The New York herald., 1875-07-01
THE LABORERs' WAGES.


meeting OF ''trades unienisrs" took place last
evening at Masonic Hall Mr.. John W. Browning
the chairman, said that az the Cooper Institute
meeting the trades unions ere not properly re-
presented. Every man who wore a swallow.tail
was allowed upon the platform, while the trades
unionists were carefully excluded. Notwitnstand-
ing the louo calls for speakers who were working
men, men were selected 10 address the meeting
one OF whom was a politician, while another,
lawyer, was driven out OF court by Justice
Dowling some years ago for extorting TOO much
money from the poor people who employed him
rs counsel. What they wanted to ascertain was
why the Mayor reduced the wages twenty per
cent and they had now . letter from the Mayor
stating mis- reasons at length. These laborers had
never depended upon the trades union system,
but preferred TO rely upon the tricky politicians.
They had asked these men time ana again to JOIN
the trades unions, out they never would. and
had never contributed a dollar 10 these assocIa
tlons. What did these men do at the meeting
They hissed- but he thought that the men them
selves ought be hisseo. (Appause) Did they take
any steps toward relief, toward organizing them
selves into unions The object OF the meeting
tonight was 30 present the letter OF the Mayor 10
them and 10 take such action the trades
unlonsIs might deem best.
RESOLUTIONS THAT WERE OPPOSED.
The Secretary IN q very weak voice read the
resolutions which reclte that the results
OF the Cooper Institute meeting demonstrated
that 1t was in reality not In SYM
pathy with worktngmen; that the speakers
were not worKingmen, but professional
men; hence the trades unionsts declared that
the meeting was a fraud and cheat upon the work
ingmen; that the city laDorers, in working for
rates which they declared 10 be degrading instead
OF standing out against them, hao snown Them
selves ''uDworthy To be called men:' tnat they
unions until they subscribed TO the latter, and
mat they called upon the Mayor to maintain the
Eight Hour law.
Mr.. JAMES CONNOLLY protested against those
portions OF the resolutions censurlng me cry
laDorers for not striking and declaring them nm
worthy OF sympathy unless tney subscribed to the
trades unions. His protest was loudly applauded,
there evidently being much opposition 10 the
resolutions.
the CHAIRMAN put the resolutions 10 the vote.
evidently expecting that tney would be passed at
once, but there was much Kissing and many
noes" He then read the letter from mayor
Wlcknam:-
Tie following are the main points Of the letter.
LITTER FROM MAYOR wICKHAM.
Messrs JonS W BnowNINc j. r. HIsSFssr and others.
the substance OF the remarks made ~ answer to anes
rates wages paid several Of the departments to
.Fta-ihes regulations Of the dcpsrmepts of the
VIII ,s EFSt aqaT hSS law as
saatuc BOOK and nothns has come 20 my sno%edsc
70 lead me TO thar any Of Ss city
evade is provisions. The rate Of pay ior ordl,
for days wases-which, Tor labor upon the public
IS H & ws2 ct efn per hours sas qa o
reasons which we're supposed to show nat Il is for The
those bs may BE- mentioned
during the early part day SO prevent work
Tor the time. the labSrers lost ae ennre day and
designed to enable them to go to work such an
ss@
-Gpon each OF the public works there are al
no nj not % york
sra hours II they can thereby ere y,ss earn
rs WORK to ssS Be done By ali who are Wiling And
0 10 ca the s % the y ave
that 1sc0unl. kept win il ,sa them should In
the n vt street Se a eT 1r ny the
% . p4sscS rs Ur ad0pfsd Ss not he he
sent rates Of wages are temporary oniy; and shall
vity u in bus BUSINESS viii With
eparmenas % make an advance in wages The sooner
that time of piospery comes the more gratihed shall
fairdhe reduction il rates enables the departments
disposal larger number Of The thousands OF unfortu-
nate men nth SsDe1dsn 1 fs%e; mot
power has , falsely been % M TO- to be- but IS
msnt toward ward, necessary necessary economy in sxpend
den asts Of TAXATION Sere which mascs uoh
Pc sbs reaon 70 M i've eou1ry S% ns & @ 9Sn
year Is driving % sway from n the city and It Is
city government win stricest economy, that re,
| o secure enectual reliet
| FVh.-unuer those circumstances, the heads of de-
parments asked themselves these questions -lf pub
ssf there
iionG Bus would that be anything Better taSn stealing
and would an honest tan ana engntened M public officer ad
a d thieli ! p'''''''' :, So ' = :,
no fey had heed ongr dS SeS % wouS
probably have been compelled by the courts to act
Many Of the la6oreIs affected by the reductions are
! the upper part of the kcity. The owner OF
Ss aw aT requires SS city e SS 40 the the
but a. their expense In the aGst instance Is :, to be
the Iaborers those works grossly excess of
sT as they i did TSs to protect
s Ans saR nell M BE that the
SSs Ss1snSHfhe iaSoTers themselves generally
shown by the tact that far am informed they
quietly and a. wrk @ at nub he rates
been ont of for ann months 1Ss psos they
well that their present wages are higher than they can
nes, The outcry on the subject comes not from those
who are actually employed or from those who desire TO-
from lnterested politicians who vainy hope to make
gInit psIhsps quite unnecessary for you to
ask me or & for Altitude M Of a any y oa w bs
democratic members Of the Board Of a., Aldermen
thsmssyes an and are &c certainly in the
no %propcr Tor me 70 say as the fact Is That neither
mr. Kelly nor either Of the democratic members OF the
the reduction Of wages and that on the contrary it's
within own personal mat eacn OF tnOse
gentemen acting, suppose, upon incomplete data
10 the situauon repeatedly expressed his advice
against 'ne rsuu'"0" '''' WILLIAM H. wIcKHAM
The reading of the letter was interrupted by
loud cries asking that the iurther reading be dis
pensed WITH.
A voIcE--who gives you the authority to make
such demand upon the Mayor
The CHATR-Wen, MIR. Hcnnessey, the author OF
the Eight Hour law. nad perfect right to ask
these questions Of the mayor.
cries of "he's not the author Of It," and q gen.
eral uproar,
Mr. ID. f. CLANcY-I want 10 know II Mr.. Hennes-
sey is working now; think IT'S lnsoence TO call
meeting in the name OF the worklngmen when the
very
SATELLITES or ANDREW IT, GREEN
surround ('llear, hearpl see Out lew work
ingmen here and m any politicians, ('Hear, hearrD
Mr.. FREUCHER protested against this 'free
6Ratu between wOrklugmen. II TINS movement
was for restoring the ola pay OF 81 day he was
with tnem; out II II was for any other purpose he
would oppose ~.
Mr. WALSH also protested against the resolu-