The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-08-28
WHAT CAN BE DONE?


JoURNEYMAN AND CAPITALIST.
There was another five hours session Of the Hewitt
Labor Committee held at the Post Onics yesterday
The most important witnesses Messrs Carroll
B. Wright and J. h. Walker, Of Massachusetts, The
views OF the latter among the most practical that
have been offered. During all the sessions OF the CON-
mittee there has been singular unanimty OF OPINION
what Congress ought to do relieve the condi
ton OF the workingmen. In nearly every instance
the more intelligent witnesses have answered, $40
nothing"
Messrs. Hewitt, Rice and Thompson were present
when the session began, ana Mr.. Carroll B. Wright
chief Of the Bureau OF Statistics Of MASSACHUSETTS, was
introduced. NJ. Wright said that he found just as
much dnloulty In accounting for OF pros
psr.y as for The Of oppression. The popuia-
ton Of Massachusetts, had not increased much for two
q three years. He thought the government could
transfer surplus Of laborers from one locality to
another whore their services were needed with profit
for the impossbiity OF selecting the right
men. For this reason he thought any governmental
action looking to the transfer OF people from where
they chose to live or whore they lived BY necessity
would DO both unwise ana disastrous OF course the
government could furnish transportasssn 10 mon a.
paupeis and atserward support them paupers.
Mr.. Hewitt said no had . letter from twelve young
mon in Elizabeth, N. J., who wcxo out OF employ
ment and had resolved to 60 West, even they had
TO walk. They suggested that If the government pro-
vided some method by which they could 90 II would
DO great hepto them. Witness thought this expert
ment worth trying, perhaps, though he did not be-
lieve the policy would succeed. Regarding his own
State, things were "on the mend;'' In the two most
important industries OF cotton and shoe manufacture
not only there an Improvement, but steps were
being taken looking TO Increased facilities. In
Manchester manufacturers were adding to their
hISco >Anto
open, while very few were closing. Witness
was shown criticism Of his last statistical report.
made BY one Mr. Moody, and said shs logical result
OF Me- Moody's process that loo cent OF labor
In all lines OF ndustry bad been displaced by machin
cry.
sst HouRa LABOR. stt .fI
Mr.. Wright then gave some figures ON the hours Of
labor In Massach usstts during tho last year. Boot
aud shoe operatives worxed bat little over eight
hours q DAY on the basis Of 30S days. work 10 the
year. 1t was so with nearly all INDUSTRIES though the
actual number OF working days 243 In tho year.
Cotton operatives Lowell worked 3O6 days In the
year. or an average OF 9o3 hours per day. At Adams
the poroa Of the State operatives worked
2s0k days IN the year. or about nine hours day.
Carpenters and joners worked about 272 days,
crage also Of about nine hours.
Mr.. hewitt said complaints had been made that
operatives In Massachusetts had to WORK too many
hours at stretch and then remain IDLE for
sims 1t had been suggested that the government
might adopt some measure BY which the hours OF labor
should be equalized the year round. Mr. Wright re-
piled that would be questionable process TO compel
there no sale for their productions Mr.. Hewitt
asked II this was Eot the promise Of capital sort OF
psc, OF bringing In procs to the ownerf witness hess
admitted this was very fair way OF putting It: he
believed that labor saving machinery was mis-
homer; machinery did not displacc labor save for
little ut It's FIRST Introduction, but II gave
laborers better wages and more time; It mad been
proved by figures not to be doubted that there
Stale with capital sufficient 10 support It's entire
population IN idieness for longer period than two
massachusetts each year II do0s BY horses would
cost $400 600 900 instead OF QUO, ~ now and
il would require 400, 900 horses TO do It
TRUST IN PRovIDYncH
Coming to some questions that he was unprspared
TO answer, witness said that he supposed when We
some way out Mr.. Hewitt wanted to know Why tho
Almighty did not show China q way OF her
said Ina. "wnen the whales ceased 10 b. caught the
Garth spoutsd oil" TINS was received with laughter,
when the supply OF wood gave cot coal was discov:
cred. Mr. Hewitt was not Of tho opinion that wood
had given out He knew OF one tract still In existence
that hc would like 10 got rid Of
MI. wright then entered into an argument against
the employs men. Of women and children IN mills
condition OF workingmenP
witssss--I doar know Of anything unless IL Is to
adjourn. (Great laughser.)
Mr.. Hewlst-But It costs . good deal 70 adjourn
sometimes go
Witness-I imagine IL would often be better policy
to pay Congrsssmen $4,000 not TO sit than s. 600
MI Wright believed in protection where projection
necessary, but whero Industries could stand by
themselves no would tax them only Tor revenue
Everybody was suffering by the ta.ln on wool aud
nobody was gaining by II 30 lar AZ he knew.
fsf Mr. J. u. wALKER.
Mr. j. H. Walker, q manufacturer Of boots and
was The next witness he s.td ne had begun al sSs
bench in tho shoe business When he was twenty-five
years old he had $500 which ne had socum uiated.
HIS business now In the two pnces named Aggregated
about s. 000 00O yearly; he AIDE his leather Chi
cago. manufactured 1t INTO shoes in Worcester,
and then sold the shoes At Western points Witness,
speaking The state Of trade gave some statistics OF
Tho shipments from Boston Of boots, shoes aud rub
manaiscsurss Of Mss.scn usss.s. In lsss there there
were shipped 1,4t2,00o cases; In 1874
tho shipments were $4,000 cases less;
In 1875 there increased shipment OF
So 600 cases 1876 increase OF $4,000 cases, and
1877 increase Of cases. In the present ysar
corresponding period Of last year OF about 15740O
cases. Thus thcre had bsen increased annual SHIP
said u was the opinion Of the trade that The present
decline OF shipments was due largely to the TACT OF tho
sales OF rub0ers not taking place. Yet they believed
over the previous year.
The INTRODUCTION Of machinery, he thought. bore
ana The witncss believed that PEG Sss IN
this souafy , nsTs pei osss D'''sr OF n0wsAa0
INDUSTRY IN woRcEsrEa.
Mr. Walker gave brset hlsory 0i the sbss traas In
Worcester, Mass. In l84o there were arms,
prising seven indlviooais engaged In the boot anu
snoe trade, making an annual production Of about
$500 cases, and employing about 225 hands,
including women and chiarsu. Inc average wages
oil Journeymau ~ this time 81 per
day Ia 1850 therc were eighteen arms, all but four
OF which Jailed In 1860 there we're twenty zone firms,
Of which twelve ia,ied, and only mbors OF
which went out OF business with any capital. To-day
there are IN Worcester twenty ore nrms prising
ABOUT forty mcmDers. ne annual production 10
l50 900 cases. valued Al 600 The total number
oil hands employed 10 200, Including men, women and
cbiidren. Inc average pay OF journey man per day
Is 81 15 Every one oil the present iacturers Of
Worcester had sprung up from Jourusymen.
LABOR OF che CAPITALIST
Mr.. Walker expressed tho opinion That Il was easier
than ever Tor Of capacity TO make their way
up In the world and become Independent. There was
no class OF people 30 hard worked capitalists IL
was impossbie that civilization should progress on
any other basis Than that large amounts OF capital
should os graspca sad handled by single indvo uas
II was not possible Tor capital 10 be useful otherwise