The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-04-02
coon YEAR FOR LABOR.
Closing Months OF zoos the Busiest Wage
Farmers Have Seen for Many Years.

.dlhNi navy W. ti sthhs
ALBANY, April New York Labor
Bulletin No. %, dated March, 1905, issued
by the State Labor Department. says;
The closing months OF the year 1905 were
the busiest that the wage earners of the State
have seen in many years. Among $1,000
working people in rs different trades and
occupations only III per 1000 we're idle at
the end of December us compared with 1919
at the close Of the previous year and ISL
at the close Of 1908. Much Of the idleness in
1908 and 1884 was due to labor disputes. in
volving large numbers of mechanics in the
building trades OF New York city: but at the
close of l0U2, when strikes and ockouts we're
even less prevalent than last year the pro-
portion OF unemployed wage carriers was 22o
per ! 600.
substantially all the industries OF the State
manifested unusual activity. which is most
marked. however. in the case OF building
operations and engineering works in the
larger cities. In the year 1905 the Bureau
of Buildings in New York city authorized
tue construction OF buildings aRCre gath &
in cost 206,oOo.O00 whereas the largest total
In any previous year was $l66. 900. 900. The
number of buildings completed in New York
in 1905 was is, 400. as compared with Is. 500
in 1904, Unusual activity prevailed in the
building trades OF the other large cities
lhuN lttOI III NOSl " DAlllullkS MHCu lupg
authorized to be constructed.
Responding to the unwonted demand for
labor, immigration has attained new records.
In the last three months of 1905 there were
les, $40 alien arrivals at the port OF New York,
an increase of 1000 over the record breaking
figures of a year ago, The increase was due
TO the heavy volume OF Immigration from
Italy. which was larger by more than 10000
than In the last quarter OF 1894. The Hebrew
Loo 80 ~. @tl-u L-- -
b. u, 900 than in the corresponding period
OF 1904. There was a diminutiou IN the Irish
and English immigration; but little change
in that Of the Poles. MaRyars aud Slovaks.
who follow the Italians. Hebrews and Ger
mans as the principal contributors TO the
peaceful invasion of this country. The fact
that %. 7?s. or one-fourth. OF the 40. 000 immi-
grants over II years old can neither read nor
write is not altogether rcassuring.. New York
becomes the home of 63,il3, or IS per cent.
OF the newcomers.
Although the bureau of mediation and
arbitration recorded tweuty-siN new trade
disputes in the fourth quarter OF 1906 as
against eleven a year previous. they were only
locally important and involved a much
smaller lOaS in wCrhing time than did the
disputes of the corresponding months in
previous years. The TACT that subs' antially
all the building trades in New York city
but onC, the houScSInlths or structural iron
workers. are working under an arbitration
plan which prevented a threatened sympa-
thrtic strike in aid of the striking housesmiths
is n partial explanation OF the relatively
favorable showing made in 1907.
The year 1900 opened with the extension of
the Printers strike for the eight hour dav in
book and rob foes 10 \cw York city, where
go out OF 2Sl concerns granted the demand
OF the Typographical union and thereby
placed two-thirds' OF tic =. va metropolitan
book and lob cOmpositors on the same basis
with the 300 newspaper compositors. who
have for some time worked on an eight hour
schedule. In the ffty-eight csta hlishments
that declined to grant the eight hour day
l.lG3 union compositors quit work on Jan
uury /. thrOwing out OF employment "a,
boys and iourneymen OF other trades,
but within n month eleven of the firms sur
rendered and took back 3?N compostOrs and
7, other employees. The situation has rot
essentially chung ed since then and there are
now iNaroh lm OF strife CO.. mion compost
ioIs. lGi ci'ctto'rI Gus and IT,, oil.Cr cm-
IlD Nt,s.