, 1880-05-02

! / AfEna1S, Ln6 IlFtaES, tne CnlneSe, OF aH
. other Asiatic caste to Europeanize itsel
5 There is but one alternative left, and that
the foundation of q great Slavic Federation
, upon the ruins of the Turkish Empire; and
| the Gladstone Government can accomplis
: this, or prepare the way for 1t, it will leay
} behind it a noble monument, even If
should fail in every other measure OF the re
forms it hopes to consunl1nate.
AMERICAN BOYS NOT PERMITTED 7,
LEARN TRADES.
We printed yesterday an article on tn
subject of the evil to society accomplished b.
the arbitrary exclusion Of apprentices by TIT
trades-unions of this country. Forty year:
ago every mechanic working at his trade it
city, town, or village took under his care
and instruction one, two, OF three appren
tices. The trades were all open to Ameri
can boys, and trade was as much a matter
of course with the young man of that time
as attendance at school. The Americen me-
chanic was part Of the Industrial, social,
and political system of the country. ALI this
has been changed for the worse. There are
comparatively few American apprentices to
trades at this time. If there are boys learn
ing mechanical trades they are mostly doing
so in village shops, and in an imperfect man
ner, beyond the Jurisdiction of city trades
unions.
There are in this city many Thousands Of
| boys from II to Is years Of age who would
| like to learn mechanical trades, but who are
rfgidly excl uded; no shop could take any Of
them in without being instantly abandoned
by its workmen, and no other workmen
would be employed in that shop without fall
| ing under the ban Of the trades-unions.
| What are these boys to do? Excluded from
any chance Of acquiring instruction as me-
/ chanics, they are forced to find something
else; they become, OF try to become, sales
men in stores, drummers, clerks, porters,
bookkeepers, expressmen, or seek employ
ment on railroads; Or, attracted by the fine
clothes, profusion Of cigars, and comparative
ease, they seek places as barkeepers, whisky
peddlers and those who do not fall early in
this line have some hope Of keeping
a saloon on their own account at some
other day. Some boys, more ambitious,
denied all opportunity Of becoming mechan-
les, try entrance to the professions. Every
medical school In the land is crowded with
poorly-educated boys seeking and obtaining
medical diplomas. The law schools are in
the same condition, and both OF these profess
sions are filled to overdowing. Of the re-
siduum Of the growing boys, some go West
on the farms, but not many; some go to the
mountains seeking gold or silver, but un-
fortunately, very large proportion gradu-
ate as hoodlums,- the idle, prohigate, drink
ing, rowdy1sh ruffians who mfest the cities;
and another portion furnish an ever~increas-
ing supply to the army Of thieves, burglars,
garroters, pickpockets, and confidence men.
In the proportion that idleness and en-
forced exclusion from honest employment
constitute an increase Of the criminal class,
in the same proportion are the tra1es-unions I
directly responsible for producing criminals.
With sort Of retributive compensation, |
thousands OF boys who would as apprentices |
have learned mechanical trades and been |
honest and honorable members OF society, j
had they been allowed to do so by the
trades~unions, eventually, after lives Of
idleness and crime. learn the same mechan-
ical trades in the penal institutions, and thus,
BY their labor in such establishments, fur
nish standing grievance to the unions.
The skilled labor Of the United States is
largelyin the hands Of persons of foreign birth,
some trades exclusively so. These persons,
as rule, control the trades-unions, and, rig
idly excluding American apprentices, con-
fine the employment to themselves. The
trades are recruited from fresh arrivals from
Europe, and thus is presented the singular
anomaly Of the mechanical labor Of the coun-
try in the control of persons. of alien birth,
and the exclusion Of the native population
from regular admission to the trades.
In some trades no apprentices are permit |
ed in any shop recognizing the authority of
he Union; in others the few apprentices
allowed are confined to sons of members of
he union, but in all the trades the number
IT apprentices allowed in proportion to the
ourneymen is so very limited that prac-
ically apprenticeship or entrance to the
rade is prohibited, except through side doors
II actual defiance Of the union system.
In the article printed yesterday the at
enton of workingmen was called to the
arrivals from Europe. During the
ast April 10000 immigrants landed in New {
,ork alone, and on the last day Of April no :
7ss than 1885 arrived In that city. These ! 1
immigrants are from Ireland, England, Ger
lany, Austria, Hungary, Poland, and the q
candinayian States. The male immigrants . .
lis season, except those from Ireland. !.
re mechanics, skilled workmen, and the t
omen trained and experienced servants. c
he demand for this skilled labor is equal to
le supply, and orders for this class Of work. >.
len have been filed at the immigration :,
sencfes. In like manner applications have N
cen filed for the women and girls IL
no have been educated OF trained n
their native countries IS cooks, st
undresses, and other household en- q q
oyments, which they have adopted and ..
'acticed as trades. During the present sea- $,
m, beginning on the 1st of April, the num- W
II OF these immigrants coming to this coun- tt
will average from ], 800 to $500 day, and p'
Will enter into direct and active competi- OF
N with those who, under the organizations ~,
lown as trades-unions, undertake to con- or
ol the labor Of the country. Those immi- Sc
ants who have no trades l71ust enter into ar
fho 1.t.. ] IT