The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-08-20
TINE NORWEGIAN AND HIS JOB.
some Recent observations Of Conditions
In the west.

To THE EDITOR OF TIE SUN-.Sir: While on
n recent tour OF the West I gathered many
interesting incidents relating to the all-eo-
sorbing la Dor nd-capital problem. which L
will now take out Of my basket and give 10
the keen-witted readers OF THE SUN
At Cincinnati woman said to me- i no.
ticed when the strike was on against inc
brewers the union men kept drinking Deer
when they knew IL was made py hoh-uh'"h
men," Consistency Ia Jewel.
In the glass blowing regions OF Indiana
found most startling condition confronting
us. Tho unions are practically close corpora
tons. and poor man can no more think OF
joining one than he can hope to own Upton
yacht. 1t requires two or three hundred dol
lars, and then man cannot land unless ne Is
lucky enough to find some one who wishes TO
sell out and retire, or is a son or near kinsman
OF an inside member.
AT Rochester, n. Y. n very intelligent Wom-
an said to me- "Omyl Omyl When Will the
strikes cease? My husband il an industrious,
saving man. but the walking delegates keep
him idle half the time, and when he - not luls
there Is always some assessment to meet. ana
our noses are kept to the grindstone ia h,v.
IF 1t were not for my needle we should nave
starved long ago. Iwork hand made pnttSn-
holes and try to do my work so well that
the boss clothiers send me more. The work
Is brought to me every morning ana called
for every. evening, earn from ~ 10 Si2
week, and my pay Is sent to me In neat little
envelope every Saturday night. NO sweat
shop work, but light work in my own house
BY working this way have time to care Tor
my children. to cook my lord and master
good hot dinner. and make home happy. and
we occasionally take on outing.
But the, sins OF omission and commission
are not all union. There is an overwhelming
sentiment for the abolition OF the company
store and the sweat shops until men. women
and children are provided with clean. COM
Portable quarters and reasonable houses In
which to do their work and get their pay
found it the exception rather than the rule
when the workers nre paid for their weeks
work on Saturday light They are frequently
paid the following Monday or Tuesday, often
every two weeks. sometimes once month.
and. OF course, now and then not at all. The
good Old-fashioned doctrine that the laborer
Ia worthy of his hire Ia taking fresh root and
finding new champions.
There Ia undoubtedly a noble sympathy
for the working men in all laudable eforts TO
organize and Improve their condition., but
there Is hot Indignation against the walking
delegate who spends half the time loafng in
luxuriously furnished offices and making
trouble. The man with the hoe and the dinner
pail feels competent 10 make his own COM
plants and do his own talking. and recognizes
the legal and moral right Of the owner OF an
enterprise to control and direct 1t.
The most determined public sentiment that
] observed was this: Every individual should
be given n chance TO make an honest living.
whether conscentiously in favor OF or OPP
posed TO unions, and to earn that honest Nv
Ing without interference or fear Of being
dubbed to death. Ii. u. Nd.
Boston, Aug. 10.