THE WEST SHORE.
March, 1883.
44
. ... 11-- i.a a; mnmincr for 1 wave in Tanuarv reached us for o feu? a..-
fr a i iirL,eiian icu w e i - " uayt m m
Portland, where he will collect all the mechanics the thermometer was content with 7' above , F
. . . ' .1... .:t,i K imt together, instead of coine to 30 or 40 below, u it : !
and laborers inai tau o - - -
nn.r,lnnlr w nav the ex- me tasi ai uus lauiuue.
mi. viiuviu" r
Tn mfinv cases
Dense of tl.e men's wives and families to the
Province for the sake ot getting o....c
on the railroad."
THE LABOR MARKET.
The condition of the labor market in Portluwt
No carpenter, mason, blacksmith, machinist, (s an index to is status throughout the, Ho,
WANTED.
The scarcity of building material i a serious
inconvenience fell throughout the whole ivortn-
west. With thousands of square miles of timber
we are without lumlier, and this, too, when saw
mill are working day and night. 1 he reason
for ilii. is. the ereat mills on Puget sound, some
of which cut 200,000 feet per day, ship their iumixrrneni brickmaker, plasterer, tailor, shoe- Northwest. A scarcity of labor here indicatett
product to San Francisco and foreign markets. maeri farm'hand, or general laborer, need fear still greater scarcity at other points. L,h
generally on large contracts, and the home sup- fof want of empl0yment. A list of wages paid naturally seeks the largest places as offering the
ply has to come from smaller mills. To ship .n porlan(i wi be found elsewhere in our most opportunities for employment. For these
lumlier Ijnto the interior would involve an ex- cournns reasons the scores of towns and cities springim
i such as to almost preclude its use. r.vcry . up are unable to secure the labor necessary to
county and district ha. its saw-mills, and the We of the Pacific Coast nave been worn 10 the bniidingB they desire to erecL Me-
local supply and demnnd has chiefly regulated the pride ourselves upon our mild and equable climate.
price and quantity cut ; but the wonderlul act.vity We have congraiuiniea wu. ou.c. - the contrary the professions over.crowde(1
in building during the past ami present seasons boasted 01 it aoroaa, possiu.y io -.. . . the avenues of genteel employment are fulh
ha. rendered these mills incapable of supplying gree. Our newspapers have narpea upon me , The labor market in this city, in de-
the market. New ones are going up on every ineme, 11 na uc. H.-.. .... .... r. - ., js -n the followin condition
Stonemasons are getting $5 per day, having n
hand and still there is a dearth ol lumber, and the halls ot congress nave cuiucu iu
F.urciallv is this inconvenience felt east of the titions. We have ascribed tt to tne geniai innu
-1 ' ... ...... ...1:1.. .1
furnln. where lumlier docs not crow on every encesol the Japan current nowing sieauuy aiu.iB
man's quarter section. This evil, however, will the coast, and have been so persistent mat me
l remedied : but there is a still greater one. and whole world has bowed down to worship the
that is the scarcity of brick. From every city twin deity of "glorious climate " and Japan cur-
and town in the new and growing regions there rent. But, alas, weare now undone, uur japan
is a universal demand for brick. At Seattle, current has been feloniously abstracted. A learned
Steilacoom, Tacoma, Olympia, Vancouver, Pen- F.astern professor has demonstrated that it is
dlrion, Walla Walla, Dayton, Colfax, Sprague, lost in the Arctic ocean, so thoroughly lost that
Cheney, Smkane Falls, and all along the lines it has not yet found its way out and never will,
of railroad through Idaho and Montana, there and in this heartless outrage he has the support
will be business blocks and residences erected of sundry and divers other learned but unscrup
this season almost without number. If brick ulous men. It naturally follows that the peren
could lie had at a reasonable price or in sufficient nial green of this beautiful northwestern coast
.iiiAtiiifv ihi. mtimiiv nf luiiinit tilnrL. at !:! I must fade, and a bleak, blear and desolate
1 -1 ' " - " - " - - - I ! t- r
would be constructed of that material. The waste be all that is left to remind us of what we 6 3 '
builders prefer it, and will only use wood by once had. But let us not despair. Perhaps the
force of necessity, and yet not one of those places professor may discover that he is mistaken, and
has enough to supply its wants, and some have restore the current he has so ruthlessly filched;
none whatever. It is nut for lack of material, or, letter still, it may itself escape from the in
nor, even, for want of brick yards. It is be- tricate mares of Arctic io:bergs and hasten to our
cause the facilities at Present are entirely in.d,. wul Kat " "ul U'"'"S' F
quale to supply this unprecedented demand.
cently been raised from $4 because of demand
for labor.
Brickmasons now receive $6, and before tit
first of May will be getting $7.
