New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-12-07
feature as regular consecutive study of its engineering
REDUCTION IN WAGES.
WHAT DRY GO IDS MEN SAY.

AND NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. OF LOWER WAGES
ON THE THIRD AVENUE HORSE CAR LINE.
A general impression has existed among
dry goods clerks and bOokkeePcrs for some
time that an onslaught was TO De mauo on
their wages this month. Inquiry yesterday Vi
members of several leading frus failed TO reveal any
concerted movement this direction, although IN sew
era large firms heavy reductions Of expenses were SAID
to be cOntem plated.
Mr. Dunn Of ii. b. Clahln & Co.. said I'VE nave III
our employ about 500 men. and we are Trying ~
bring everything down TO u hardpin basis ana sha''
o. usual at the end Of the year, reduce our expenses
more or less but there will not be systematic or whoe
sale cutting down Of salaries Some OF our departments
are not doing 40 well as they ought and we are COM
peled 10 eouaIize matters by lessenng the expenses
But every hing will be upon regular basis; eacn
mans salary Will be decided by his merit ana Vaue We
do this same thing every year. Sometimes. when the
deparmrnts make money we advance the pay Vi tDOso
who conduct them"
H. s. Jnray Junior member OF the firm OF f. g. Jaifray
d Co. sa It was intention of tue house to cut down
the saIates of tsmsn ave did not reduce much last
wear" he said aud IN 1873, when other houses cut
down the pay Of their men, we reraned rom DONG So
think ng that business would improve the next year
When 1874 came and Things became no hetter, we sum
put II of another year. The same thing occurred I'D 1870
and 1916 and 1877. We employ about 800 mfn-sOOu
menmor, efficient and better organized, perhaps, than
those OF any OlutI hVu9O 81" '''N +-'"
these follows are living and ENJOYING IN
aatsd salaries made when gold was from ~
TO 40 per cent higher tnan at present.
To illustrate this matter OF wages five years ago. Wnen
went to England TO live, | paid my cOachman S7o
month. Some gentlemen paid as hlGh Is Sloo NJ"
have as good a lChman as can be had ana only pay
him s35 Why, at ono time remember paying SO for
an English sovereign; 50 will purchase sovereign
no Won get some change The fact Is, We arr PAY Ing
higher salaries now tnan we before the There
comes lime when the partners become Urea OF putting
their hands In their pockets 10 make up Tor oecencie
in departments and that time has about arrived Inc
n oposed reductions OF salaries will not be sweeping
We cannot cut down the pay OF men as they do IN
the mills The pay Of many will not no touched ata
The whole reduction Will really be rning. ain at work
on the reductions now aud fact that Of the nen
have left ms proves they think the reductions just
and are satisfied with them. They know they cannot
get better salaries elsewhere, -. 1T,
conversations were held with several Of the clerks
hookkeepers aud statesmen employed oy Jahuy c." 90
ascertain IN what spirit IA y receives tnef r'uuCtom,
the house." said one, land IT is only hu-
man nature to 40 20 III bosn ,a ta'e unop ne me-
with few exceptions nearly every man Ia tho nldlhG
has been cut ana IN the myorIlS VI c"srs % rel
ceIye 81 200 were reduced to $500 salaries Of $1,000
were reduced TO 800 a1a SSgo 20 So Utei ~
taken of Look at the large number OF these men
,ho IRA married and nave families and tell me how
fbcv 10 live In department., which was paving
SG 900 10 empog6s a reduction Of $500 WAS made.
okkeenrr who received SO 900 now gets - COO II
was sweeping cut without o: favor. Inc result
OF this wiu be Ike mat IN the case OF ne young man
Gcfor the courts TINS Fail charged with stealing thou,
80 81 dnIlnr. from a broadway dTy-yuOds mouse
which he employed Investigation developed tue
fact that he was RECEIVING only $3.50 year. nl he had
repeatedly asked OT mOr saying &c could not 1--we on
tina, amount and not getting 10 was driven % seIllng
and disgrace through sheer desperation sooner or HteF
ms Wi, loo the resulL"
Mr. Lbbey stated tnat the firm Of 4. T. Stewart Co.
