The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1877-01-20
FROM BUFFALO.
BUFFALO, N. Y, Christmas, 1877

To the Editor % the W0RKISsMAS's ADVOCATE.
Knowing that many of your readers
would be Interested in learning something
about the state Of labor in the Qnsen ctr
of the Lakes, and that the condition q the
laboring classes here Is somewhat an ex-
treme one take leisure hour in this
blessed holiday to furnish you a few notes.
That the cry of
"HARD TINES"
/ is not confined TO any city in our Union,
nor even to any country in the civilized
world, this year, is generally known to any
! careful newsper reader but that Buffalo
has suffered and is suffering from this
general depression Of trade more than very
many Of her sister cities, may be safely as
serted in view of the known actual condi-
/ tion of laborinZ men here. And that this
assertion is capable Of receiving general
credence. have only to ask your readers
to Dote the merits of the following peti-
ton, signed by our l 900 workingmen, and
presented to the Common Council one
week ago tonight
| To the Hon. the Common Council of the Cav
Of Buffalo
GENTLEMEN The petition of the under
signed citizens OF Buffalo would most respect
fully call your attention to the fact that the
ranks of pauperism are daily recruited by
many of our most skilled and intelligent
/ wOrkmen. Men and women, who never
/ draauat n y-an thraunh
slow process Of cruel torture, to which there
Is no parallel in the history of our country.
Some may deem it Incredible, but we know it
70 be true that there are nov in the city
| thousands OF workIngmen who lay down at
night without having tasted morsel of bread
during the day, wondering what will become
OF them during the cold and cheerless days
that are fast marching upon them. This de-
plorable state OF things demands Of all citizens,
and especially Of your Honorable Body, the
most serious consideration. We earnestly
urge upon you that you consider and devise
measures for relief. By taking steps to con-
tinue, complete commence necessary pub
lie improvements, and thus giving employ.
ment to many now out of work. a great deal
of good could be accomplished. Any action
You may take to relieve the terrible want and
suffering now prevailing will receive the
:
men and citizels And your petitioners will
ever pray, etc.
The petition was referred to the Finance
Committee, and have reason t. know the
committee will recommend that work be
gwen as many as can be advantageously
employed on the new Park improvements.
in the meantime our citizens generally are
working earnestly to devise means for re-
ieving the utterly destitute A general
relief society has been organized, soup
houses are projected, and subscription pa
pers are being circulated. One such, at
the Commercial Advertiser office, received
1851 Of paid-up subscriptions in three days.
The fund for relief in the hands Of the
Poormaster is nearly or quite disbursed +;
but the incoming Council will provide in
that quarter There are now 1860 names
on the Poormaster's books and what lit
tie he doles out in charity-small orders
of 81. 90 to 81 90 per week for families of
sometimes six or eight persons-is not
enough to keep body and soul together.
prominent officer Of German beIev-
olent association informs me that he be-
heves there are nearly 5000 laborers and
mechanics, upon whose earnings families
or individuals are dependent for sabsis-
tence, now totally out of work in the city.
But now that the charity ball has been set
rolling, We are all confident this pinching
distress will be speedily relieved.
I As | said at the beginning of this letter,
'hard times" are general throughout our
country but believe there are special
causes which operate to this end in Buff
falo.
First, the employment of boys or ''two-
thirds" to fill mems places in large manu-
factories is universal here. OF course you
know the wages of our mechanics and Ia
borers are as small-probably smaller
than anywhere west of the Hudson. Now
when the head of a family is ''ratted" out
Of his situation by an apprentice, who pro-
badly is hot even forced to provide for his
own board, you can readily see the desti-
tuition that will gradually close upon the
unemployed mans household. And the
wrong wrought by the greed Of employers
does not stop here the unemployed me-
chanic must have work and wages, and
finding no work at hts own trade, he drops
into the plane Of common labor-always
overcrowded, except during few months
of the year. and thus the needy. unskilled
workingmans arm is shortened and chances
Of work foreclosed.
Second, the manner Of doing building
work by contract in this city is q prolihC
cause Of loss to mechanics. To get steady
work in the working season, many OF our
better provided for mechanics give con-
tractors time on their payments Of wages;
and often the losses resulting from hssty
estimates or underbidding arc quietly com
promised between employer and employee,
or, as in many cases, the latter has ulti-
mately to be satisfied with haIf-wages
Third, the workingmen here are not or
ganized in societies as generally as else
where in the Northern States. They have
no redress against the svarice or caprice OF
employers. II it is ''cut-down" or clay
! off they have to submit quietly. "Strike'
is an obsolete word in the Buffalo work.
ingmans dictionary. Among all our trades
there are only three organized Trade Un.
ions, and one Of these has lately been com.
PEELED to suspend its schedule of prices
which was almost low enough to satisfy a
Chinese contractor at the date of suspen.
sion.
But have said enough for the present
In my next will give you some notes on
the Unions, and q more comprehensive
view of the state Of trade generally. Sc
wishing you and your readers Happy
Christmas, subscribe myself
OLD BUR-.