The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1880-01-07
The Rubber shop


tory--it being the greatest source of en-
ployment to the working population in
the town. We said that we believed the
old wages should forthwith be restored
Now we shall give our reasons for the
belief that's in us.
First of all, we think when a man who la
bors perseveringly and industliously for
period of say twenty years, that, then his
employment ought to have yielded him
as much as would be sufficiently ample to
sustain him during the remaining portion
of his life. We certainly think this
ought to be particularly the case when
the nature of his employment is ealculat-
ed to render him unfit for any other
work by planting by poisonous matter the
germs of disease likely to render him
an invalid during the remaining portion
of his life. We think the rubber shop to
be such mandatory: We come to this
conclusion from the diagnosis of some
eminent doctors, who attended some pa
tients, who worked there for a number OF
years, and there contracted diseases that
hurried them to premature graves, thus
leaving young aud helpless families to-
tally unprovided for.
Next, we are told that those who have
been recently employed have been hired
for dollar and dollar and a quarter d
day Now let us take the dollar man, and
suppose he works every day in the month,
that is for twenty-six days At the end he
receives twenty-six dollars; Of this he
has to pay sixteen for his board; then he
has ton dollars left, or one hundred and
twenty a year. Now, take what is nee
eSSary Tor cIUIhtnss e~ni e-~~y othn~ roo
sonable purpose, and we ask any candid
man, how much, if any, he can spare in a
twelve-month After having thus toiled
for twenty years, we again inquire.
what can he save for rainy day? This
ate of things is somewhat bettered, in
asmuch as, we are Informed that the pay
Of the dollar men have have been increas-
ed to dollar and a quarter; but, even
with this paltry increase, our statement
remains almost the same. Then, again,
during the prosperous time, aye, even the
war period, the men in this shop, as Is
well-kuown, worked for less than the
railroad or any other laboring men.
Was it just to decrease their pay after
having passed through this ordeal
Moreover, let any man go to the rubb I
shop, as the men leave for their homes
in the evening, and can any body have
the hardihood to affirm, that robust we'll
proportional men as the employed are,
can be working in a wholesome place
when their wan sickly countenances un
.tnswerabiy give fat and firm contra
diction? Besides, what kind Of paying
= business is this rubber mandatory
J One of the very best in the whole United
States A short time since the company
. we're, OWN to unfortunate speculations
q etc, on the verge of bankruptcy. They
7 lad TO meet an immense sum; their cred
| ors thought three years would be entire
+ Is necessary, and. behold, they in a littl'
T over OF e-third OF the time, expressed t.
= those creditors their ability and willing
ness to meet their vast liabilities. Now
then, this manifestly proves that the,
Il have triumphautly conquered their re
verses, and are, to-day, more prosperous
than ever. From all this, is the poo
wor,iinGman ever doomed to inhale pOis
onous air, thus abridging the period o
his natural life, going to reap any beneii
whatever Are the stocL holders t,
: amass wealth to an unprecedented amour
within a given time, and are the families
' and children OF those whose Drawn,
i | al those riches 4
: receive no benefit therefrom. If so, it il
downright injustice, and all we have t.
S say is, that such a state Of things ma.
continue for n time. but we are as conf
:; dent as that the sun shines to-day, tina
=, it will not be prolonged forever. w
Z, think we entertain just and reasonabl
T. views ON capital and labor. We are cor
N vinced the welfare OF this country re
quires that they should work hand i
. hand. We think it would be ruiUous t
o our industries that the workingma
Or would be unreasonably exacting in hi
40 demands: on the other hand, we know
# and deplore, that the tendency OF cap
talsts nowadays, is to grind the worl
:. iugman to desperation by reducing h.
wages TO starvation rates. but we HOP
= nothing Of this will in the near future a
=, ply to the New York Betting and PackiI
M Company. AS we said last week, the S
perintendent OF that shop IS a proverbil
ly generous and humane man, and ha
a at all times, proved by substantial fac
IT. that he is the true friend, the kind ben
*. factor of all his hands, especially of ii
m widows and orphans, who are the relic
M of men who have died out OF the shop.