The New York herald., 1878-07-06
The Past and Present Condition of
New York Workinemen.
LABOR-SAVING INVENTIONS.
Welcome Prospects of a Genera I'M
provement in Business.

change which has occurred within the last twenty 1--WE
years IN the condition OF the house carpenters. Az
ono time they we're powerful and independent body
OF workingmen. They had several societies United
under central association, and In all matters
affecting the oil the trade they acted 10 har-
mony. Rigid rules with regard TO the form OF ap-
premiership, the numbered apprentices allowed TO
each em mploysr, the OF service aud The amount
OF wagse. we're adopted and enforced There was no
lack OF employment and the expenses OF hvng were
moderate, as compared with tne rate oil compensa-
ten All this has been changed Tor what was ior-
merly dono by a single operative is now by the
division OF labor and the aid OF labor-savine ma
chimes thoroughly systemstizcd one oil tue results
OF the ~ stem has been reduction in the number
OF carpenters, esiImsssd at 900 in this city Tne
CsrpenteTs' Union. as the lrade organization was
called, had about n!teen hundred members, but the
nard and the referred 10 soon exhausted
It's funds and yeidDg last to the pressure 1t went
out Of existence. Hundreds were thrown out oil en-
poyment by Tho eight hour movement, which,
although and not originate with this trade involved
its members. The rules with regard TO wages were
relaxed meet tbs exigences Of The times, AMI the
men, no longer bound ny their provisions, made The
best terms they could with their mpoycrS The
socisty had prohibited them particularly against
making contracts ior "iump work." as u is callsd-A
species OF jocbng which regarded us al injury TO
tho operative By reducing the rate OF conpsnsatson
WORK.
~he planning. tenoning, tonguing, growing and
mortisng machiaes win The various other machines
for making Inherent kinds OF mouldings dspe0ssd
with inc manual labor hiLnerIo employed IN tasss
specslties ami lett tho operative The simple and
sasy perfor med task OF putting the disrent psrts
together. II longer question OF skilled
workmanship; the manuiact ured portions were sup
ea from the factory AT greatly reduced prices, aud
al that renamed 10 do was the work oi construction,
in which even the ordinary process OF measurement
was en- rendered unnecessary. In the Language Of
an Intelligent member OF Inc trade the carpenter Of
to-day rs ''nothins more than n trimmer" which
means that hs is almost wholly confined 30
Tho common and easy task of h,Ing the
iotnts mouid,ngg and other parts Of doors.
sashes, &c Tho consequence Of these material
changes inevitable; the old system was
broken up, ana The trAue OF carpentry was divided
into several branches hardly one OF which required
skilled workmanship. The ''hoase irsmers," Ms they
are termed, 40 the rough and neavy work, which con-
ssts m aIny OF the construction OF tho flooring and
partions Tor which they receive from 81 to 81 SO
day. The "ipside hnishers'' are employed In get
ang out" and putting up" Tho moaldngs. trim
miDas, &C., their wages beng about The same, the
greater part OF thsr labor beisg dOco IN the snop
There is still other class, who known SASH
blind ana door uaKers, VINO are almost exclusively
engaged the factories, which are generally located
IN tho county, where lower rates OF wages arc pad
and sne living con.Idersbiy Iewer than In
shs city WhIie skilled workmen wore paid 81 so psr
DAY IN New York inferior class employed IN the
factory received only 81 so. THIS CLASS composed
for tue most part oil boys ana men VINO have not
served an appre n ticeship ana who worked at The
yraoc but few months before they were considered
qualincd tor tbis special branch
EFFECT EMPLOYERS.
1t 10 however, among the trAdesmen alone that
reduction IN the rates oil compensation has taken
place; The competition among employers and con.
AaSn uHLlv hal I'M n v mn q Lad
wno Others have aOanaonsd tho business altogether.
