The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-08-02
THE LAWS OF STARVATION.
Workingmen and Social Rsformers
Explain Their Views
SCHWAB ON THE CONSTITUTION.
McGregors Grafton on Laboringmen's
Condition and Necessities.

tain the causes OF the depression OF labor and the
remedies within the reach OF legislation, met yeser
day morning in the Poslmaster's private office, MT
Abram s. Hewitt in the chair. The other members Of
the com mittes present were Ex-Governor w. W kce,
of MASSACHUSETTS,; T. A. Boyd, OF Illinois, and J. NJ
Thompson. OF Pennsylvania Messrs H. u. Riddle. Of
Ten nessee; h. L. Hickey, OF Ohio, aud John - Jones'
OF Alabama, were absent. Tho committee FIRST held
an executive session. which It resolved 10 meet
publcly At eleven O'Clock every morning and near
such parties desired TO be heard by them.
THE sroNEcuTrERs COMPLAINT.
Thomas Rock and Cornelius Egan were the hrst
wituesses They said that they represented the
Stonecuttcrs association aud Mr. Rock, who was the
principal spokesman, complained that Governmsnt
work New York government buildings was taken
away from the stonecuttsrs BY being done on DIX
and otuer islands; he was specially anxious that the
stone Tor tho new barge olco should be cut here,
thus ufording emplo yment New York stonecutiers
ana appealed to Mr. Hewitt IN this regard while MI
Hewitt declared his inability TO do anything 10 the
matter owing the law, which opened such work to
the low bidder long as no was citizen OF the
United States, and no matter whether he had the
work done liz New York OF elsewhere The
examination was somewhat discursive an1
amusing. being in tho nature OF run
ing colloquy between Mr.. Rock, Mr. Hewitt and tho
other members OF the committee. Mr. Rock CON-
planned that this WORK being taken away IRON the
large cities fell into the hands OF non-etzens who
IN RockIund, Me-. for instance-Jrew out all their
earnings the local bunk after the WORK was done
and near breaking the bank
Q. Your view is that government work should DO
limited 70 citizens only? A. Yes, sIr.
O. How about iron work? Should that be done also
In the cities in the buildings 10 be erected
A. Well, the iron workers can spoak or themselves
We have enough look out Tor ourselves.
nal oinvR
had their stone cutting done, and Mr. Rock replied
"ln this city"
Mr. Hewitt-They would nave to bring the stone
h,rs? A. Yes, they could bring It from else where,
but 1t should be here
Mr.. Hewitt (signilcanty)-You know this is q
committee representing all parts OF the unionr
A. know that all the citios In favor OF having
their work doue by their own men; IT'S OF no benefit
to Cincinnati have It's work done far away on some
barre leland whore they cau't SEQ Low IT'S going ou
Mr. Rock then went III to the abuses OF The Post
Once work whine Dix Island, and said ~ was
the motto there .'rhs you cut Inc os,ter." lr
hewitt denounced tbs fifteen per cent commission
paid 10 contractors ul disbursements as u gross
abuse.
Mr. Hewitt (quixzicallyJ III the work for the Al
hany Capitol can DO done chespiy mere than In
Albany should II still be done In Albany A. fes.
str.
O. Who pays for its A. suppose the State.
O. Well II all the citizens Of The State pay for Il,
why should they all equal chance 10 do
| MIR. Rock hesiialed finally got OUT Of the d.
| iemma bv saying swell u could be done W
chcsply ana sent 10 Albany ns It could os done
Mr. Rice (psrsuasivey)-If Dix Island is . cheaper
| place to do work IN than New York why not DO It
ihcrsf A. COMMUNICATIONS DIX island is not
Mr. Hewitt. pressed Mr. Rock TO state how far ne
would 70 In desiring legislation on me subject and
| whether even private individuals should De com
PEELED by Law work Ia the cities IN
which thsir buildings were erected. Mr.. Rock looked
down and reply W the question, al which ME
Hewitt smiled. In reply 10 question by Mr.. rnomp-
| sou Mr. Rock spoke Vi ''mscnsuics starving"
| ST. Hewitt inquired as ~ the NUMBER VI sonecut-
ters 10 New York aud The proportion out OF employ
ment, all OF which, ANA kindred information Uearng
on TIE subject OF wagos theswtnsss requested TO
send TO nun Ia writing Tor the oi the Committee.
