The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-08-06

to run it's street cars and furnish power
should have absolute control of it's
streets, owning the electric light and
power poles and the street railway
lines, granting the use of its tracks to the
company giving the highest price for each
car used and the lowest rate and best
service to the public.
The city would then have absolute
possession of its streets. 1t could furnish
cheap power, light and transporta
ton, and yet at such a rate as would
soon pay the cost of construction and re-
duce taxation. Under the franchise plan,
however, all of these advantages 60 to
enrich private corporations. By allowing
a private company to do the transporting
business, the danger of municipal cor
ruption would be much lessened, although
do not know but what the power OF
granting franchises is sometimes used as
corruptly as would be used the power of
managing those public works, with no
corresponding advantage to the public.
The statement has been made that there
were 5000 men out of employment in
Salt Lake. Building Inspector Hamlin
considers this an exageratiOn and thinks
they will not number more than 2, 600, of
whom two thirds are unskilled laborers.
More men are coming into Salt Lake than
are leaving it, as the impression seems to
be pretty general throughout the sur
rounding country that Salt Lake city is a
pretty good town. This impression seems
to be fostered by the fact that there have
been no bank or other bad failures. But
there is no room here for any more men.
Ii new work does not open up within the
next sixty days it is probable that an
other 1 900 will be added to the list of I'M
employed. It is to be hoped the city
finances will soon be in such shape as to
Der of idle men for at least a few days per
week. 1t is better to give out work now
than support men and their families in
idleness next winter.
The building trades are rather quiet.
Only one permit for new work has been
issued within the past week. The union
carpenters are able to keep their wages up
to the scale, but the large number of new
men coming in has tended to demoraliZe
wages to some extent. A good many en-
ployers are giving work to these new men
at reduced wages in preference to hiring
resident union men.
The sixteen trades embraced in the Fed
Grated Trades of Salt Lake, and compris-
ing membership of about 6 200 persons,
all suffer from the hard times and the
presence of large numbers of unemployed
and unorganized laborers. These nom
union men are ready to accept almost any
wages that Will give them work, and con-
sequently union laborers suffer.
The business depression has caused
many New England mills to shut down
throwing thousands of men out of en-
ployment. 1t has also borne heavily upon
your iron mines and mills owing to the
failure to place their products, and Of
course the laboring classes are the ones
who suffer most severely IN these cases.
To the manufacturer it means the cutting
down of profits and the looping off of g
few luxuries. To the workingman and
his family it means, in many cases, the
stoppage OF his daily bread.
The stone cutters of Salt Lake city have
passed strong resolutions in favor Of free
silver. They have been forwarded to Del
egate Rawlins for presentation to con-
gress when it meets.
The shut down OF the iron and steel
mills in Pittsburg and the west working
under the amalgamated association is
! likely to continue indefinitely, owing tc
the failure to agree upon wage scale
Some of the mills have been idle month
| or six weeks, and continued shut down
will bear heavily upon the lowest-paio
mechanics and laborers. The association
J think the manufacturers will sign the
scale one by one, but the manufacturer!
do not seem to be anxious to sign, as
they say shutdown will enable them tt
dispose of their surplus stock and sitter
prices. Many non-uEion mills have re.
duced wages and continued work.
| The federated trades OF Salt Lake Cit,
will celebrate Labor day, on Septembe
4th, by an excursion to Garfield beach
The day will begin with grand parad
through the city.
st. Louis is in the midst of labor troubles
Nearly 5000 men have gone on strik
against reductions in wages. Over 1 90
boiler makers went out because they wer
refused ten hours pay for nine hours
work. Union carpenters on one or TIVE
big contracts have also gone out. TIL,
| trouble in the shoe factories which re
suited in every factory closing down, vii
probably be settled soon. With the thou
sands of unemployed men from Colorad,
and Montana going east it would seem a
if strikes were not likely to prove yer,
successful in keeping wages up or gaining
shorter hours OF labor.
It was probably as much policy as gen
erosity that induced the railways to Civ
J free transportation east to the unem
| ployed of the west. Mayor Gluck O
| Dodge City, Kan, declares that the ma
! jority of the so-called tramps that infes
/ that section of the country are worthy @
assistance. He appeals to citizens to pro
vide for their temporary wants, so tina
they may not be pushed to the extremit
of stealing for living.
One of the most serious strikes now o.