The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-05-06
THE LABOR CRISIS.

lHE JADOIG OOlCIC.
THE CONDITION OF The UNEMPLOYED
wORKINGMEN OF NEW ORLEANS.
Result of n Reporters InvestIgatiOn-The
Consequences Of Idleness-The Possible
Remedy and the Possibility or Com
HIct Between Capital and Labor.
Hardly day has passed during the last two
or three weeks but what the telegraph has
brought us rumors Of n grand movement
among the laborers Of the North. looking to-
wards a conflict with their supposed enemies
the capitalists. Reports of bodies OF men De-
ing organized and armed In C1nclnnal,
Chicago and Philadelphia have come to us. got
ten up with all the mysterious surroundings
usually incident to such secret movements.
Most every ono has had the stern fact that
in our CITY there are now many out Of EN-
nlovment thrust before them-in their homes
and on the street The repeated calls, at home
for food by able bodied men, who beg for work
that they may earn what is given, and on the
tborougfares by the sidewalks crowded with
clerks out of situations and mechanics lacking
a lob. Whatever may ba the reason Of it all it
does not matter. nor Is 1t our purpose here to
discuss. The fact exists. For the purpose Of
getting at the true condition of affairs. and
giving to the public the results n DEMOCRAT
reporter started out to investigate the subject.
MR.. THOMAS MARKBY
was called upon. He Is and has been engaged
for some time past ns city contractor, and is.
therefore. thrown in contact with large mum
Der of daily laborsrs. and SO capable OF ludg-
Reporter-Mr Markoy, have called, on you
dtion Of labor T In this city at ibis Zine Ii is
very generally reported that there is y great
deal Of suffering here among the laboring
classes Can you give me any information on
Mr.. Markey-I don't know what can tell you
about individual cases but know this, IN, |
employ about 300 men now and seventy I've
esr aRa 81 e ers NG from day
Iaborers to work for much less.
Rep.-What would You compute tho amount
OF idle labor hero now2
Mr.. M.-That would be difficult 70 say:
know that there are. very many families In q
truly suffering condition: how badly they are
81, they are t92 proud to tex mnsnGXer YOU 60
port, and how they get their bread 1t is hard to
say. The same thing can be said of skilled me
Rep.--Is there no remedy for all ths2
Mr.. M.-The only remedy fsto!give them work
on some public Improvement. Now. II the ~
preme Court decides the case now before it in
favor of the New Orleans Pacific Railroad there
will be an outlet for some 1900 bands and II the
will at once push his road to Texas forward,
and that will require as many more.
Rep.-But should the supreme Court decide
against the railroad what would be the conse-
Mr. M-Thess men would have a long and
dull summer before them, when even in our
good times there is little to do here. What will
become of them don't know.
MR. G. A. FITzENRE1TER,
formerly Administrator of Waterworks, In re-
sponse to our Inquiries said; L can only spohk
accurately of Algiers now. There, as you know.
there Is always more or less ship building and
repairing going on. and this, with tho oil facto
ries keep most Of. the labor over there and in
Rep.-But on this side of tho river, from your
observation. how many idle men do you think
Mr.. FL should compute them at fully 10000
that is. taking in clerks. mechanics and DAY
susripe who fe s' her to '
selves and few outside their intimate friends
know anything about il.
Rep.-Do you think there Is actual want heref
Mr.. F.-Certainly and great deal OF it, too.
There are families that are in the, most strait
ened cireumsstance.. and need the bare nenessa.
ries Of life. There Is Il Willingness to work, but
no work for them to do.
MR. r. H. hartley
was visited. Mr.. BARLEY is now engaged on n
city contract and has charge Of large humber
Reporter BARLEY. there Is go much talk
aboutltown relative to the amount OF idle labor
here. have called to askyou the results OF your
observation on the subject.
Mr. Bartiey.-My observation is that there Is
any quantity of 1t here, and that it can be had
possible for men of families TO live on what
they are willing to work for. Even with every
thing as 2w aS ey Is ever r
great Is the supply of labor now one can get 1t
for almost nothing.
Rep.-Is this surplusage confined to the day
Mr.. B-Not at all. There is the same lack Of
work amongst the skilled mechanics; have
men In my employ now handling shovel on
the streets who are capable mechanics, some
carpenters and others iron workers.
organization similar to that said to exist In
Northern cities. which resembles somewhat the
labor leagues or socialists?
Mr. BIT was reported once that there was a
commune society here, but know nothing OF
It beyond the bare report. do, not think the
laboriDg men here are organized as they are In
the North and East. Ii they are nobody seems
Rep.-How is trade with carpenters and brick
Mr. B-There Is some building going on. but
nothing like enough to keep them all employed.
They are like all the rest, suffering for lack Of
work.
The reporter then interviewed
MR. A. MARTIN.
Of the Pelican sawmiil. on the New Basin Mr.
Martin thought that there was work here for
going about croaking about there being nc
work but they didn't deserve if. There was
considerable building going on. and carpenters
were quite busy.
IN SEARCH OF TIE IDLE
the reporter visited several tenement houses
some on Jchoupitoulas street, near St Mary'e
Market. some on franklin street and some on
Poydras street In the rear of the market
He found much that was ANYTHING bu'
on the second floor, in a small gallery
room. stood dlapidated bedstead with but little
to cover the mattress. In the middle Of the
floor there was n pine table and one chair. The
wife was rinsing out a tattered dress for title
girl that was mindiug babe of six months.
The woman received tho reporter with some
evidence Of surprise and told her simple tale OF
hunger and anxiety. Her old man had not done
stroke of work for two months. and the little
money he had went for house rent and to the
grocery. Her armor and bureau followed to
the furniture dealer. and on the money realized
they had been living since. When that was
gone they didn't know what to do. God
knowsi" said she. Her old man had tried TO
get work across the river and up town. but
couldn't
When she was asked his name she said sho
wouldn't give ii for fear, she said. if it went in