The materials prepared o. In the rough are sold at
such prices that only the large dealers make msney,
and Al times tuey obliged 10 soil ut cost
prIees OF nails which seven or eight years ago
WAS sold So 81 can now be purchased Tor half
tho amount Lumber when used 10 sell at $40 por
1000 icet a. present costs no more tnan So The
hard woods have, however, undergonc little or no
change. Wine such active unceasing competition
prevails workmen sbised 10 bear portion OF
the loss, aud u Is ahcu To determine just now lar
,his system can be carricu lu the meaulm and
untii end reached the radcsm must suffer In
ths forced reduction OF prlccs. During the present
season there has boen some Improvement ON last
year, ana toe prospvcis OF the operatives are AS
able 10 part 70 The fact tuat quite Number OF work
L,sn left the city Tor the south and other parts
ploy ment occupations aud have gwen up Ins
trade altogstner
THE pLuNBkRs.
The plumbers have exempt from tho infu-
suce o the general business prossration and have
eeen Obliged to accept much lower rate oi wages
shan was paid some seven eight years ago. Tho
number Of shops the CITY estmzssd ut about hvs
huuarsd, and eacn oil these employs an svsr-ge OF
journey making with tue 'bosses" total OF
Iwo thousand. TIE average wages is So SO day and
n Ranges IRON this amouat to 81 - anu oven as low
81 IS. according Co the grade OF the operative.
The ,rts OLD saying that is an III wno which blows
pooody good was fore bly, illustrated during the very
severe winter which pfeva,ied about tour
years ago, aud which r.aikea an event
in the meteorological history OF New York.
Il vas rnre harvest time tor the plumbers wIo had
sbuuaancc OF work wine II lasted, aaa wuo r ahsed
liberal prices Tor tLoir labor. "l nave been twenty
four year. In the trade ana never rsw sucn season
tLst.p a psr
ticuiar winter The CITY, IL will be reinem bored,
looked nsn. M IKE on. vac. camp WIN o,o.s' nrss
trnted to tho depth OF four and Ave and IN some
places as deep as 81. feet ,hc supply o. .a.r was
for plumbers Tor once exceeded the supply. ALI Kinds
OF worknisn were mustered INTO the service. Twas
found necessary to work extra hours aud wages when
had been 81 80, were increased under the pressure
70 50 so per day. This continued for ,hroc four
months, and presented a striking contrast with
tue a.incss and s,agnation that isi cpon the
last winter, which Que OF the mdss. have had
Tor over hall century. there WAS hardly pipo
frozen IN the whole city, and while New York
vorsd with such exceptionally mild weather in some
Of tho Southern States the thermometer fell
ten Degrees and IN several Instances hc water ppssin
tho houses ourst-an unprecedented circumstance IN
iourusy mep plumbers OF New Yo,k were thrown ont
OF work consequences OF tho milducss OF the
Shops winch q o,dinsriy brsk timcs required from
ten 10 fifteen hands we're obged 20 reduce inc num-
ber TO one-tnird. and In some cases to make siiii
rRxsxsr coSpirIox. y,
The Pmbers' Socisy shared the late OF other trndo
sssoe'.o ps,,ss e. 10 srsa .as naa ans,S %os
tne past i've years. Al Que timc u bAd ON It's roll OF
members threc-loartbs Of the operative plumbers OF
New York. aud regarded as QUO OF tue strongest
Of the various trade orasnizaions In the metropolis
Unlike some associations its members we're no oath
bound, hui ~ was established for protective aud
bsnevolsnt purposes soieyior the caro- and support
OF SICK members and tho maintenance OF a uniiorm
rate OF wages. The plumbers entered into the con-
bnasion of different trades some years ago, which
had Tor iw scjeot the reduction OF the hours OF
work IRON ten TO eight. 1n this movement
thcy were successful, The bosses having agreed
TO the terms. They not only compicd with
the onditons, but, unlike other employers, they re.
fused 20 rsta,sts the men by joining the combina
lion to foreign tradcsnen al lower rates 0
wages. A lew may have taken advantage o; the OPP
portunty to secure reduction, but tho great major
ity stood by agreement entered into with their
employos The wages however, have steadily fallen,
Ike these OF workiBgmeD, but This is atributs
bla q the downward tenseDcy IN prices, and has