New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-10-12
THREE IMPORTANT TRADES.
PITCHERS, BAKERS AND CANDLESTICN
MAKERS ARE PROSPEROUS.
n,rrcTrY AFFECTED By THE M'KINLEY BILL
WAGES HIGHER AS A RULE THAN EVER


BEFORE-PLUMBERS GET THE SAME
WAGES As BEFORE WITH
SHORTER WORKING DAY.
.The butchers, the bakers and the candlestck
nolers" seem 10 have thrvcd exceedingly we'll
ejce the Mckinley bill passed. OF course,
.ohodv can claim that the butchcring or baking
;,dustrios are among those directly protected by
,ba tariff We don't import food cattle, nor
trced rs foreign products 70 be sold III competl-
,;on with the domestic article If 1t can he
bovu therefore. that two such extensive trades
have tlrvcd under the general influence OF the
nroective policy. is it not most healthy ana
pp,couraripg sign? II is, and the showing can
be made
7, Is not TO he considered possible for moment
chat any class of workmcn would UnderStandingiy
.hrovy away the very conditions under which an
''nnsnal degree of prosperity had been reached TO
lion. others which common sense teaches would
,otnralIv change prosperity into adversely. Such
= atom would be like killing the goose that laId
,ba Golden egg or, rather, like trading mo
roldcn- rcg-laymc goose on even terms 1or one
absolutely barren of any ecg-layinS capacity
The trade of a butcher is one possessed OF
creot MANY notifications There are all SORTS OF
butchers from the owner OF great sId"Hh"I
&C. % the Hebrew meat pcdlcr Of the f&sn
cde BECAUSE of the great difference III the con-
dtors affecting individual propri"tors OF SHOPS no
s+ondor1 Of wages has ever been possible. An At
.e-nnt was made several years ago 10 peri'oV an
orsonization among butchers for me purPot' vi
,ocnlatinr WAGES, but II fell through LOT 'Ho
main reasons Ono was that a good many Vt NV
-ar.ors If .bc scheme would not agree to admit
tho Hebrew dealers of tho tenement hlStrlc'S' -
,a,;nr they were not TO be relied upon; ana the
4Trt,. ma
,rd other small dealers refused to join me small
dealers argued that, as propretoIS OF 'heir Wv.
sbons they did their own butchern2' ana "'C
nood ovrert help and did not propoS" to b. lofc'u
A.. nov. avncrt WAGES to q simple helper WY
rsat majority Of the butchers in NcW-horN are
,,oprietcrs Of shops who are themselves
in their trade and, even when dong an 'N''",i,
tusncss are disposed to act "a torcmeh % '"'i
""s'N' tl;,n+s There are thousands OF
cod butchers. however who enjoy empioNme"
in the larger shops ro,i
=. ,,os 1incult 10 obtain an intelligent comp''i
49, Of WAGES il, a trade so cut up as tihS' an" w
40 60 II was necessary TO visit scores OF h'c'' N''
kets of all kinds in various parts o' ',' w.
In orc large shop, where four p''c,'1S ' a,
Moved TO assist the proprietor hln'S''' u" M M
The head man. or assistant foreman '''',. ,1
dor Tho first helper IS day ami the s'coh'
Ip - -
800 , dor Five years ago the men cmploNca
= ~, como no,ltion> received respectively %
20 - 600, and 81 a day. The hours oil ho'r
cow o,ootly. owing to the character OF the ous'-
,oss Some DAYS the men have to 20 10 WofA 1T
aovlioht. prcpaliug the meat for the Gay N"ir'
AVID are through working shortly after noon y"
,.ler davs they begin working early III 'h' iho'n-
inc and remain until late at night mere are
husv day, and idle days, 50 that the total NUM-
HOY of hours worked by each man VIII no' aver
oco rnoro in the course Of a week than IN o'HeI
trades. ,;oh
The proprietor Of a largo establishments WIZ"
frrrishe, meat 20 a number Of the leading h"'oS'
said: II am now paving my foreman - -
day The helpers receive :? -, - ana - 30
dav Five wears AGO the same men were PAD
ton pcr cent less TO what DO at'rihntc thc IN
crease Wen there are several reasons IN the
first Mace the country is prosperous people can
sAord IN buv GOOD meats and with the increase OF
brsinoss vorrs have advanced Just as naturally as
tbcv would have declined had there been adVer-
sitv instead of prosperity in the country. men,
when men have been a certain length oil uule VIII"
rs we advance their wages because '"eN "'S'r
rho roisc but we would not be able TO do so how
,vcr deserving the men might be, II onr business
did not warrant It,
Othcr dealers doing business OF SINNER cii'i-
scter and magnitude gave practically the Sa'h'
eouros and the same comparison oil increase over
the WAGES paid five years ago. Inc pn'cNeiS III
Washington Market, exclusive Of those who own
tbcr own stalls. and do their own work. earn So
Sls and 500 a week, as compared VIII" GU CIV
ard SIS tour ard five years ago.
Tic neat is brought To the butcher SHOPS III
.idos and ouartcYs either from the local slaughter
houses. or the Western rcfrigeratng cars ana
those arc then reduced 10 cuts, steaks ana o'her
nortjons for sale 10 the consumer. The real skill
Of the trade is shown in getting out the proper
.uts. At the slaughter houses the work is dVlded
up into various classes. there are pen men VINO
trinc the cattle from the yards to the slaughter
pens \ certain set Of men are engaged III Kill
inc the animals while other men do tie sNlnhlne'
aressing dividing and cartine. II l. rough
heavy work, and requires much less than the
highest dc.rcr of the butchers skill. Ia" men
engaged in the actual work earn from - - - %
a dav and the foiemcn get 81, or about ten per
sent more than the earnings Of four years ago.
Meanwhile. the retail price Of meat has de-
.reased in at lcast one particular. The best cuts
Of Ne,v-York and Ohio cattle bring exactly the
same prices as prevailed four years ago, but tn"
les desirable portions 20 for from two TO six ccnts
pound lcs. owing TO competition with the
Western dressed meat sent East in refrigerator
,ars Texas meat has declined fully ID per
cent 10 tic small buyer, particularly In the
tenement districts. This meat do'" hot
compare in quality with that Of the Easiern-raised
cattle but it is within the means of a class too
poor 70 buy the better grades
So much for the butchers
Now for the bal.ers In many respects the trade
81 the baker is as badly cut up as that Of the
butcher. 1t depends upon the kind Of work that
baker does when the question Of his wages Is
considered. There are thousands Of small baker
les in the city ie which the skilled work is done
ty tie owrers with the help of apprentice or
junior. In such shops the earnings depend upon
the hbcrality of the proprietor. He does not
hn,. hnln In snnn