New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-01-31
WORKINGMEN AS THEY ARE.
HOW THE PANIC AFFECTS THE LABOR1NG
CLASSES.


ADVANTAGES AND THEIR pEFEcTs-wAGEs OF
rltE EMPLOYED.
Tho condition of the w0rkingmen Of New
VII "a Affected by the business depression Of the Fail
AID Wnlor has called out the widest speculation ana
has poen tho for publication OF vast amount OF
r,.ipformaton The class who oamor for " bread or
HOOD and prefer latter to honest hard work for the
FORMER ageersted the number OF the unemployed
and tho extent of suffering among them. On the o'hor
hand there have not been wanting those VINO nave
talked lightly Of the whole matter ana asseieu
that mon out oil work arc not moro numerous
than at lths time last year. The truth
los between the two. In most OF the building taues
and In those which depend upon them, In the iron
works. among the Journeymen working for clothing
shons and among tho cabinemakers the effects OF the
panic have borne heavily; there has been ana now Is
much privation, and rarely is the hope eApressed Oh
speedy amendment In several OF the trades OUTSIDE Oh
the above tho almost as well OH as year ago.
the necessarily idle many and there mas Deeh
oppressive reduction OF wages In other trades stl'
while the depression is marked work had ooen so pfsk
ma seunersye before the panic that tho majority OK
thoso who havo lost work were pretty well prepared
and have not Jet exhausted their resources AS the
result of an extended series OF careful inquiries among
employers and employed, u may be estimated that
looking the trades through and including day aooTers
10 per cent OF the wOrugmcn OF the city are lde OF
lave 90 little work shat they may be counted as such
In considering this propostonwhich at first sight is
alarmng-tLe important consideration must De hOtea
that this month invariably among the duest OF the
year Tor wOrkugfok aud that ~ the best OF seasons
very largo proportion OF people In the great building
trades arc unoccuped. This proportion Is now much
swollen For these trades there not the usual encour-
,gcmout OF sufficient and lucrative occupation I'm the
s,riu AS was recently shown these columns, there
. little prospco, That building operations IN the spring
will have the extent and outlay OF former years 1t Is
too carly for np,cte and definite information In the
matter but employers generally declare that unless
something yielded by the tradesunons In the price OF
Labor the profit in extensive operations VIII hardy
compensate for the undertaking. Like complaint OF un-
reasonable by the organizations IS frequent
among employers in some other lines. Some boot ana
soo iaanufactureTs for Instance. declare that their
business must soon he transferred from the city to other
places Al Crispius not less grasping.
There - a Conspicuous difference in the various trades
% TO kccpng up standard Of set by the trades
unons Most " the officers OF these stOuty assert that
the soc ~ rate still kept up and so 1t is pretty gen
orally Tor choice men long service Newcomers, who
arc taken cu sometimes out Of pity Tor their need more
generally because OF The temptation to get work done at
exceptionally low wages, fare rather hardL whle
pearly all have 10 submit 70 some curtaling These
violations their rules he unions have Ito wink at for
the present at least Strikes are not tempting expert
ulsnts n now and tho reductions OF pay. except in
fow Fundamentally cabiuetmakcrs and clothing tailors
have not boon c,acral. heavy. decrease Of working
limo has been the wcllnigh universal PLAN Some es-
hsh,uouts arc returning 90 fun tme but as yet there
u, General anI hoiu revival OF activity. The stand
ar oIiy fr the btE trained laOos Is. however on the
Ntolc. tltc tower tLiH IN 1873.
rn. WORK OF IHE TRADEsUNIoSs
Tho question naturally up. What are the labor
organizations doing 70 relieve distress IN their ranks
No worry uuch organizations Most Of them disclam
that IA part of their duties Their province they,
IL the STRENGTHENING Of hands for defense against
encroacr ncr1s Of employers also-it may be under
.ood-Ior occasional encsoachments on their own side
will lra mldo among the masters IN the coming Spring
10 brns down the euuheIaon Oh the men III Severn
mes whore wages have lucd h'gh, 30 the unions are
aver.e 10 trcucnug thcG funds-whch in many cases
sre srscas the main object OF Their accumulation is
sunpDr IN ease OF eriEeJ Nearly all tho organizations
have o plan aprOpratng $50 or s5 on the death of
r y, tnrm ~ aside certain sum Tor member on
the death OF his vile. In others there is mutual lie
fixed sun ON the death Of a brother member which
90 has family In the associations OF cc0pers ara
up considerable. Most Of the unions give a weekly
in ease OF accident Very few OF them have made appro
prialIOns 20 relieve the unemployed though several
The civ 10 PLACES where they hoped for employ
mcnt But this course has been far froln
herslup In these organizations have not been
altogether prospective. aid from individuals and 10y
On Occasions have been extended spontaneously. OH
OF several unions which have as yet made no a-
oroprauons for the unemployed say tat no cases ut-
gently demanding relief have yet been brought before
II such should come up provision womb
made. Lack OF applications Tor relief is easily ex
blamed mutual protection, not mutual relief is the
hfst object Of unions, the destitute hesitate 10 ask
help from their respective associations Moreover the
siarpest distress Is generally outside the or
s"thor' ana often hive the help of the society
in Efforts 30 oJtain work; Besides, the 9sso-
CATIONS include the men who have drawn the highest
wages both prosperous aad unprosperous times and
who better than the uiders approach 10 the former
L.borcrs' UuiOu, have changed Their organization
lbc wi no uTstlu
course the societies gave nothing but dlscouragenent 10
FORM" IL is impossible TO gauge the extent and in
tensity OF this only approximate estimates OF the
number OF the unemployed among the society men can
he obtsed and formation is far uncertain con-
corning the nonsociety men from the lack VI compre-
In The approxinate statement OF the number OF the
unemployed in tie various trades. II must oe iene,
tbat proportion OF thOs9 VINO are Gouted as OUT
of work IN each trade may las a small number GER
taiuy have done) have got occupation outside OF ter
own trade. The depression IN an prauehes Oh acu'Iy
has made tbs numDeF smaller than AT Oher seasons
when many whose trade is comparatively at
stadstIi an Winter, have been wont 10 secure en-
porary employment OF other kinds This, TO some ex-
tont has always been the case IN the building trades
hummer TOO. have left the city since the
began bat as no record OF THESE can DO Rot
they too gO 10 sweu tue number ses down as out OF
Herewith are given details concerning the various
unions their numbers aud resources with esli
mates OF the proportion OF unemployed The aggregate
OF funds In tue treasures OF trades,unons OF
Tins city 10 mated at about 100000. Their income
comes from initiation fees, monthly or weekly dues,
nnes aad assessments Tue changes In their relations
of empioyed with employees in the last two years con-
st nliuly in reductions OF time and reductions of
force. aud the employment OF boys whore men were
formerly used.
rHE MIN IN TIE BUILDING TRADES.
Tie largest Labor organization in the city is the Labor
ers Uuou which has visions, with total OF
1000 members These include ali bnt paratively few OF
the day sbores connected with the building trade The
number OF day aborer in the city outside OF these is
vsriousy estimated from 1000 TO $4,000 great many
rcm the country IN tue busy months and return
Ia the Autumn. or the organized labOrers related TO
tue building trades very large proportion have