New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-12-18
LABOR IN NEW-ENGLAND.
80 DISTURBANCES AND UNIVERSAL PROS
PERITY.

PORTUNITY FOR THE uNEN-
rLoYED OF LARGE CITIrS.
por,,o,d Mo Dec. 12-In the midst OF striN"s
a ,ohor disturbances all over the country anu "
ro,tc,l controversy the working element VI wv
England. and especially Northern New-Ehsiah'' "l'
cone steadily on It's course as 1t has done lo s,"
under all tariffs. attending to It's business '"O''"
ten hours per day earning an excellent ",'"s' "'''
uniting money I'm It's purse or into real e''i'''
sortors,v Doubt II any one section OF the country
cor chow its labotng classes better paid pct'r ~"
and more contcnted than can fank"'u'" anu 49,,
tho STATE of Maine. There are II Is Uu'' "''"' ~
ctv OF Boston ms about the city OF New iorh u" ~"
usial number Of unemployed. hut the uh''"Po'
,h two cities are almost identical, for the person WIN
makes n trip by the Fall River line at any u'he u"'
,, Tho veor will find among the passengers I"Ib'
,vr,hcr ~ that peculiar class Of hali-sr"dy heeruo
Ills whose faces are as familiar about oi'y "'n
Park the Post Office and tho cheap restaurants "
Park Row ne the Common. the Public Garu'h "'" Wv
railroad depots OF Boston. That some OF tA''' P'op
really would work II they could there Is h''i' uo""'
h,t the majority Of the fraternity Of the outol hoo
,or, arc those who will work little rs possible
yrho vibrate between large cities In picking up Nv
ing and whose continual resentment aea'ha, '"'
thrifty. and loud.mouthed complaints oil 'ne ""'''
do much TO keep alive with honest worhhgheh NV
sn,rt Of discomfort and constant criticism ''" "
rroro n break out every little while into labor oiS
turbines.
"There Is work in Boston for every able bodieu "'"
~ thc city, said J. T.. Quinn. the leading tobacco
merchant and manufacturer Of that city shor' "'.o
ago "but the trouble Is these people don't want worn
am Offering thirty cents per hour FOR eooa c'ah "o'h
here in nv factory. and cannot 81 men 10 wv It.
Many wholesale houses are troubled IN the sAn' way
Tho mon whom we can hire will work but TWO Gays
in the week. and my experience with the uhe"P.oy''
clos. q, poston has imhued me with n profound ols
gust for the whole lot" ,.
Mr.. ounn's optimistic view OF labor oppoF'uhlu's
nre Of course open 10 question: but Il j. u"e W,
there Is an opportunity In New-Ensand Tor h'a'S
ovorvhodv 20 supply hls wants by honest Toll. pro
vided he IS not particular 20 the class OF occ"P"4
offered and this leads me TO review IN WI! 10.
prosperiv Of the aboring people In Ne" Eng'ahu anu
nsnecolly in THIS state. That labor troubles 90 'N-
in this section IS amply evincod by TIE 'h- ''''''t
struggle between the New England quarry o"h'T' ""D
the erante-workers which has only lat'y been srteu
afer lockout OF seven months. tbs was h'' '''''
for money. for It was waged by a class OF skilled
o,o-o-s vrhose occupaton borders the artistic, ana
whose daily paw approaching 20 day Tor TX dhN'
IN the week cannot be said 10 be near the sNT's'""
po,nt especially in community where HNhs H d.
