The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-10-24
THE WAGE FARMERS.
The Ship Carpenters Trade
Quite Dem0raliZed.
IRON VESSELS RoseINe THEM.
4 Merchant and shipper Speaks in De-
tense Of tho Longshoremen-De-
sorting seamen Sue for Pay.

IL IL doubtful II there has been ~ great q set
back In any Of the other mechanical trades On
the Cosst daring the pest year atl1 ball OF
two yaars a. there hss been iB sap carpentry.
The trade 10 really dsnoralizef. AID there seems
TO be no prospect o: any revival for some time
20 come. Tho same condition prevails on the
Eastern coast, and members of t!as craft are be-
ginning TO realize that thsy will have 20 ADAPT
themselves TO something oIss at which to make
living. Speaking On this sGbject few days
ago. Frank Griffin. an olf-s.n.e ship carpenter
here, and one OF the leading L1ea Ia the ship
Carpenter Union, said:
There was . time q few years sgo when ship
carpentry WAS the best trade on the Coast but |
don't EXPECT 20 ever see q return Of that condi-
ton. The who's tendency now IL toward iron
yessela see an iron schooner. bnilt on the
same plsu ss our Por. B.skeiey vessels, has
been launched Ia England This will be fol-
lowed By Others, aad IN q short time 10 viii
come 70 that point when there VIII be no wood
vessels OF any consequences built At all. There
are 20 members on the roll In our
union, but one half of them have
left the city and hastiing for odd jobs here
ana there wherever they can find anything.
Those remaining in the city have worked iess
than one-thiri OF the time during the past year.
There Is no Use starting out 10 look for work AZ
tie trade elsewhere. for the same condition
prevails In the CREST ship building state OF
Maine ana all over the country. The days OF
Hooden sb Up building have about passed away,
and this only thing left for the who made
his living ut the trade IL to ADAPT himself 10 his
new environments They faake good bridge
builder. or handy men in any kind of heavy
wood work, btt they not Bonse carpenters.
They will PROBABLY have 20 adapt themselves TO
these limos OF work ia the near future.
Speaking OF the complaints Of some shipmas-
tiers AID shipping men against the position
taken by the Lopgsb0remen'a Union in regard
20 the dischargsng and loading of vessels, J. s.
Goldsmith. Of the Gehwahacher Bros Company.
to PosrisTELLIsZScEs reporter. a few days
ago. sald:
do not think these severe criticisms of the
lpngshoremn quite right. They are a good
class OF men. and hsye always found them
very easy 10 get along with. They have a PEI
feet right 20 Mslntain their union. for were f.
not for tina, there would be a lot o. irrespons-
bic bnfns working on and on nj this class of
work at 20 cents an hour, instead of lot Of re-
sp0nsibis nlea. These men all live here, and
have their bones and spend their money here.
aud nothing would &c gained by cutting down
their wages.
There 10 no complaint except from Cap. Ross
and few Others wso come In here and don't
want to stand on an equality with the other yes-
sells One Of these longshoremen il worth as
mneh as three green or irresponsible fellows,
and hnye never felt that they got too much
Those threats about bringing in japanese 20 do
the work are not 10 the credit of those who utter
them. Any vessel coming 10 our wharf tha.
does not choose To treat the iongshorernen fairly
IL welcome TO go elsewhere.
The sailors who shipped on the bark North
west short time ago 10 make the trip to san
1faheisco oesetsen tue snip week later, and
now seek TO recover their weeks pay. One of
them had some trouble with the mate and was
discharged. He made demand for bis pay on
the spot, and when IL wss not forthcoming The
balance OF the crew threatened to leave the yes.
sei- The captain told them they were welcome
TO 90 II they 80 desired. aud thereupon they all
LETT The captain reminded them on their de.
paftnre that they had not been discharged, so
u 10 objectionable whether they can recover
their wages. Agent Ibiel OF the union refused
to carry their Case into the court, so they a.e
handling IL themselves