Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 8.djvu/408

 39 2 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY

OBJECTS.

SECTION i. For the purpose of promoting concert of action amongst our members relative to reforming present methods of competing for work and adopting a uniform scale of prices.

SEC. 2. To eliminate from our ranks all incompetent hands who bring discredit upon our trade, much to our injury.

SEC. 3. To assist and encourage each other in business necessitates ever being actuated by the peculiarities of brotherhood, which bind us together in a common cause.

SEC. 4. To enjoy the advantages of mutual improvement and aim to ele- vate the craft generally ; to decide all differences that may arise in and between our members, and in general to determine and to decide upon all customs and usages affecting the trade or business interests of the craft. The decisions of this association thall be subject to an appeal to the National Horseshoers' Protective Association.

The real cause for the formation of the association was that stated in the preamble. For ruinous competition had so lowered the price of shoeing that there was little profit in the trade. The formation of the association did much to promote the objects of its incorporation, but the journeymen were not slow to see that, as employees, they could also materially better their own condi- tion by concerted action in an organized union.

THE JOURNEYMEN HORSESHOERS.

Journeymen horseshoers are divided into two classes, viz., floormen and firemen. A "floorman" works on the floor, receives the horse when it enters the shop, removes the old shoes, prepares the hoof for the new shoes, and drives the new shoes. The chief duties of a "fireman" are choosing and fitting machine-made shoes, or making new shoes from the "bar" and fitting them.

In order to be eligible as a journeyman horseshoer one must have served an apprenticeship of four years and be able to com- mand minimum wages. For the past two years the journeymen horseshoers in Philadelphia have received the following minimum wages by agreement with the masters as the result of a former strike: Floormen receive a minimum wage of $2.75 per day, and firemen a minimum wage of $3 per day. Men working both on the floor and at the fire, as they are compelled to do in