The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1897-10-16
The Misery of the wage-Earners.

The Misery of the Wage-Earners.
Until quite recently the great hard
ships suffered by the working people Of
this country received little or no atten-
tion outside the labor press and the
lodge or meeting room of a labor or
ganization. But a change is gradually
and surely coming over the scene. At
least we believe we are justified in in
ferring so when that staid old rock of
conservatism, the Hartford Post, de-
livers itself in the manner following,
which it did in its issue Of July goth.
Hearken: ~
The cut of wages at Brockton is
convincing the wage-earners that COM
petition in business is merciless. Few
care whether the under dog starves.
The only remedy is to secure higher
wages by further combination, all
hands standing together, and traitors
to the common cause being ostracised.
This Is conclusion difficult to be
brought about, although deeply to be
desired. It is the same with the weak
employers. They are being driven out
by the great ones. Once in while
comes a great redistribution Of voca-
Itions, caused by such inventions as the
locomotive, the loom. the shoe ma
chine, the telephone, the bicycle. All
the world suffers, and the weakest the
most, When men are treated like ma
chimes it is disheartening. But it was
ever thus. Will it always continue?
Frank, brutality frank, but probably
true, was the statement of one of the
shoe factory proprietors at Brockton,
when man who had earned only $315
during the year, although every day at
his bench. told him the fact. That is
rather small pay the proprietor is re-
ported to have answered, but 1 think
j can get the same amount of work
done for less 1t was the testimony Of
several that, taking the year as a
whole, the finishers' annual earnings
were not more than $3.50. This figure
was brought down my months of en-
forced idleness. Reckoning in the same
manner, the average weekly wages of
the edge-trimmers and sole-fasteners is
about $12. In individual weeks, during
the busy season, they can earn as much
as SIS or 500. Some finishers who up
b
work for year, had not been out of
work ten days before their money was
gone and their grocery and provision
bills still unpaid. If The remedy Is not
in better wage-workf combination,
where is it? We shudder at the alter
native"
The verdict of the constituents of the
Hartford Post among the well-provided
shoe manufacturers of Brockton, Lynn
and Fall River undoubtedly was that
the above was an exceedingly frank,
brutally frank, confession from John
Addison Porter concerning conditions
with which he is perfectly familiar, but
of which he would not speak but that
he believes forbearance has ceased to
be virtue, The misery that goes with
such low wages in a community like
that of New England cannot be over
estimated, There are very few or no
opportunities for turning ones hand
TO something else when ones own trade
is dull. All trades are alike dull and
alike overCrowded,
Our esteemed contemporary closes
the extract quoted above with the
query; IF the remedy is not in better
wage-workers' combination, where it
it?,' We believe that better and more
thorough combinations of workmen
would do much to improve the condi-
tons of labor. We are Justified in this
belief by what has been accomplished
in the past. At the same time it will
be agreed that wage-workers' combina
tions, as such, cannot accomplish
everything. But they could and should
insist upon congress abolishing the
trusts and monopolies, and in the event
of failure to comply with the demand
then the labor organizations would be
justified in considering how best to
abolish or restrict the power OF con-
gress.