Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-05-10
Judge Wylie and the Trades Unions.
To the Editor of THE EVENING STAR

Judge Wylie and the Trades Unions.
To the Editor of THE EVENING STAR.
Seeing an item in your paper of May 5th.
headed Judge Wylie on Trades Organizations, :"
In which think he not only grossly misrepre-
sents the objects and workings of those organi-
cations. but has taken the trouble to make re-
marks entirely foreign to the case that was be-
lore him, lnasmuch as the young man whom he
had passed upon had trade, take the liberty
OF using your paper to make few statements
IN reference to these trades unions that he SO
fercely denOunceS.
In the first place deny that the trades unions
of this city in any way deny or abridge the right
OF boys to learn trades but they do to Ger
tain extent place some restrictions as to the
number of boys and the length of time that they
shall serve as apprentices, which contend are
alike beneficial to the boys as well as to those
who employ them. The objects of these restric-
lions is to prevent boys from leaving their places
as soon as they are able to work at some one
branch of the trade they are learning and going
to some other shop and working as journeymen
thereby taking the place of skilled wOrkmen who
have served an apprenticeship of from four to
seven years of the best part CT their lives Now.
| have seen just such cases as refer to, and it
is the case, not only in our city, but in almost
every city in the Union, and it is the cause Of
keeping down the price of skilled labor SO low
that the mechanics of our country to-day are
really not getting sufficient compensation for
their skill and labor to enable them properly to
raise their families and educate them as they
should to make them good and useful members
OF society. Now, sir, that is one of the great
evils that the trades unions desire to remedy
and by this means benefit not only the bows
but those who employ them.
But the great evil that exists in this city that
l want to call your attention to more especially
is the fact that boys are brought here from other
cities and placed in the different departments of
the government where mechanics are EMPLOYED
onerhf hu inf of
Congressman and others in power, to the exclu-
sion. in great measure, of the sons of mechanics
employed by the government, when the truth is
those boys could learn the trades they desire
equally as WELL if not better, in the cities and
towns they come FROM and be under the super
vision of their parents or guardians, which
would be much better for them both morally
and physically, than being let loose here from
all restraint and allowed to dive into all the
vices that boys are exposed to. write what
know to be facts have known parents who
have spent from twenty to thirty years in gov
eminent employ as mechanics to be obliged to
send their boys to other cities to have them
learn trades, simply because of this importing
boys and placing them in government depart
ments, and, as father, say it is not the boys
who have been raised and learned their trades
here that come before Judge Wylie or any
other judge, but more likely to be those
who have come away from their homes
in other cities, and the wholesome re-
there. AS general thing the boys who have
learned their trades here at home are a credit to
their parents, themselves and society l. as a
parent, beg leave to differ very widely from
Judge Wylie when he says that every parent in
the land should put his foot down ON these in
famous organizations" as he calls them. 1t is
not the trades unions Of this city that is '.the
cause of universal idleness among the youths of
this city," but the importation of boys from
other cities. away from the restraints of home,
fhnrA1 alyp6i
brought up here from the rights and privileges
they are justly entitled to. Every parent who
will look at the matter in its true light will do
all in his power to support and perpetuate
such trades unions as exist IN this city.
Much more could be said on this subject, but
/ will not further trespass upon your valuable
space. feel it my duty to make these state
ments in justice to myself and other fathers Of
boys brought up in this city, and desiring that
the trades unions should not be msrepresented
before the readers Of your valuable paper, one
Of which have been for many years.
VERITAs