| 'lt's a uice conditon OF tbings," Mr.. Rock cx-
claimed, ''wnen 800 s'onemasons have got 10 90 10
England IN got and leave thor tools as
security tor their passage" In answer 10 several
questions said stouecutters GOT now 50 per Jay,
Drickayers 81 day ana carpenters "got no wages at
siln Ho expluned that carpenters were glad 10 get
anything they could aud worked by the 'Joon or
| "contract." In 1862, wnen he came TO New YORK,
soneoutters get 81 rs per days then their pay rose
to IS In war time, and finally came down 70 us
prssen, rate, 50 a DAY Ia 1865 they got So 20 Tor
| nine hours' work.
O. With prices Tor flour and all provisions, clothing,
now than you NJ 81 70 N ls02s A. We arc worse
| AIR. Rock debated matter wWn MI. hoWttt, ana
urged mat prov were still higher than In 1851
| TAx ~ rfL cocoANUr.
q Well that brings US 10 tue question how you bay
| them. DO your people generally ouy I" the nearess
o. Tnere Is no cooperative arrangement BY wnion
the s,olecut,ers could buy In large qusntisIesS A.
No, sir.
Mr. Rock smiled assent, and Mr.. Egan said :--"Oi
course they are the money they caro- they can
| support their families IN n hall dcccnt wsyh Mr.
| p...r that CP wpr rtO
the city, aud they were probably not employed nall
| the year.
work. A We'd prefer almost any Kind Vi regular
wages TO this.
Ing loss And isut the want Of employment due
| to nigh wagssS A. No, sir; IFS due 10 u0or saving
macsney, to machinery Tor saving stone and oil that
O. twlln mock ssriousncss) How would you have
the government deal win thatf A. tLaughingiynl
wouldn't have the government in,eriers at all He
| thougnt that employers would ''brsak themselves"
with machinery u they only didn't stsrve their work.
| Mr.. Hewitt wanted to know IL some OF the stone
masons didnt work Tor less than So per day. Mr.
Rock first pretended not to know. and " took some
utte eosxiug to nduce him TO say that some worked
MS low US 50 aud 81 90 per day.
' q WHAT course does tho society take with these
| mcn--dees II discipline them2
Mr. Rocs did no. rspy to ms, SO MI. EsIa took up
we can't help ourselves"
O. Css,rIcaly blu o,ner words, there Is law moro
I po~sriul tnan IA. Jaw OF trades unionss A. Vigor-
| ousiy l--Ycs, sir; tho law Of starvation 10.
\ Y (Smhsg)-Do you think mat trades unions can
control the question OF wasesa A. by Mr. Rockl-
Yes, sir; they have done u, and tne bosses never
made SO much moaey as when they did.
SIR. Hewitt alluded TO the excessive cost Of the
seventeen houses winch be butt some years ago dur
ing the era OF Imitation Ia the upper part Of Third
| avenue. and Mr.. Rock volunteered tho opinion that
| the puiiosr made tue money anu not the men.
z Have not a great number Of builders iaedf A.
Yes. sur but that was because they carried heavy
| LOADS of real estate
Mr.. Hewitt Uocularly)--T nobody really pronied
by That great era oil prosperity and sxpansionneher
the builders, nor the mechanics the real estate
| menY A. with n taught don't see that anybody
| has prontcd by IT, (LaughtsrD
Mr.. Rock launched Into many complaints about
supervisor Muetts way oil doing business and deal
1 ing with stonecut,ers, TO which Mr. Hewitt replied
that ullett had been removed and could not be pun
ishod In any other way. SIR. Hew it remarked as 10
the cost OF the Post Office Building, "This