . many = men = are now employed in the COM
"About 300 There are about 120 in the car and
machine shops and about $50 in the coal docks
month, and the machinists from $55 to $50 month.
All these amounts are now reduced ten per cent?
The reporter conversed with some OF the work.
men, They said 1t was very hard, indeed, to live
upon such low wages; but money was very scarce,
to the d rates as e as the OF the ns
panic were over. ~ hope only that my rent and
my W se tSs oas Of then
street, North River,
Mr.. James Miller, the superintendent, gave q
statement that was certainly rose-colored under
the circumstances. When asked whether he had
wages, he said, "we have neither discharged any
men nor reduced their wages.n
Mr. Miller stated subsequently that he had heard
in New York Io1, city There had been. how.
not to q very great extent. He thought this would
probably be very hard, winter for nachlnists,
their wages OF from ten to fifteen per cent. They
themselves did not think of cutting down wages at
present, but 1t was hard say what they might do
In the future The panic was the OF ali this,
and he hoped that would prove only temporary
Are there many men out Of employment" the
been out Of employment in ten years. There are
about 25,oeo machinists In the city and 5000 or
worse There more than half of ali the machinsrs M H
are out OF work. This Is certainly very gloomy
state OH analrS.V
Mr. James Dart, treasurer OF the Glenham Manu-.
featuring Company, Glenham Duchess county,
who was present at the interview, corroborated
the statements OF Mr.. Miller, and in speaking OF
the suspension Of labor In the country, said that
they had to discharge 600 hands since the 1st OF
October. One hundred and nifty OF them went to
Binghamton, there to seek employment, but SO
indignant were the Binghamtonans who them
selves had no work, that they chased the $50 igno-
mnousy out OF the town. This showed what the
panic had done In the country
The Harlem Railroad Company reduced the rate
nj ohar
Superintendent said that they employed about 800
men In their shops In Morrlsania and other places
The pay ranged from 81 so to So so a day. Tne
company will discharge about 100 men In Novem-
ber "This reduction" the Superintendent said
'.s in anticipation OF hard times this wlnteru
Mr. Townly, Superintendent OF the New York
Central, said they had also reduced the rate of
wages ten per cent and discharged about 1--WE per
cent OF their workmen. They would not discharge
more than 100 men under any circumstances. ut
will all depend on the tran1c of the roadn he said.
"rhe traffic has thus far not been materially
affected by the panic but If many mills on our road
shut up we shall naturally be compelled to dis
charge many OF our men,