Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1881-05-11
BOYS NOT PERMITTED TO
LEARN TRADES.
[From the Chicago Tribune.

LFrom the Chicago Tribune.
The current number of Harper,
Weekly contains a cartoon, evidently
by some new artist, and very much II
the style of Hogarth. Upon one side
three young lads are applying to O
skilliul workman at his bench for 9
chance to learn his trade. The work
man replies "Want to learn the
trade, CHI No, no, we can't encour
age apprentices. Tho Union won't
allow it. You would cheaper the price
Of labor. On the other side we see
the result Of the refusal. The same
three lads, grown into young men, are
loafng in II "sample.room," drinking
whisky, smoking, and reading the
Flash, and the effect is thus described
Wgnorant, incorporate, and dishonest
young men. Inferior work, through
the enforced employment of incompe,
tent workmen.' The cartoon is enti.
tied "One reason why there are so
many idle young men,"
The picture is strong and striking
one, and it tells story, tho truth OF
which is becoming more and moro ap.
parent every day in this country.
There never was time when there
was greater, or even as great, de.
mand for skillful American mechanics,
and there never was time when there
was so few skillfnl American mechan.
les to meet the demand. The advance
of knowledge and scientific research
is continually opening up new depart
ments Of mechaRieal labor, and ex-
panding the old ones. The great dc.
mand OF the day is for intelligent skill.
iul labor in our workshops and manu-.
factories, and in connection with the
great railroad, steamship and tele-
graphic systems of the country. 1t is
a constantly increasing demand, for
people are using five times more of
mechanical products than they did a
generation ago, and yet American
mechanism is not represented byAmer.
ican labor Instead of active, enter.
prising, skillful young Americans, our
mechanical occupations are mainly
absorbed by unskillful foreigners, and
the picture in Hdper's Weekly graph
ically shows one cause, namely: the
wicked oslracism OF American boys by
trades-unions upon the miserable pre-.
text that their employment will cheap.
en- labor. 1t is only in telegraph and
printing Offices and few other places,
that American young men can be found
in mechanical pursuits, although tens
of thousands OF them would be glad 10
avail themselves Of such opportunities
1t is a notorious fact that town boys
will not 60 into the country to work
on farms, and only few OF them are
capable of succeeding in the overcrowd
ed professional pursuits. The Ameri
can boy in town or city who has a
"trade" is fast becoming rara avis.
Country boys are almost as unwilling
to remain upon farms as city boys are
to go to them. The result is that they
flock to the cities and join the great
throng who are shut out from mechan.
ical vocations by the blind selfshness
OF the trades.unions and other causes.
What is the result2 They live lives
OF Incidence and gam a subsistence by
questionable expedients. They become
street tramps, saloon loafers, and hood.
lums because they can find nothing
else to do. The places which they
might ill are occupied by foreign
workmen. The trades.unions object
to American boys learning trades, but
they do not object to the importation
OF tens of thousands Of foreign mechan.
les These aliens are at once admitted
to the ONIONS, to compete with them
for work. They exclude American
boys lest they may when they have
learned trades compete for work, but
they don't exclude the hundreds of
shiploads of foreigners who seek this
country to compete with them for en-
| ployment, There is shocking incon.
sistenoy IN this action of the trades
unions. And there is q blind ignor.
ance in il, for if American boys were
allowed to learn trades they would
supply the increasing demand for more
artisans, and the foreign mechanics
would stay at home, their service not
being needed. But as the ranks of
skilled workers are not filled by Amer.
lean boys, foreigners arc imported TO
meet the demand for more workmen.
Why is it that the trades.unions do
not perceive the practical effect of their
prohibitory rules against apprentices
and change them
1t is high time that something was
done to mitigate the crying evil which |
is crowding our cities with idle young
men, and if there is no other way 10 |
accomplish it then the people should |
reform or smash these Unions, which |
are accountable for it. 1t is the shame
of this country that the vigor and in.
telligenee of our youth are being vast.
ed and frittered away and that our
young men instead Of working at some |
useful trades are living on starvation
wages as clerks and shop. boys, or,
failing to secure even this poorly.paid |
kind Of employment, are growing up
to be hoodlums and vagabonds, gam.
blers and cappers, and reinforcing the
criminal classes, filling jalls, bridewels,
and penitentiaries. A reform is nee.
essary, and can only be found in open
ing the doors of tho work. shops, mills,
factories, and forges, TO all American
boys who seek to become skilled arti.
sans and useful, independent, and pro-
ductivc citizens.