The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-03-05
TIE STRIKES IN NEW ENGLAND.
The Shoe Business Of New Hampshire and
Mode Of Manufacture.
The Cause Of the Strikes and the
Leaders.
OPINIONS OF THE JOURS AND BOSSES.
ANOTHER MEETING OF the STRIKERS
The sIrrepressible COnflict'' Be-
tween Capital and Labor,
SC, Sc, &c.

tween Capital and Labor,
&C., Sc, &C.
gently taken place among the ourneymen shoemakerssf
Massachusetts, and New Hampshire and the importance
which, socially and politically, they have already as
sumed last week despatched three OF reporters
70 New England, to learn the views respectively
,srtaiDed by the manufacturers and journeymen
ming the movement In which they there involved,
Id to gather such other information upon the subject Of
the strike would be likely prove interesting 10 the
public. may be added that the history OF the move
ment In locality is with the exception or minor local
differences, the history Of all.
TIE SHOE MANUFACTURERS OF DOVER.
The shse business Of Dover, New Hampshire,
constitutes ono Of the largest branches Of its
trade, and - carried 10 q greater extent than
in any other city Of the State. There are in the
city some fifteen eighteen large nrst class
nufAotories which In prosperous times afford employ
to from fifteen 70 eighty workuen each besides
considerable number Of smaller establishments, where
employed less than q dozen hands each. All these
with only one or two exceptions have grown up within
The past FIVE years. The business is confined principally
70 the manufacture Of kip and thick brogans, and the
work is done almost exclusively by menthe uppers being
seed by machinery previous TO leaving the factory, and
the bottoms Afterwards put on by hand This also true
Of the Of Hsverhil, Pennington, Rochester New
buryport, Natck Milton, Ssugus, and other ahoemakng
localities IN the neighborhood the work--unke that Of
Lynn, where ladies' shoes principally made-being Of
heavy character. Hence there few females in
these places directly interested the strikes as to be
compelled TO resort 10 public meetings, and boldly pro-
claim the brotherhood their stcrnai alliance Another
point Of difference between the manufacturers Of the
above named towns and Lynn h, that In the former
the work Is generally sent TO them on commission from
Boston and to some extent, from obbers In the West
whereas, in Lynn nearly all the stock s bought and
sold b. the manufacturers themselves, and by them
made % aud disposed Of in what market they please
The lumber Of regular journeymen shoemakers in Do
Is estimated TO be four hundred. They mainly
young and intelligent Americans. and thoroughly
understand the merits Of the "rebelon," Of them
pleasantly called and the character OF the shoe business
generally. The majority Of them single men, Deepen
dent their daily earnings for subsistence though
sonaly will be found who has been frugal fortu
nate enough TO take him a wife and buy him home.
The number Of shoes manufactured In Dover rather
repaired be made up and distributed TO the wormen
he city and vicinity said 70 be hundred thousand
month, or twelve hundred thousand pair annually,
wages for which the employers have divided among
in monthly payments amounting to from thirty five
70 forty thousand dollars OF these figures refer
My 70 the when business 10 thrifty The present
sis has brought everything 70 stand STILL and LETT both
and journey man no other resource than to quietly
-ep their hands their pockets and like Ncaw.
her wait for something 70 turn up.
HOW SHOES ARE MADE.
The manufacture Of ? shoe Is divided in two parts.
avng the factory OF the boss, which consists OF the cut
ns ont shaping Swing Of The Spps.s and preparing me
necessary finish the shoe. These uppers" are then
peut TO the journeymen BY the "case,'-eacn
the ~orR hat whsn Performed s BY ss
Journey men, and consists Of shaping the upper to
m down. To lac ,ate the latter operation and get out
eater number Of shoes, Is customary for the jour
aen to WORK in Couples and sv S .nsr wages be-
ang and shaping the shoe tots being done, he hands
ais chum, the ''pegger and heller" and, hin duty
performed, il 10 again given TO the other, who trims
IA The edges Of the sole and removes the ''last" So
they concerned the shoe is then done and their
bottom scrspcd and finished, the shoe is Gle aned,
stamped, hung up to dry, and finally packed for trans
Al % workmen will 10 this manner make on an aver.
Il fifteen pairs Of shoes day, . and hal. per
Tor which, at the old prices, they would be paid
M ninety cents day each; at the prices de-
/ II = they would receive between them advance Of
cents, or, from 81 Is to 81 rs each.
I 4 this work Is done by farmers, who take two or
/ Aes with them into the country but the regular
II II work in shops which rented for the purpose
W e Of their number more euerpr,sipg than the rest
II jour" then reets "bench room''-a space about
Ft let BY fve-to the extent OF his accommodations,
lrges for the same at the rate Of = shilling week.
nos ooReregaied in this manner called Ga
and as the lessee Of the premises generally takes
among them, he thus derives from the two
comfortable income.
THE CAUSE OF THE STRIKE.
the direct cause OF this movement OF the shoe
throughout Massachusetts and New Hampshire
ades seems to prevail The market Is over
tsnh goods. The price Of stock has been low, the
vorkmen have been reduced, goods have been
I tured 70 an extent far beyond that required by
! demand, and with view n redeem themselves
! yious losses the manufacturers have forced those
market at prices and under circumstances OF com.
vhich have placed themselves almost wholly ii
A.. Of the buyer. Again, there has been over
Of sorkmen, accustomed by the influx OF farmers,
,ns aspenters and others engaged In pursuits which
comparatively suspended during the winter season
for The sake Of cent or two less than 's,arvs
= prtcss," offer 10 do the work which has here
70 been the occupation Of the regular journeymen
NV Bampshire y full Of these "farmer jours," Who
that natural apsiude which Characteristic Of the
r'ee have learned 70 trim and strike' and do not
lie 70 take stock and make shoes on their farms,
early winter until late IN spring, at twenty five per
ent cheaper than the regular prices paid TO expe.
n ed hands Shoes are made by them At twelve
thirteen cents pair which cannot be made for less
seventeen or eighteen cents In Dover by = good
v man Then there . large number Of sboy
y 80 who have shed their pin feathers and grown to be
ie oes in few days and to ss,' sod ..nts ia less
~ many months, and Of whom II has been said that
urn out shoe which one Is at loss TO discover
vi n II made on q long stick or q last.
b. o are the views thrown out by politicians and
shoemakers but there here who
g he real reason. 1t s hdcedos 10 q patpabt, de-
N the demand for goods Uhich has usually
~ ne South. The republican northumberland
constitute more than threefourtns OF the entire
~ ARE oash to acknowledge ,ha. the agta-
the slavery question and the abolition crusade
nyhine 70 90 With the matter, aud when such q
suggestvey iuimated they raise their hands in
he ,rror and exclAim, 'stand back foul ghost Take
Az ape put that On this point, however our report
r,e recorded one or two interviews with ibese yente
III :, lich will speak for themselves e'N
- all these circumstances into consideration
-fneynen shoemakers found they had no other
"a than TO band together for mutual projection
~ were accordingly formed, the question wa, dis
N.Y. o" strike" resolved upon, and the 10th OF
~ f7t the journeymen shoemakeys OF the town o.
Massachusetts, set the ball in motion. The
ynp, the very OF the shoe interest OF that
& ollcwed on the 22d February, and Marbtehead,
hsverhli, Dover, and dozen other towns have since