The herald., 1893-08-14

leaves the city in search OF work TWO
arrive on the same quest.
Among the painters and decorators
business ia reported to be picking up. A
short time ago nearly two-thirds OF the
500 and odd members Of the Painters
union had not put hand to brush Tor
weeks, but within ten days the outlook
has been brighter, and probably not
half of their men are totally without
work. What this sudden improvement
is due to is hard to ascertain, but as one
member of the union puts it, Things
were 80 bad they couldn't get worse and
had to improve" At any rate times
are little, very little. easier and the
painters are taking heart again.
The bricklayers and stonemasons are
no better off than the carpenters, but OF
come 900 or 700 men it is not probable
that over $50 are steadily at work, and
as the winter season approaches times
will slowly but surely grow worse in
stead OF better, for the rains interfere
sadly with the maeons' labor.
THE SAME STORY EVERYWHERE.
And SO it is in every branch OF labor.
The story varies but little from the
ironmolders, the harness-ma the
furniture-carvers, the horaeshoers, the
glassblowers, the pattern-makers, the
rattan. workers and the many other
miscellaneous craft.
Among the tailors the secretary re-
ports times as "dull," and what dull
times means the wage worker too well
knows.
The Typographical union is one OF the
largest and has long been considered one
of the strongest in the country. San
Francisco contains two branches-the
English Typographical union, No. 21,
numbering some 700 to 800 members,
and the German union, No. %. much
smaller organization. In theee two or
ders little over third OF the memb ber-
ship is jpst now idle, according to their
books. This is directly due to the great
falling off OF the demand for the smaller
kinds of job printing, show cards, bill
heads, prospectuees, and all that sort OF
work. Many OF the smaller papers are
running with greatly reduced force OF
coznpositors. All of which is directly
traceable to the existing hard times, for
no trade has 30 wide circle OF depend.
ent trades as the printing industry. and
none 60 quick to feel depression of the
financial pulse.
Typesetting may be classed as one oi
wandering occupations, few or no tools
being required. 1t is not unusual for a
young and unmarried printer to make q
tour OF the entire country, visiting for a
short time in each city just long enough
to earn sufficient money to continue his
journey. This, of course, makes the
membership roll OF any typographical
union constsntly huctuating quantity.
Just at present there seems TO be q
steady tide of printers setting toward
San Francisco, which may account in
some degree for the unueually large
number of unemployed, but matters
have never before been in quite such
condition.
ALONG THE WATER FRONT.
One of the largest, if not the largest,
of the trades organizations, is the Coast
Seaman's union, which has member
ship of 1000, but this, of course, takes in
the whole coast. The summer months
are the busiest in this union, as the
shipping on the great lakes is then at
it's best, and sailors from this coast are
in demand. Even the eastern seaboard
calls upon the union here for men, and
just at present there is large number
of deep sea vessels being chartered, all
of which makes q largely increased
downward demand for jack tsrs,
Secretary A. j. Furuseth states that
just now there are not oyer 800 members
OF the union idle, but within the next
few weeks that number will easily in
crease to 800 or 1000. Secretary Furu.
seth also advises sailors not to leave
deep-water ships from foreign ports, but
to return with their vessel. They will
simply make their own condition and
the condition of others worse ii they
land.
SECRETARY M'aLYNN's VIEWS.
Speaking of the labor situation Mr..
McGlynn, secretary OF the San francisco
Labor Council, says that the city, and
in fact the entire state, is confronted by
a very serious situation. Never before
in the history of labor on this coast has
q similar condition of industrial depres-
sion been known. In all branches oi
trade men are to be found, steady, relia-
BILE heads of families, who have been out
of work for two and three months past,
and with prospect for the future nc
brighter.
Secretary McGlynn does not attribute
the existing state of affairs to any sud-
den or recent cause. Ever since 1854,
he Gays, labor matters have been grow.
ing steadily worse. 1t was last to be
felt on this coast, perhaps, but now that
it is felt 1t is far worse than in the east.
ern cities. A workman out of employ
ment in New York, Boston or Chicago
can for small sum. or even by walking
if he is absolutely destitute, reach an
other equally large city where matters
may not be go bad and chance at his
trade be open to him. San Francisco
however, is geographically situated like
on island. A stranded workman out o.
a job here must of necessity hunt an.
other job here. He cannot get away
Now, therefore, that hard times have
arrived it is doubly necessary to devise
some means OF relief. 1G-
The most important matter just al
present is to contradict the erroneous
report that has reached the east that
there is plenty of work here tor all. A
large influx OF unemployed just at this
stage of affairs would precipate crisis
that it would be hard indeed to control.
The real estate and railroad circulars
painting highly colored and false pic.
ture of universal prosperity in this sec
tion of the country cannot be too deeply
condemned. An idle workman in the
east has in the one hand q glowing
promise of plenty from the land-boom.
ers OF California. In the other circu.
lar from the secretary Of the San Fran.
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