The Chickasaw messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1880-1900, 1888-03-15
Carpenters Wages.
Published by request. ]


A correspondent desires to know
why it is that carpenters receive
less wages than bricklayers, plas-
terers, painters, SC. think there
are several reasons why this is the
case. I will attempt, briefly, to
present my views on the subject.
In the first place, carpenters are
themselves to blame for getting
small wages. They persist in
working against each other and
cutting prices. For example, A
agrees to do a certain job of work
for s25, which to begin with, is at
least IS less than a fair price. B
hearing about it and being jealous
Of A, says: 81 think that is a big
price l would like TO have such
Job at $40" Consequently, when
there is another piece of work Of
the same kind to let if B gets the
chance he will take the job out of
AS hands by bidding at $50.
While he succeeds in beating A
be also beats himself by taking
the work at two-thirds what it is
really worth. Again some carpen-
ters will take jobs at half price
simply for the sake of being boss.
1t would seem that some Of them
are foolish enough to work for moth
ing and find themselves, provided
that they can be boss. Again, our
ranks are full of wood butchers,
men who do not know a horizon
tai line from a vertical line-men
who will take jobs at a quarter
what they are worth and butcher
them through to the best Of their
ability. They never make money
and are always at the foot of the
ladder. 1 know great many Of
this class; in fact, l am led to be-
lievo that there is not more than
in 25 who call themselves carpen-
tiers that is really competent to
take charge of work, much less to
contract for buildings. Your cor
respondent says the carpenter is
required to possess as much brains
as plasterer, bricklayer or paint
er. That is certainly the ease,
only he might have said that the
carpenter is required to possess
more ability, for he must know
about his own work and about
that of other mechanics also. He
must be able to direct the brick
layer, the plumber, the painter,
the timer and all other mechanics
employed about the building.
After doing all this he gets less
wages than those he superintends.
A builder who is competent to
take the lead must be man OF
good sound mind and of common
sense, TO say the least. There is
something coming up all the time
for a builder to contend with,
while in brioklaying, for example
it is one brick upon another, and
the largest structure is finished
that is, provided the carpenter will
help him out of all the hard places
A plasterer's work is very simple
compared with the work Of car
penter. I think the painter is re
quired to have as much skill az
any of the mechanics whom a car
penter is expected to superntend
provided he is a master of his bust
ness but, after all, his work is t
a certain extent a constant repeti
ton. do not think that plaster
ers, masons or painters get NOR,
pay than they are entitled to. bu
I do think that an candid per
sons must admit that a master
builder, the man who directs tn,
building operations for all the me
chanics employed, is entitled t.
more than be now receives. Fot
my part I think he should have a
least ~ per cent. advance upol
the wages paid TO brieklayers