St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-03-15
FIGURES FOR LABORERS.
Discussion Of the Probable Demand and
Price for Labor This Year.
Contractors Assert They Cannot Pay the
Figures Asked-Labor Notes.

! Figures Asked-Labor Notes.
The condition of the laboring men in all
parts of the country during the past winter
has not been at all satisfactory. In many
| instances wages were reduced and strikes
| followed, and in other instances where col
llsion was avoided dissatisfaction was the re-
| suit. The Northwest has not been wholly
free from trouble, and has suffered slightly
in some localities in consequence Of an over
supply Of laborers just at that season when
the least work is DONE Heretofore. in st.
Paul the work of the summer has been al
lowed to extend over into the fall and even
through the winter itself. Really, two sets
of plans and specifications have heretofore
been prepared for contractors. One set has
been for work that was intended to be COM
pleted during the summer, while the other
set was for work to be finished up in winter.
The natural result of this system, as it was
carried out here for several years, was to
furnish good deal of labor to be performed
during the winter months, just when
the laboring man needs it the most.
In this way stone masons, .bricklayers
and plasteIers, as well as carpenters, we're
furnished with considerable work, at a time,
when, in this climate, they are expected to
have little or nothing to do.
For some reason this plan seems to have
been abandoned last fall, or forgotten. Plans
and specifications were worked out and COM
pleted early in the spring, and during the
summer
WORK WAS CROWDED FORWARD
so rapidly that by November all the building
was finished up, and as no new work had
been prepared for the winter large number
OF discharged and industrious mechanics
found themselves without adequate means
for supporting themselves and their families
by their usual trades, and were thus compelled
to seek other employment. Of course, car
penter would naturally make very poor
stone mason, while stone mason would
show up as very poor carpenter. Necessity,
however, knows no law, aud these men with
families on their hands, when they found
they would have no work at their
trades till spring, at once set to
work to find something else to do,
with which to tide over the time from fall
at the foot of Robert street was in course of
construction and many got work on that
structure, but owing to their inexperence in
that kind of work their pay was in some
cases quite small.
To show how easy it is for man to be
brought low single instance may be men
toned. A man who was a skilled mechanic
and worked all summer at his trade, earning
from 50 to 81 per day, found himself without
work in the winter, and was compelled to
work for 80 cents per day, as common la
borer.
THE WAGES OF LABoRERs.
An effort was made last week by GLOBE
representative to ascertain the wages now
paid and those likely TO be paid during the
coming season for skilled mechanics and
laboring men generally. The effort
was not wholly satisfactory, as
there are many conditions that
may change all calculations made at
this time; besides, there is con siderable differ
ence of opinions and ideas between contract
ors and laborers as to what prices should be
paid. The contractors say that shovelers and
diggers and common laborers generally can
command 81 per day, mechanics and stone
cutters So. so, teams with drivers from So to
81 so according to the quality of the team
and quarrymen who drill holes ST. per
day.
LABOR WILL BE CHEAPER.
The contractors claim that labor will be 10
per cent. cheaper this year than 1t was last
season, including carpenters, bricklayers,
tractors and builders have consulted some
bot,, ia &c har al, l..l
that this will naturally be about the necessary
reduction, and the contracts entered into
have been made on this basis; that is, men
that last season got $3.50 will receive from
SO to 1925. Those that get 1926 will have
to be frst-class men.
The contractors did not appear to be as
familiar with the plans of the plasterers as
with those of the stone masons and other la
borers already mentioned, but they said 1t
was understood the plasterers would, on the
1st of April, demand $3.50 per day, and
that they would also require that a
days work should consist of eight hours. The
contractors referred to expressed the opinion
that no such concessions would be made, as
the contract prices of this work will be less by
10 or 10 per cent. than last year, there being
many more contractors in the field this year
than last. Parties that worked last year for
wages have gone into the business of con-
tracing this year, starting in without capital
and without business or reputation; and
consequently they have nothing to lose. This
necessarily disorganiZes the whole business,
and makes everything pertaining to prices
and wages more than ever uncertain.
ONE OF THE LEADING PLAsTERERs
said that they are getting SO now, but that on
the 1st of April the union would demand
$3.50. Last year the price was SO. Contrac-
tors will not like to pay it, but they will have
to, he said Being informed that the con-
tractors were of the opinion that the union
intended 10 reduce the number of hours in
DAYS work to eight, he denied the statement,
and said the DAYS work would consist Of ten
hours, and proceeding remarked that fathers
last year got cents per yard. Now they get
~ cents. Bricklavers will want "a, the same
as last year. while those who lay
pressed brick will demand more,
probably s.. Painters will ask $50 to 49,
the same as last year. He thought
that, on the whole, there would be only a
slight difference between prices of this year
and those of last year. There were a good
many laborers in st. Paul last year, and
there are Just as many this year. There is,
however, prospect Of more building this
season. He summed It all up as follows:
Carpenters will receive 80 10 90. so, last year
s2 90; plumbers. SO, same as last year:
stone masons, 50 80 TO SO; stone cutters,
80 so to q, same as last year; gas filters,
$3.50, same as last year.
THE ARCHITECTS
seem to have more doubt az to prices than
any one else. and say it is impossible to
form any satisfactory judgment There is
large mum her Of artisans ont OF en- ployment,
which is an element that no one can properly
estimate. They put down the figures finally