The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1874-04-22
THE TEMPERANCE REFORM

I la hndliN Sti uth fiiiitN ShuiSb
] This religious corporation, owning
real estate TO the amount of millions
has for years leased q considerabl,
Iportion of It's property to rum-mills
some of them of the lowest and viles
order. But the temperance reviva
has struck the slumbering con
sciences of the trustees, and they
have determined to close out the liq
uor shops, rebuild the buildings
adapting them 20 other business
1t is well. Trinity should have done
this long ago. The women of the
West have accomplished this much
by their movement at all events.
TIE CURRENCY QUESTION.
The city is hot on the question o.
currency, and the feeling is increas.
ing every day The rich old houses
who have oceans ofcapital reserve,
who are doing business on their own
money-and the retired rich men are
gnashing their teeth, at the bare
thought of imitation, and these clas-
scs control the comfortable press.
But there is an immense number OF
business men who really desire it and
Will do all in them to bring it about,
viz: those who are doing business on
limited capital and are compelled to
seek accommodations. These men
want more money, for they want re-
vival of trade. They want business
to pick up in the West, not only that
the goods now in their warehouses
may be bought, but that they may be
able TO collect for what they sold last
fall and winter. The cry for imitation
is not all from the West, it has its adj
yocates here in New York, and they
are loud-mouthed.
BUSINESS
is anything but brisk in the city,
and everything points to dull spring
and duller summer. The Western
farmer holds tight to the money he
has, the Western merchant cannot
pay for what he bought last fall, and
is only buying just what he must
buy, and consequently the jobber
and importer hele languish and
sigh for the good old times. The
BUILDERS
are doing absolutely nothing. There
have been no plans of any expensive
buildings since the year came in--in
fact, only about three hundred build
ings of all styles have been commenc-
ed since Jan. lst. One-tbird of the car
penters in the city are idle, and the
blacksmiths, plasterers and other
artisans are still wo Sc off. The work
men have t.a-
THEMSELVES To BLAME
for great part of their trouble
They has &c struck for higher wages,
and for shorter time to labor, and so
on, till the contractors have got to
the point of not knowing where they
are. They dare not undertake a
building; except at price sufficient
to cover these chances, and those
who would build are not sure of
enough rent to justify the increased
cost, in the present state of trade.
There are usually over 1000 plaster
ers at jobbing work this season Of
the year this year there are less
than 900, and the same rule holds
good in all the trades this spring.
The working men have over-reached
themselves. They have got trade so
hampercd and tied up with "regula-
lions" as to make the contractors
really their servant. The societies
rule, and their rules bear so terribly
against the employer as to kill his
business, unless he can compel the
property owner to give him q large
ly increased price, which he win not
do. The enforcement of the society
system is a direct encouragement to
idleness. When tociety rules are
carried out, the diligent workman
receives no more cash than the man
who studies how little he shall do
and still escape discharge. BY soci-
ety rule no man can be discharged
for incompetency, provided he does
work enough to reach the society
standard, which is much lower than
the amount of work which an active
workman can fairly do. One of the
regulations of the plasterers' society is
that employers shall be obliged to pay
men for the time they were on q strike.
In several societies there are express
rules to discourage diligence. In the
plasterers' union, men have been fin
ed heavily because they have been
complained of by their fellows for
obstructing them. The stone-cutters
have fixed limit for days work,
which no journeyman can exceed
without fine. The derrickmen have
laid down rules which require ce--
tain number of men to each derrick,
often larger unmber than is neces-
sary, and which restrain men from
undue haste in working. Among
hod-carriers and bricklaycrs there
are regulations intended to prevent
the too rapid accomplishment of a
piece Of work. 1t is forbidden to use
wheelbarrows to carry bricks from
the pile to the foot of the ladder
Hod-carries are not allowed to use
both hands in filing hods, and are
forbidden to put more than fifteen
bricks in one load 1t may often be
noticed that in laying bricks men de-
lay and loiter in their task, because
they may not venture to finish their
part before the corresponding part
is finished by their fellows, who, i'll
they were out-stripped would have
the right to complain to their union.
Until these rules are modified, the
master builders do not care to
take contracts, and building must
1t may be better later in
the season, but it is fearfully dull
now and there is much suffering