The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-02-22
MECHANICS AND LABORERS.

The gentleman who expressed the opinion
Trough The HERALD the other morning
bat there was danger of too great a rush
20 Salt Lake had the right idea. We do
Tot mean by this that there is desire to
;eep people out On the contrary the more
he better, provided they have money to
Jay their way or there is work for them to
10. The danger lies in an influx of men
Who are without money but expect to earn
r obtain il here. We cannot have too
pany capitalists. We cannot get too many
aen with enterprise, courage and cash
these are the kind we want, and they will
II be welcome even if they come in train
pads. Salt Lake now needs men who have
hat faith in the stability of the town that
will induce them to build halls, stores
nd residences, and improve the
ity by investing their cash nhere
factories and other enterprises for util-
.ing the local resources and providing
abor for the working classes. There is
ibundant opportunity for all such who can
le induced to come, and the more of them
Who put in an appearance the faster will
he city grow.
But the indications are that the great
sash viii be made up largely of undesira-
lie persons-the adventures and scala
vags who follow booms and business ex-
Elements. Already scores of them are
cen on the streets, and every day new
aces of the ugly order appear at the loaf
hg places. This element we cannot keep
nut. 1t is bound to come and we must en-
l,,,.o ~ ,,p+il ny, al cnndc
of
There is class, however, that should be
warned against rushing to Salt Lake in
reat numbers. We refer to the honest
mechanics and day laborers. For little
ime last year there was a scarcity of me-
hanics and workingmen, but only for a
title time, and even then the scarcity was
Tot serious. There will, as matter of
curse, be more building this year than in
$50, and consequently employment for q
arger number of masons, carpenters,
llasterers and laborers; but the increased
demand will be supplied at home, so great
las the emigration already been. Ou1
peal labor organizations should take this
natter in hand and let correspond
ng associations elsewhere know that
he " boom" which is enticing
10 many hither Twill not Justify {
sreat influx of labor, either skilled
unskilled. If workingmen rush in as
lome think they will, the labor market viii
loon be demoralized, and our own worker:
will suffer with the new corners. Wage.
low are fair, and the way to keep them 81
to not overstock the labor supply. TIVE
hundred mechanics entering the city mex
week, and possessing no more money thai
he ordinary mechanic has, would prov
disastrous in local labor circles. 1t is at al
lines an easy matter to get men; and it i
lways difficult thing to get rid of a SUI
illus. Very few suffer from scarcity o
aborers, but many suffer when there's al
,versupply, which is likely to be attende
W cutting down of wages and domesti
troubles.
This is matter in which we are all in
crested, and it is especially momentous
iur mechanics and laborers. Fair wage
ire best for the community at large an
he way to keep wages fair is to keep tn
abor supply not much greater than the dc
nand