cheap "a It IS in Northern View England j. WIS
disagreement rules. methods oi um' H'epns ""'
tho onplovmcnt Of nonunion cutters. II ended mN'A
ne 81 began with few triflnT concessions on '"''
ado I'm, for many months s. hampered contracts
cou cd vast ANNOYANCE 70 the building trades ana eve"
blocked the Triumphant procession 81 J"Ah H. INN
mins's army OF workmen I'm Tie reayns OF inc hr""'
way pavement. This lockout has been 'N' o"' "O'
,rorblc ~ any Importance I'm New England his year
hovever and while the organizations OF ms s''i'"
have extended ielr sympathy and hc unseen hand 81
oh.-,v IN thor troubled fellows 81 Homestead and
otber naces they have kept right on 'a"ing woo'
six DAYS In week and walking mp 10 thr captain
Office with clock like regularity on saturday msh''
Taken all in ALL THIS has been prosperous year loi
sT.rs. Fuel md
nothing more thoroughly emphasizes the condition Of
affairs than tho lack % enthusiasm In politics as
MAYED the cool reception given the srellbnders 81
all political parties. and the falling on In votes In
presidential year.
The industries 81 Maine are not greatly diversified
and are generally confined tot those u character or
which her natural resources 81 timber and water
mower 1T her Numbering has been FOR years her
great hold I'm commerce, but The majority q her PEG
,lo ore engaged In the manufacture Of cotton and
woolcn fabrics Of woodpulp and paper from the prod
ucts Of second growth spruce, and In dozen OF minor
Industries Hike the manufacture Ol clothing ana inc
canning Of fruit and vegetables. The Introduction Of
condensed milk factories and crcamer"s has OF h''
vears turned local attention TO dalrlng, and furnished
oucr forms OF employment for the Inhabitants. Al
though the extensive building Of pulp mills OF late
years has given unsldlcd labor wider neld Of en-
povmcnt and has increased the standard OF wages
the average New Yorker would probably laugh AZ wha'
considered fair average years pay III .''"-l H-
land and especially In The State Of Maine. The some
rho, frogmentory report Of n newly established of
aco sor, Of commissioner Of labor gives the average
yearly pay Of labor In the State at about S@oo' bu'
here two facts must be- considered The large number
of women employed In the Industries ~ Maine con
tributes much toward the low rates Of wages paid un
skilled labor but the extremely moderate cost OF liv
ing I'm the Dirgo State turns The somewhat scant
sllpcnd into prosperity. It may be said that this con
dillon OF the laborlng classes places them upon Ia"
same footing a, the English paupcr labor Whose woes
we are wont to dcp0rc but doubt II The puunlrr
Of Homestead in his most prosperous times OF FLO per
day. Is much better clothed or better fed or mas MN
,elf better on at The end Of the year Than the N""
England skilled faborcr with from - to ~ per day. or
rn unskied lnburcr with from - 10 - per week TN"
cr,o, influx OF French Canadian TO New England
has had much TO do 10 maintain low rate of wages.
but the labor market IS 10y no means oVrcro"d'd ana
there Is room for many people who desire to render
an honest days work for moderate pay. Considering
tbe low rates Of wages. the pay Of women In Mime
will compare avoraby with that Of their sster' In the
larger cities. Wages in the mills run from 80 TO ~
and 80 per week. and with less expensive tastes aud
habits than men and far less eNpen.lvc necessities
than her NewYork sister The New England gTl gen
erally comes out at the end Of the year with neat
sum 10 her credit.
The clothing Industry Of Maine Is Of greater proper
tons than Is generally known. IT Is by the methods
pursued that the clothing dealers Of Boston ard Other
Now England cities have solved the sweating prob
LEM and it would hive been we'll If our late Congress
sionnl Investigators who visited New York ard Boston
had looked into this New England method The work
IS done as cheapy that manufactured for New York
houses and here are 40 child lnbOr no Overw0rhcd
women no contagious diseases semi starvation.
no violation of law Bright men with small capital
have erected light wclventllatcd, twO-siOry frame
buildings with large windows all sides. equipped
them with sewing machines and steam electric
power and for ten hours per day they Give employ
rfcnt To men and women at wages ranging from - To
T. per week In the putting together If clothing The
material Is into shape by the loston firms. shipped
by express 10 the various small towns put together
and finished TO the last button. pressed and returned.