Plumbers get from $4.50 to $5, and are nij
scarce, oood ones are in demand.
Carpenters receive $3.5 for ordinary work
and those employed upon fine work get $4.
Good carpenters and joiners can have steady em
ployment at $4.
Plasterers are very scarce at $5 a day, and lit
few outside cement hands that can be had ut
getting $6.
Lathers have been getting $2 per M, and are
Painters receive $3.50 to $4, and good onei
are scarce.
Tinners and iron cornicemakers get $3.50 to
$4.50, and good ones are in demand.
Iron moulders, $2.50 to $4.
Machinists, $2.75 to $3.50.
Cabinetmakers, $2.50 to $5. Plenty of won
quale to supply iiH. unprecedented demand. A I We constantly hear of Oregon wool, Oregon L '
man who understand, the manufacture of brick wheal. and Qrer-on cattle, when in fact th. terms for men- Extra men Can &
canmn ran io maKe money aimoii anywnere, and apply ,0 ,he products of Qrcgon, Washington and worK al
laWr who can m.ml.l even a semblance to one portions of Idaho and Montana. At least half nf Wagon and carriagemakers and general bkk
need not t idle for want of work at gtxx! wages. ,he "Oregon wheat" of last season came from 8miths 8et $J-5 to $4. First-class men art 11
II some f-aslern manulacturers do not see here an Washington Territory and Idaho, and the present Ptat demand- Horseshoers get $2.30 to J
inviting field, we c.ill them blind, indeed. The vear will w ih,. u.iir, .i , r .u. Harnessmakers. $2. en to 50. Good work
, 1 r 1 1 11 . 1 , . . ' " ""rl'v "v-wuius ui 111c 1 - - -
dem.ndforbr.ckw.il not end with this season shipment. A more comnrehensiv, .,rm ,i..m men can get steady employment.
,h vn!S,,u ..!'" ' llmintn ni used. "eh " Columbia Basin wheat." or Stone and marble cutters, $3.50 to $4. Afr
laUirrrs. men who can mould and h,. ti.- aclc Northwest wheat," or something to ex. good men wanted,
are room and work fm both. press the facts. The same is true of wool and Common laborers are wanted at $2.50 b
We need labor in this great region. We need ca,lle- Oregon is a grand state and produces city, and at other points and on the rsilros
11 as nadiy as me w.y did tl.e wood-chuck. We ugn to make its name Tamous abroad, without work can be had at $2 to $2.50 per day.
an slioil of lumlier because ihere are not enoui-h absorbing credit for the production of it.
men who can go into the woods and get out logs Tle name was bestowed when it expressed Speaking of the Bridge river diggings in BA
fin the mills. There are men enough who will the facts as they were, but times have changed ish Columbia, the Colonist says: "Well
build mills il the logging could be done. Houses tnJ lhe "ame should change with them. these mines will ultimately prove to be wotthj
art desired bv lhe thousand. m,l -plu.n. ...l;.. ; . ...,.in tKt Indi
, , van- xi , wnuc niincra or noi, 11 is
n.4 be had to build them. Brick blocks are , , , m of Montillo, Minnesota, have, collectively and individually, ta
wanted by business men, but there are not brick- " , " ""f" da,e of March ,oll "The past larRe amount of gold. Nuggets of considers!
msVers enough to supply the material. Knouch " " hM bwn a very cold one- The snow is i. anA mw K,ve from time to tin
ma.., cannot k found to lay the brick, now be- l'1 d"P. M avage, and the purchased from them, many of which were
ingm.de, and if at, the brick needed could be boUnd ,n ,cy fe,tera-" What a tained by crevicing. It might prove of gred
oUaioed there are not half enough masons to lay conlml 1 h u now 'he twentieth of March and vantage to the upper country if this seen
them In mortar. Carpenters. britl.build, Ja we are tnjy'ng our eighth consecutive .V f re thoroughly and systematically '
masons are in gte.l demand by the railroad com
tsaniei as weu as unsk.lled labor. Men are udly
l 1 . V. . t ' 1
" v.muiin racitvc, u is evidenced
bv th fLkltosvint itm 1m - k. .11. . . .
' ; iir puuuuied In
ivtilisB Columbia t
eighth consecutive weeV f e'e. thoroughly and ytemat.ca .y r
warm, sunny weather, during which lh. k ' I ""?rZrZ W '
found distributed over a large extent 01 P
and persevering search may develop suitw
deep diggings that will be of "J
the province. It is not at all unlikely w
quartz may also be discovered in those nxw
ranges.
been K11I iA A r
. -. ' lhe streets areas
Justjra, in summer and the watering carts are
'S i0"? ba d the out.
aoor sports are flounshine. whil- iK .:.
pring wheat is nearl, .jj p, The