The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-10-04

This is the Elect of n Democratic Ad
ADMINISTRATION in this City Alone.

IbOt SAHDS AXE IDLE.
This is the Elect of n Democratic Ad
ADMINISTRATION in this City Alone.
In the city OF Wilmington there are
at the present time nearly 600O work
ingmen out OF empl oyment. This la
mentable condition OF the thriving in-
dustries of this city needs no comment
and 1t Is likely to overtax all chai'ita-
BILE agencies before the winter Is over
II there ie not soon change for the
better.
This marked decrease in the reduc.
ton OF the forces of the nanufactur.
ers In not only confined to this city
but all over the country, as every one
we'll knows. just what 10 the cause
of such depression Is also well
known and necdsno comment.
A repoI ter yesterday visited the diff.
ferent manufacturing Establishments
about the city Qnd found them In the
stated conditions. There are some
few factories still closed while others
have resumed operations. Still others
appear to be Frightening, but taken
as a whole. Wilmington workmen
have never experienced u dulIer sel-
son.
OF oil the different industries OF the
city ship building appears to be the
one most crippled. IL Is estimated
that about 800 mechanics are engaged
In this work and thu re are not over 100
men employed ct the present time.
But these few arc daily expecting to
be laid of, there icing no new work
and but little repair work to be done.
These men are also working on short
hours.
Next to the ship building industry
Is the cotton and wooden workers.
These workers have been on short
time oil summer and from the 1850
men and women engaged In the work
fully 900 OF them have been out OF en-
pioyment. The manufacturers ex-
press their opinion that the present
state OF affairs is due chiefly to lack
of confidence and Incident upon tho
prospective changes in the tariff. They
say the silver question aided to bring
on tho crisis, but they regard 1t as
only secondary as tho real cause OF
the business panic especially In this
one line OF trade.
The In orocco business appears to be
changing for tho better. There were
fully 1000 men out OF employment in
this business alone, but the changeI
for tho better has restored over one
half this number to their work again.
Some few OF the shops are running on
full time while others are carrying
their full hand, but on eight and nine
hour time. Altogether the outlook is
bad.
Such long depression Is sure to tell
upon the workingmun, but he Is not
the only one who feels it. The manu-
faoturers themselves are heavy losers
by the enforced idleness Of their es-
Adjustments. Just what the aggre.
gate Of their loss Is could not be ascer-
tanned.
Many of the manufacturers have
ava lied themselves Of this opportunity
and have made extensive repairs to
their plants. which 1t would have been
aim ost impossible to do in busy sea-
son. This was also looked forward to
coming buoy season as all the work
which has been accommodating will
have to be turned out and that as soon
as Congress settles the silver and tar
III questions. This both the working
man and manufacturers are anxiously
looking forward TO and that at an
early date.
THE SHIP BUILDING INDUSTRY.
Not only has the effects of Demo
attic adm inistration settled itself on
he various American manufactures.
Tut the ship building industry. one Of
the leading Industries OF the country.
has also been affected until there Is
now general dearth In this great
work.
There are but few steamers being re-
paired and less arc being built.
The only establishments that can be
said TO be doing any building whatever
IN this section arc the companies OF
Cramp Il Sons OF Philadelphia and
Roach Il Sons OF Chester.
The dullness has completely Grip
pied the trade here. not vessel Of any
importance being upon the stocks OF
the four leading yards OF this city.
At the Harlan and Holllngsworth
Company's yard. which is the largest
In this city, and one OF the most wide
| ly known firms In the United States.
there is not one boat being repaired
much loss one being built. This com.
pany has never experienced such q
dcarth before. ...
At the Pussy and Jones Company
there is also nothing being done
| At tho jackson and Sharp CompGny'f
yard there are several scows ant
bhrges on the ways, but no vessels o
any Importance.
| HARLAN AND HO1I1NGsWoRTH COMPANY
70 look into the yard OF this com
pany stranger might think they wer,
not chip builders. The steam boat
North America. Twilight and Thomas
clyde are there for the winter, but ne
work Is Being done on them excepting
| the former.
No more is heard the pounding o.
Ike laborer as he fnstens the iror
ell Ia To FIN mi N ~ nj
tho steamer. No longer is seen the
busy mechanic at work on tho stocks
and decks OF the steamer. But every.
thing is quiet, everybody Is idle.
This time last year there wers at
work IN the yard $50 mon, now there
are but 90.
These figures may seem astounding,
hut nevertheless they are true. These
few men are employed as Iiggers ship.
carpenters and laborers, but they are
all willing TO take the part of the latter,
there being no work on hand. Many
OF these are at the present time on.
gagged in repairing tho wharf. which
was damaged by the late severe
storms.
When such dearth spreads over the
ship building Industry the Inachinisi
ia about the frat mechanic TO feel 1t
So in the machine depal tment OF this
company the same condition Of aiiairt
exists. ."...
The regular payroll or this depart
ment contains about 05 men. 80 o.
this number being apprentices to thu
trade. At the present time there are
but as iourneymen engaged, and these
are working on short time. 10 make
matters worse there does not appeal
to be anything In the market. and Il
this Ia true this number will be re
duced.
The car shops OF the company have
not been seriously affected, although
there have been some hands laid off
Now they have a number of contracts
on hand which will keep them In work
for three months. This department
employs about 900 men.
Work in tho boiler shop has been
similar to that in tho machine shop In
one respect, that OF a dullnees In the
past, but there is a good look for the
future. All summer there has only
been about so men at work. while In
brisk times there are l75 men en-.
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