The Lambertville press. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1858-1???, 1859-09-08
LambertyiIIe. MJ, Sept. 8, 1859.
The Strikes.

london now exhibits one of the greatest
struggles that has ever taken place between
workmen and their employers. 10000 men are
without work The plan subjected to the mas
ter builders by the operatives is to obtain re-
duction of the hours of labor from ten to nine
daily. Public opinion throughout the whole
kingdom is with the operatives, and the subject
has been taken up by the House of Commons
and bill brought in to establish equitable coun
ellis of Cancellation between such parties.
The coal miners of Pittsburg and surrounding
country to the number of $780, are out on
strike for an advance of wages or the weigh
ing of the coal at the mouth of the pit, instead
of the present system of measurement Two
weeks after the commencement Of the strike pit
owner above Birmingham and his miners agreed
upon the old rates, with the proyiso that every
car load Of coal should be weighed at the pits
mouth
This arrangement has been made the basis Of
their demand by most of the other miners on the
strike They declare that cars in which the
coal is measured have recently become much in
creased in size and they are compelled to dig
much more for the same compensation. On the
other hand the pit owners contend that the re-
form is impracticable and inadmssable First,
because the time lost in weighing would prevent
the raising of sufficient coal to make the business
profitable. Second, it would afford no security
to either party Third, the coal falls short in
the barge loads, and the miners are paid the full
onounf Eourtb ba daicinncv hara onotad ic
sometimes caused by the slack for which allow
ance is now made, which allowance is just in it's
effects to both parties and by the adoption of
the weighing system, they would pay for mining
this as we'll as coal Fifth, the loss of time and
the consequent loss of product attendant upon
the weighing system, would increase the price of
coal here and injure the trade down the river.
The miners are making extraordinary efforts
to secure unity and energy among themselves
and to induce the pit owners to come to their
terms, and the movement is now so general that
there seems no probability of settlement with
ont compromise. The trade is very impor-
tant one, and its suspension a serious injury to
all the business interests in that vicinity.
An extensive strike has been going on for
some time among the moulders in the city of Al
bany, n Y, which seems to have been far more
injurious to the employers than the operatives.
Both parties are formed into opposing combina-
tions, and each employer is pledged to a forfeit
of some thousands of dollars if he submits to the
moulders demands without the consent of the
other employers The master moulders of Troy
acquiesed to the demands made by the workmen
and the consequence is they have large orders to
fill which otherwise would have been executed
in Albany. We hear of many other strikes 60
ing on in various cities ard towns Throughout the
Union. The labor question or the question of
"just and right" as the employees call it, is as
Stunning an appearance Of far greater Importance
than has been exhibited for years before, and we
think if the matter is taken hold of as it is in
England, much benefit would be derived to all
parties and the country at large. Strikes,
conflicts between employer and employee, capital
and labor are deleterious in their effects and we
would greatly rejoice if some legal means were
instituted for settling these disputed questions.