New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-05-07
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
AMONG THE WORKING People.

IN this volume number Of "reminiscences oil
Journeys taken in various parts of the United
Efats and in tho Hawaiian Islands In the ervice
Of tle United States Bureau OF Labor Statistics
He SAYS: @The dry statistics gathered in my
travels as special agent have been submitted to
the Department The following pages contain not
ahe dry figures, bat o few Of the incidents-amus-
srg and otherwise that befeH me in my inter
Sourse with tho working classes Of America,
xcecther with q brief account of journey to the
Sandwich Islands, undertaken in connection with
an Investigation into the condition of sailors"
THE first chapters treat of the condition of the
morlnng.women in New-Yorlc and Brooklyn, and
factory life here and in New-England The
burden of the story is only too well known. Long
hours wretched wages, squalor, ill-health and
general discomfort. In the factories the author
found the statutes prohibiting child-labOr quite
generally evaded, and this by the parents no less
than by the employers. The state of these classes
of workers Is epresented being very diseourag-
ing. On the one hand, the pressure of competi-
ton keeps them at starvation point. On the
other hand, the constituencies rapacity which
shelters under the name of business STILES
every consideration Of humanity. The object OF
the employers in tn, majority of cases IS to get
the most work for the least pay, and If in the
arocess women and children are worked to death,
the fact excites no pity and suggests no pause IN
the race for profit
According to Mr.. Nieriwether there is little TO
choose between the condition of the New-England
factory operatives and those Of old England In
the former the competition Of the French-Canadi-
ans produces precisely the same results as that
winch springs from pauper labor while improve
ment, in machinery steadily encroach upon the
sphere of hand labor, and when they dc not dis
place the latter wholly, render its work more
mountainous and mechanical. OF course tending
a machine is not learning trade man or
woman may spend q lifetime in such work. ana
learn nothing more than the management OF
niece OF machinery which performs one detail oil
q complicated whole 1t would be better II all
this kind of work could be done by machinery, ior
then the human beings who now wear themselves
out in unfntelligent labor would be forced 10
snd other employment and to rely upon their
understanding more. The author appears 10 hoid
some rather crude views on labor, and especially
"a have become q convert 10 Henry Georges
sineie-tax theory. He rejects oil the remedies
for grinding poverty which have hitherto been
suggested. and proposes on bis own account the
abolition of the tariff and graduated land-taN
zt;s idea that the measure he advocates would
have the effect of relieving the conGes-
tim of labor in the cities, and NIL
ing the country with small farmers, IS
bcpelessly doctrinaire 1t is not the
fact as he assumes, that the city congestion Is
caused by a rush of farmers TO the towns. lts
MAR, cause is the tendency among immigrants TO
stay In the cities, and this tendency originates
10 tho fact that large proportion OF these lmml-
grants are town-bred, have no capital with
which to settle in the country as agriculturists.
Nor is it true that the prospect OF American farm
ers is bad and that this discourages settlement.
1cinl,, &c fha nf 90
undertake farming in many instances. Thrifty
men would eventually do much better on the land
than in the cities: but they must devote some
wears and hard work TO making paying farms.
whereas. in cities they can obtain living wages
Mt once and this decides many to stay in the CEN
tres Of population.
Mr. Meriwether went South and was captured
nv "moonshiners7 who took him for revenue
officer, aud he saw many curious people and
things He also visited the Far West, and spent
some time in California. The climate of the Pa
cihc Slope, or to be more exact that of San Fran
cisco, made so strong an impression upon him
that ne developed out Of it one Of the strangest
theories ever conceived We viii let him speak
for himself on this subject. He says in a foot
note: In one respect the peculiar climate Of
San Francisco is anything but an advantage to
worbingmen or TO any other class of citizens, for
the climate undoubtedly has q great deal to do
with the extraordinary number =. divorces granted
in tho San Francisco courts. Coal costs from
SIS 70 $40 ton As it is not very cold, economical
housekeepers seldom deem IL worth while to keep
fires in their sittng-rooms. The mistress OF the
house, having household duties to perform, Is STIR
ring about consequently can bear the cold OF the
room The husband, Just in from his days work.
wants to sit down and rest; but he feels chilly,
and after supper takes walk TO get warm In
Eastsrn cities men sit their front steps OF sum-
mer evenings and chat with their families IL
lis too hot to go about. In winter 1t is too cold
and thew are glad to get home and sit with the
family round q bright fire. There is nothing OF
This In San Francisco. The husband, as soon as
5inner is over: puts on his hat and takes a walk.
Wis wife, when the house is put to rights, also
gocs somewhere to keep from becoming numb with
roh This constant, and in manner
NECESSARY oadding about is o serious blow to home
life and happiness and helps greatly TO keep the
divoree mill going" This is decidedly the fun
,,,.s. hvrotbesis vet invented, and we commend IL
~ Mr.. ii. II. Bancroft as new contribution to his
History of California.
We are afraid Mr.. Meriwether was treated as q
% tenderfoot' by some incorrigible joker In San
francisco but he might have ascertained Tor him.
self that the price OF coal IN that CITY ID no' on
esteen to twenty dollars per ton" even II he could
-. test and rectify the other and still more pre-
.,,osterous statement OF his informant. But the
iaea OF the poor unfortunate married people OF San
Francisco wandering, with ehattering teeth about
Kearney and Montgomery SITS, seeking divorces, Is
40 droIl that the Californians. who love 'oEe'
,eapno. take offence at the authors doubtless we'll
reant hut unhappily directed. researches into the
xgoylrsnrs of what he terms the divorce mill
n i singular, however. that the fertility Of
Chicago in divorces did not occur TO MN as III
terferine with his climatic theory. His chapters
en- the seilor-auesSon in San Francisco are more
10 tbs point. though even here he appears to ot