Evening journal., 1891-01-24
WHY ARE SO MANY IDLE?
BUSINESS MEN EXPLAIN The IN
DUSTRlAL DEPRESSION

| comment. 1hls duineSS IN trade is not
confined to anyone branch Of industry
but is found to permeate ALL In the
morocco factories in particular more than
one-half the men are idle. The shin.
| building industry is also unusually dnll
The causes assigned are as various as
they are contradictory, but summed up
they may be said to amount to the fol-
| lowing: Increase of duty on raw
material, the Chilli revolution, the tight
ness of the money market on account of
the failure Of fthe Barring Brothers and
the causes which usually make business
| dull at this period Of the year.
Morocco Trade Dan.
1t is estimated that more than one
| half of all the morocco workers in the
city are now unemployed Some of the
factories had to dlsperse with two-thirds
of their..employes, while others have been
able to carry about their usual number.
The morocco factories which now employ
the least men are those engaged in the
manufacture of leather from Angora
skins. These are the only kind of hides
on which there is any import duty. The
import duty is not exactly on the hides,
but on the wool or hair with which they
are covered, and as this duty has been
OF leather has gone up in consequence,
and the demand from the consumer has
become less. Charles e. Fritz & Co.
are chiefly engaged In thi branch OF
manufacturing, and they employ only
one-third their usual number of men.
Charles Baird & Co are engaged in
both branches and the morocco workers
employed by them are only half their
usual number. In .he Blumenthal Com
pany's works the usual number OF men
are still employed. Mr. Pierson the
manager says that they have not exper-
fenced any dullness In their business.
The skins which they impart are free OF
duty, and the demand from the consumer
is as great as ever.
A little dullness exists in the morocco
factory of |. T. Quigley Mr. Qnirley
usually employs about 1876 men but the
number now does not reach 100 Mr.
Backus the manager says that there had
| usually been two dull periods in the year.
about Christmas and August. IN recent
years there had been some changes In the
manufacture Of morocco leather. and
since that time, there have scarcely been
any dull seasons. The price Of skins has
increased all round, because the demand
latterly has been greater than the supply,
and there was danger of the latter be-
doming almost exhausted.
j. Parke Postles & Co., also employ
their usual number of men. but they do
not manufacture any hides on which
there is an import duty James s. Dobb
of this company, says that the morocco
industry tlourished so extensively during
the latter part of last season that at the
same rate OF consumption the supply of
1 elyf fYnu L..
1t was necessary that some restriction be
placed on this consumption. When
| morocco leather grew dearer. the con
sumer refused to buy and the present
dull season Is the result. He does not
apprehend q continuance and thinks il
will be beneficial rather than pre- judicial
to the morocco industry.
shipbuilding Depression.
Not only in the morocco trade is the
/ dullness observable 1t extends to the
shipbuilding and other industries of the
| city. The jackson aud Sharp Company
had to dispense with great many OF its
employees. Job b. jackson attributes the
cause of this to recent trouoles in Chill,
and other South American countries,
and the tightness OF the money market
on account the great London bank failure.
Much of the car material manufactured
at the Jackson and Sharp Company s
works is for South America countries, so
| that it is not strange that the recent
| serious troubles in these countries should
affect this branch Of industry The men
laid of are reported as easily finding
work in other cities.
Although work has been exceedingly
brisk for some time at the shiDyards
since the first Of this month, it has been
| growing duller and, in consequence. a
large number of employees are now idle.
Some OF these are mechanics,
but owing to the slscken-
ing Of work in the shipyards of
neighboring cities, they can not 90 else
where to search for occupation and are
remaining in Wilmington in tbs hope Of
a busy spring season. 1t is said that 90
per cent of the permanent employees of
Roach's shipy ard at Chester have been
laid off 'for few weeks"
The Harlan and Hollingsworth Com
! pany has laid of but few w0rkmen for
several weeks, and those were foreign
laborers- It's works are running on the
usual time. The Remington Machine
CompanY's works are in full blast, as
they are nearly always. Even during
the labor panic of a few years ago these
works ran constantly.
| number of laborers were discharged
by the Pnsey and Jones Company two
weeks ago, and very few men have been
taken on since then. Several mechanics
and their helpers employed in the Jack.
son aud Sharp Company's works were
notified that their services would not be
needed for time, and, it is said, that
these men are now seeking employment.
Mr.. RoBInson's View.
Henry c. Robinson, the able broker
aud hnancier, attri butes the present
condition of labor and industry TO a com.
binstion of circumstances, the like of
which has not been witnessed for many
years. He admits that the recent trouble
in financial circles is one of the principal
causes Of this industrial depression. That,
however. would soon blow over did not
other causes contribute to the continu-
ance of this depression, which originated
in the confusion in money circles. The
causes are to be found in the present
unsettled condition of the labor cues.
tion, recent legislation and other
questions which affect both employer
and employe. AS long as the eight hour
question remains in agitation it will
have depressing influence on
labor in general Contractors are
unwilling to engage in any large
undertaking when any moment their men
may strike and put them in precarious
position. The agitation is growing and
is bound to increase until it is settled or
recognized. 1t Is now neither up nor
1 \ hut 10 uAr rrfmIfs !