The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1876-07-29

To the Editor Of the WoRKINGAAN's Advocate.
CHICAGO, July 18th, 1876.
We feel sure from the course you have so
unerringly pursued for the past fifteen years,
that you will not consider it an intrusion,
nor require any apology for occupying your
valuable space. For we have always found,
when the interest Of any portion Of the CON-
munity in whichw live is affected, and their
position mIsstated by portion of the daily
press, and they themselves misrepresented by
interested parties, it has always been
considered a sufficient reason for appealing to
an independent and important journal like
THE WoRKINGNAN's ADVOCATE to place our
grievance before an impartial and discrimina-
ting public. Actuated by this feeling and a
sense of duty to ourselves, we have been
prompted to set forth detailed account Of
the lookout of the ,journeymen tailors EN-
ployed by what are known as the first-class
merchant-tailoring establishments ofthis city,
such as Ely & Co, Perry. and others The
class of work made by these establishments
requires men of tirst-rate skill, SO much so
that their talents must be closely allied to
the artistic, ON their judgment depends
to greater or lesser degree the manly and
finely nodded forms Of most Of our gentlemen
who promenade our parks, frequent our
drives, and grace our parlors.
so necessary in a calling that has 50 much to
do in making up the deficiencies Of nature re-
quires wears Of patient toll and mental study
For, though coat, vest. or PAIR Of pants may
be cut by trst-class cutter, II the artisan
who puts them together does not understand
his business, besides having q good idea of
the symmetry OF the human frame, all the
ability of the cutter will be Of no avail The
practical tailor, as well as being an artist to
a certain degree, must also be more or less Of
a scientist must all who have anything To
do with the human body 80 it will be seen
that tailors of this class are not ordinary in
dividuals. They require a special training
and education to fit them for their vocation.
Surely, then, men employed in a calling re-
quiring so much preparatory training, and af-
| forwards the exercise of so mnch Judgment,
good taste, and skill, and ability, are entitled
to more than ordinary compensation. Yet
their employers are not willing to allow them
even this for, were they 1.-THE journeymen) to
work regular hours, as mechanics do, they
would not, with their present rate Of wages.
be able to procure the common necessaries Of
life. Strange As It may seem, 1t is neverthe-
less true that jouTneyman tailor working a
regular day of ten hours, cannot make but 81
per day, providing he has regular and steady
work. But this they do not have, as their
season lasts only six out Of the twelve months
In the year I; that is to say, from October to
January, and from April to July. In the in
tervals between the seasons they do have oc-
casional odd Jobs. About one in every two
OF three weeks, not sufficient, however, to
make any mai erial difference in the aggregate
of their yearly wages.
We will now see what journeyman tailor,
working for tirst-class establishment, can
make. To make a coat in the style and man
ner these establishments must have it made
requires fifty two and = half hours. Allowing
ten hours as a day. IT would take five days
and one-fifth of a day tomake a coat for which
the jOurneyman is paid Sl2.75. To make a
pair of pants requires eighteen hours or one
and fOur-tifths ST day, and gives TO the
workman a fraction over - per day and to
make a vest it will take fourteen hours or
one day and two-fifths, and give to the make
fraction under 81. 25 per day. Now, if we
take there figures basis, and take the
busy season which lasts. as heretofore shown,
only SIX months in the year, we will obtain
the following results A coat-maker will
make 1875, a vest-makeT will earn 1897 80.
and pants-maker 500.
Now allow to each, during the dull season,
to make One-third of thr above amount
which by the way is very liberia, and we
shall have the following as yearly income:
A coat maker, $500; a vest-maker, $3.50; q
pants maker, 800.
Now for the cause of the lockout" which
at present exists, for the public must under
stand there is no strike existing at the pres
ent time. A lockout differs from q strike in
this, that it is method adopted by employ
ers to reduce wages. Those who are not will
ing to pay the existing rate of wages discharge
their hands and hire them over again at re-
duced rates. The cause OF the "locA out" ia
that the firm Of Ely L Go. notified their hands
that on : certain day they would reduce their
wages 25 per cent and the journeymen in
formed the firm they could not accept the re-
duction, and the men were discharged. Perry
and some others followed suit, and the rest
are awaiting results.
This being the dull season of the summer
period, the employers, feeling confident that
they could put off such customers as were
from various circumstances unable to leave
town, determined to reduce wages, Know
ing. or believing they knew,-wRich amounts
to the same thing,-the situation Of the men,
they are under the impression that few
weeks, enforced idleness would compel them
to accept the proposed reduction in prices,
and hence the lockout"
The enormity and unresonablensss of the
proposition will be easily understood when
we consider that the yearly earnings of a skill
ed mechanic in this department Of industry.
Mt the present rates, amount to the insiQnih-
cant sum of $500, and that q reduction of rs
per cent on this would leave but 1876 as the
result Of years toll. We ask the American
people if that is fair yearly wages for Amer
can skilled mechanics.
In the above statement we have but mere
ly given the facts, and as they are given they
are more in favor OF our employer than our
selves, for we have made no allowance for loss
of time in taking our work to and from the
store, which, in general, involves q loss Of
half days time, and not untrequently
when we have coat to be tried on it incurs
the loss Of day besides shOp-rent and other
incidental expenses, Of which We do not
speak.
In conclusion, we would aay our only OBJ
ject In coming before the public is to set our
selves right. We have been the subject Of
much misrepresentation, and great effort
has been made to place us in a wrong position
before the people Of Chicago. We have been
denied by our employers, if not directly, at
least by implication aud indirectly, the right
of association "A right which we believe to
be sacred to every American citizen, and one
which we consider no man or body OF men
has any right to interfere with.
We submit our cause to the fair and Impair
tial judgment of the American public, feeling
confident it viii accord to us that which our
employers deny us, and that is, Justice.
B. J. M.