The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-06-07
PROSPERITY HAS COME
ALL LINES OF SKILLED LABOR EN-
PLOIED AT GOOD WAGES.
Building Trades Are Particularly Ac-
-Packing-House Figures.

One of the larger of the building con-
tractors states that he is very confident
that 80 per cent of the carpenters who have
learned the trade and are skilled workmen
are now busy and little canvassing of the
situation win show that more good houses
are now being erected and new blocks in
process of erection or planned than at the
LIST of June in either of the last three years.
With each week the bricklayers are finding
more employment, and he thought it no ex-
aggeration to say that so per cent. of the
bricklayers are now employed, with a pro-
portionate number of hod carriers. Plas-
terers are doing good deal more, but not
in proportion to the other classes of me-
chanics named. as their work is done
largely after the houses are nearing COM
pletion, but he thought that 70 per cent. of
the plasterers are now at work. AS to
stone masons, this is the best year they
have had, say the Oldest contractors It.
tenbanh & Co., which have the largest
plant, are running their six saws ana
planners day and night. and have just added
some new machinery. one piece being saw
which cuts stone in a circular shape. They
are doing a good deal of work for outsid,
points, and have on hand forty-thousand-
dollar job at ST Marys. Stone masons are
really very busy and there is no surplus
labor in that line.
"Of course" said the contractor, ''one
will meet men who claim to be carpenters
hunting work, but inquiry will develop the
fact that they belong to the Ratchet and
saw brigade, who resort to this plan to
earn a little money. So far as the common
day labor is concerned L do not know
when it has been better employed. Ii one
wants little job of work done let him try
to find a good man willing to work and he
will find it rather a difficult undertaking.
The Waterworks Company, the 1ndianap-
Oils Artificial Light Company, the street
Improvement contractors nave hundreos OF
men employed, and in the laying OIL cement
sidewalks IN all parts or the city many
hundred men and teams are employed
think a day laborer who is anxious TO get
work by a little looking about can secure 1t.
/ have lived here thirty years and never
knew time when there could not be seen
a lot of loafers on the corners near the
courthouse doing nothing but talk nara
times and no work, but L think tnat Just
row this class of grumblers are not as hu-
merous as in some of the years past. AS 10
other lines of business knew put nttle,
but so far as the building line goes the
present conditions give but httle room LOT
complaint. -,
IN the matter of wages" continued the
&C Ltractor, THE mechanics ana DAY LABOR
ers have no cause for compliant LOT. LOT lI MY
are really making more money tnah tne
contractors, so low are contracts now
taken. Carpenters get 20 to 20 cents an
hour, according to their activity and abll-
ity to work; the bricklayers 40 to % cents
an hour, the price varying with the charac-
ire of the work; the stone masons get Az TO
IS cents an hour, in each case 1t being a4a the ne
wages paid fer several years past: Ieam-
sters now receive $3.50 per day Tor thelI
teams but a large per cent of them haul
by the load and often do better than that =, !:
The common day laborer now receives $l,zo
per day Most of the mechanics are now
Working on the eight-hour-a-day basis, un-
Ie S. if be the stone masons some OF whom
work ten hours.