The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1874-05-09
NUMBER 2S.

average wages are certainly not over ten
dollars per week-that is, when | am con-
stantly at work and busy. If | take years
average. cannot make over eight dollars
week, for the employers will not give me
work when ths cold winter months come
on, under the pretext Of dullness Of trade,
or else reduce my wages still lower. This
plan 10 pursued with all the weavers. and
generally results in strike Of from ten to
twelve weeks. IL the weavers have TO sue
cumb through starvation, it takes another
strike IN the spring to bring the wages up
again, and that is the way things have
gone on for years. Il is well known that
many of the carpet weavers are forced to
work fourteen to eighteen hours per day to
gain decent living Many times have
seen looms running as late as ten o'clock at
night. Now, sixteen hours per day gives
nlnety-six hours per week, which is a little
over a week and half Of sixty hours to
the week. Seventeen dollars, which would
Oe the average pay for ninety hours, will
give not quite Sl1.5O per week .af sixty
hours. But manufacturers call itv keek's
wages, even if nearly double time is made,
and they are certainly exceptional weavers
who average Sl2.OO per sixty hours. The
average through shop, indeed, | do not
believe, would reach $1,000 per week" 1t
will thus be seen that ? weaver in Phia-
delphia, if he have family, and he gener-
ally has, stands very little chance Of max
ing fortune in the legitimate pursuit of
his business. The aspect Of the strike at
present is, however, highly favorable to
the carpet weavers, and there is every
prospect Of its speedy and successful termi-
nation. now that the spring trade has open
ed. Correspondence Cincinnati CoD.1ne :
eidi
A correspondent Of the Cooperative Nelus
writing from New York Mill, Oneida Co..
n. H., says This company (the Co-opera-
tive Boot and Shoe Company, Utica. has
been in operation only one year, and, like
all others Of similar kind, it has had its
difficulties to overcome. These difficulties
your readers well know Want Of conf
dence on the part Of merchants and the
public did a good deal to retard their pro-
gress. Their capital was small, their credit
still smaller. For long time they had to
buy with ready cash and sell on credit-in
some cases three months This has been
overcome, and now they appear to be
IN smooth waters but how long the waters
Of commerce will be still we cannot tell,
but we hope to be strong enough to over
ride any storm that may arise. These men
commenced to subscribe their capital in
1871, III case a slack time should come. A
slack time did come in the winter of 1872.
and large number Of the men withdrew
their money. These were the dross which
tioated off and left the pure metal Of which
the society was to be made. The company
has nine Directors Secretary, Treasurer,
President and agent. At present they
employ nine ladies and eleven men--in all
twenty. They make ladies fine shoes and
boots. The writer examined these shoes
and thought they were Of superior quail
ty. After they had been at work eleven
months they took stock, and came out with
l7k per cent; this they thought good for a
beginning. They would like little infor-
nation from some one who is acquainted
With the working Of productive societies.
Their shares are S25 each, and each share
has one vote. The whole capital is about
-, 900, and all work by the piece. Direct
tors meet once in two weeks.