Year: 1874

those who are doing business on limited


capital and are compelled 70 seek accom-
| mOdations. These men want more mon


ey, for they want revival OF trade.


They want business to pick up IN the


West, not only that the goods now In
| their warehouses may be bought, but
| that they nav be able to collect for what
! they sold last fall and winter The cry
| for initiation is not all from the West, It
| has its advocates here In New York, and
| they are loud-mOuthed-


BUSINESS


is anything but brisk in the city, and
everything points to dull spring and
duller summer. The Western farmer


holds tight to the money he has, the


Western merchant cannot pay for what


he bought last fall, and is only buyirg


Just what he must buy, and consequently
the iobber and impo rterhere languish and


sigh for the good old times. The


BUILDERS


are doing absolutely nothing. There
have been no plans Of any expensive


buildings since the year came in-in fact,
only about three hundred buildings OF
all styles have been commenced since
Jan. 1st. One-third of the carpenters
in the city are idle, and the blacksmiths,
plasterers and other artisans are still
worse off. The workmen have


THEMSELVES TO BLAME


for great part of their trouble. They
have struck for higher wages, and for
shorter time of labor, and 50 on, till the
contractors have got to the point of not
knowing where they are. They dare not
undertake a building, except at price
sufficient to cover these chances, and
those who would build are not sure of
enough rent to justify the increased cost,
in the present state of trade. There are
usually over !, 200 plasterers at jobbing
work this season of the year; this year
there are less than 200, and the same
rule holds good in all the trades this
spring. The working men have over
reached themselves. They have got
trade so hampered and tied up with
regulations as to make the contractor
really their servant. The societies rule,
and their rules bear so terribly against
the employer as to kill his business, un-
less he can compel the property owner
to give him largely increased price,
which he will not do. The enforcement
of the society system is a direct encour-
di1tlllcul W IllCllCSc- Wuch sOClcI1
rules are carried out, the diligent work
men receive no more cash than the man
who studies how little he shall do and
still escape discharge. By society rule
no man can be discharged for incompe-
tency, provided he does work enough to
reach the society standard, which is
much lower than the amount of work
which an active workman can fairly do.
nra oft l,o Of I,a r,locSora-a1
society is that employers shall be obliged
to pay men for the time they are on
strike. In several societies there are ex-
press rules to discourage diligence. In
the plasterers' union, men have been
fined heavily because they have been
of by their fellows for cb-
them. The stone-eutters have
fixed limit for days work, which no
journeyman can exceed without fine.
The derrickmen have laid down rules
which require certain number of men
to each derrick, often a larger number
than is necessary, and which restrain
men from undue haste in working.
Among the hod-carriers and bricklayers
there are regulations intended to pre-
vent the too rapid accomplishment of q
piece of work. 1t is forbidden to use
to carry brick from the
pile to the foot of tlle ladder. Hod-
carriers are not allowed to use both
hands in filing hods, and are forbidden
to put more than fifteen bricks In one
load 1t may often noticed that in lay
ing bricks men delay and lOiter in their
task, because they may not venture to
finish their part before the correspond
ing part is finished by their fellows, who,
if they were Out-stripped would have
the right to complain to their union.
Until these rules are modified, the mas
ter builders do not care to take con-
tracts, and building must languish. 1t
may be better later in the season, but
it is fearfully dull now, and there is much
suffering among laborers.