ala not contemplate reducing tne wages Of Us clerks
"a FpdIC al this iup sdl0 MI lADutY,
would show lack o. judgm nj aud or bLsinrSs Cald
CITY Tie Advancement Of young man, or hs salary,
on ybt moi ~ he Governed by the amount business
transacted the relative values Of gold and eenbacks
but be decided entirely bis merits and wat he Is
worm TO ms employers. Labor Is q commodity TO be
paid for ike other things In money. mans salary
shonld be q sacred thing"
long as the dry goods trade us present
condition." said Mr.. spring, Of Kayne Spring Dale
Co. tendency win be 20 reduce salaries, which,
IKE everything else, must 20 downward, and Will con-
tpue 10 DO 50 until there Is reason 10 make change
No dispoRtiOn to reduce the pay Of their clerks Is
manfrse by the ropretOrs OF the large retail stores
uptown. In storeslke those Of Arnold Constable Co.
and Lord TAYLOR there mas Oeeh ltUe chhhRe IN tue
pAy-rOs In the retail stores along the various avenues
where girls are employed almost entirely tneir pay -
small. X. ii. Macy COMPANY, during lhe h"h-
days, employ more than 1000 lrls Nearly boo more
ind employ ment IN the stores Of Altman Okeiil aud
Kinney. on SiXthaSe., and Enrich on Elghthaye Tho
larger portion Ui these grls 40 not receive more than -
ti,eIr estabshmsnt, the aud oeing nearly
equal in number Girls are preferred 70 men. because
seems TO be the opinion Of these trms that rrduc
ton in small salaries would be followed by
elaI and financial revolution. On Broadway, fnum
Eighthsi, Twenty thrd-st.. great number Of
fancy gOoOs and millinery stores In which many hun
bred salesv omen are employed. The salaries Of the
greater part OF these women range IrOm - to sl5
week.
Of the Third Avenue Horse Cur Line for the past week
that further reduction IN their wages coutem-
plated Apparent confirmation was gwen TO TINS report
few days ago by the fact that t1rre OF the drivers
whO td received of DISCHARGE aud had called
the esdrni, told they could TO work provided
they wOuld sign their names aud would declare IN an
atdavt that they would NOT engage In any future STRIKE
hat hey WOuld forward and drive whenever
called upOn, and that theY would not resign without
giving the company thirty days notice. There Is much
tier feeling nearly all the drivers the road
meeting OF the directors TOOK place Wednesday
and It was discovered yesterday that Farrell OF the
rngleaders of the strike last summer, had been dis
charged.
President Phillips yesterday afternoon, when asked
whether the rumO. about reductions had any fOunda-
tiOn refuss 70 say anything ON the subject Mr LJnu
treasurer OF rOad not retoent He said hat
order for reduction was now la contemplation by
the directors I'VE cannot tell now, he said, what
Will DO done the competition Of the Elevated railroad.
II IL reduces receipts to any great extent, THINK
We will be warranted IN making reduction In tho pay
OF the In regard 10 that affidavit IL Is only
Quircd OF few of the turbulent men, 50 That they
not nave everything their own Wv. We only mean TO
Kcep from striking and from forcing into idlcness
the men who are willing TO work.
An Old conductor on Broadway and Seventh Avenue
who san he had been IN the business for ten years.
sand yesterday " We arc expecting to have
ries reduced at any time. Our pay at present
is 81 day-as we'll perhaps as any conductors In the
other lines, will not DO surprised II We follow suit
Tuis company Is maElng money. Take my
e4ampo; ii costs Sl2 TO run this day. There
has not been day for the last three weeks that have
not received S25 and many DAYS the will
nigh as $50. The number or cars the Broadway
branch nnety-f II each car does well as mng,
you have S2375 the daily receipts from his branch
The receipts on the Seventh Avenue branch where
rough calculation shows that hard times have not
touched this road yet"
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