The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1874-09-19

SAN Francesca, Sept. II, 1874.
TO the Editor d the woRKSoSAS's ADVOCATE.
The bricklayers are having trouble in
their eight hour camp; for more than seven
years they have sustained themselves, and
made their days work in eight hours
now comes the tug Of war. The Palace
Hotel being erected, is the largest ever put
up in this city, the owners are rich, and Of
course, oppose the eight hour system Of
labor, OF anything else that will improve
the condition OF men who work for a hv
ing They will not see any further than the
present dollar to be made or lost if they
could, they would see that if each man did
but eight hours work per day there would
be twenty per cent. more people accom-
modated, and as consequence, twenty
per cent more room required, twenty per
cent. more produce consumed, and twenty
per cent. more real estate occupied; in fact
our city would be twenty per cent.
better off
THE BRICKLAYERs FROM CHICAGO
have arrived to take the place of the eight
hour men. | am told there are eighty of
them fifteen would join the Bricklayers'
Union, but that would leave enough to
build the Palace Hotel. During the com
ing winter there must be suffering among
those Of that trade, for brick buildings are
generally stopped after the rain sets in I;
it is right down cruelty to bring men 50 far
to be dropped as soon as fully fieeced for
they have been hired for no other purpose
than to make them break down their com
rsdes. II they had all joined the League
when they first came, every one might
have been now working at eight hours per
day, and getting their five dollars as it il
they will work along at FIVE dollars for a
day Of ten hours, and when the rush is
over, the enemies Of labor will reduce the
wages too.
WHEN WILL MECHANICS
learn to unite for their own interest The
farmer, merchant, manufacturer, and
every other class can see their interest, and
unite against imposition, but the me
chanics build their houses upon sand, anC
then turn the stream of opposition upor
their own foundation, and wash it away
We need young men Of enterprise and III
dustry we need men Of independence
firm supporters Of labor reform Ny hear
bleeds at the sight Of so many who refus,
to stand firm in the cause of right. Their,
must be some national unity of mechanics
men who will stick together like an ad
hesive plaster on fresh wound. At least
one-fourth of all the mechanics in the
United States are idAe for want of employ
ment there is but one way to remedy the
evil brought about by so much labor saw
ing machinery, and that is to reduce the
hours Of toll, and thus give more time fol
study and home duties.
1T Is TRULY NATIONAL NECESSITY
to establish the eight hours system Of La
Dor among our working people We mus
have intelligent citizens to render tn,
country safe, and va can only have then
by atordlng time and opportunity 20 learT
the duties devolving upon them it is no
possible for men to understand the want
Of government, who put all their day tim,
in labor tired and sleepy at night, they
retire, knowing nothing Of what Is goins
on around them outside of the shop IL
which they work. 1t is a national calam
ity to continue such a state Of things
We must have nation Of industrious men
who feel their calling to b. as honorable a.
any Of their neighbors that cannot he tn,
case unless we can raise the mechanic and
cause him to move on higher social plane
and feel that he is equal to the proudest N
the land.
OUR BOYS NOT LEARNING TRADES,
nor do they want to do so, as long as it i.
considered a calling beneath any other
The people stand and cape at each other,
asking what shall we do with our boys
Calling on the owner Of a machine shop
not long since, to obtain a place for one Of
our youths, wishing to learn a trade, We
we're informed that he had too many boys,
that if he had only half the number, and
they working with skilled workmen they
might learn something, but as it is, ignor-
ance is begetting ignorance all the time,
said he our system is radically wrong,
when we have plenty Of work, boys might
be taken on as apprentices and be learning
trades, but as in the case Of Ralston 4
Sharon, building the Palace Hotel, more
men are sent for, to break down those re
siding here, men who who would take APP
prentices, but cannot, for want of work to
employ them.
Yours, truly,
| A. M VIM