New-York tribune., 1871-09-27
A TRIAL or ENDURANCE.

a INIdL VF ENOohdnCE'
For almost four months employers and labor
ers on the banks of the Tyne, in England, have
been engaged in contest which is we'll worthy
of consideration, not only for the duration OF
the struggle and the magnitude of the inter
ests involved, but principally for the capacity
of endurance which has been displayed by the
contending parties. Divested of the re-
ordinations inseparable from oil trade
movements, the circumstances of the case are
briefly these: Hitherto the engineers en-
ployed at Newcastle and Gateshead were ac-
customed to work fifty-nine hours per week.
Encouraged by the success of demands made
elsewhere for a reduction of the time of work
to nine hours per diem, these engineers, in
the beginning OF last June, made similar
demand upon their employers without Offer
ing to agree to corresponding re-
duction of wages. The employers promptly
refused compliance, and the men, nearly
10000 in number, struck work. At
tempts were shortly afterward made to effect
an arrangement through arbitration but the
proposition was rejected by the Nine Hours
League on the ground that the time for
arbitration had passed For a month enthusi-
astic meetings were held by the workmen, and
maUcTlal uuu pOulOu III ehOm
from all sides. At the end Of that
time the employers, who had remained
inactive, invited the wOrkmen to return to
their benches, without making concessions of
any kind. These efforts, however, completely
failed. The workmeu then set about perfect
ing an organization which should extend
throughout the kingdom, and they became
fixed more firmly than ever III their determi-
nation. An effort to effect an arrangement ap-
pears to have been made by proposing
conference; but this was barren Of results
and the employers, after announcing that
further negotiation was useless, determined
to adopt the bold measure Of importing work
men from abroad. In the early part of August
the employers made another attempt to induce
the workmen to recomnsnce work, expressing
@ willingness to make large concessions, but
excluding the nine-hours period Of labor.
They were even willing to fix days work at
nine hours and half, and pay literally for
work done out of working hours.
Failing in these efforts, the engineering firms
in England and Scotland formed an associa-
ton and agreed to support the Newcastle en-
plOyers. Through their combined efforts work
men were secured from Dundee, London, and
Greenwich, and promises of laborers from the
Continent were made. Large numbers of
skilled workmen were accordingly imported
from Denmark, Belgium, Germany, and
Norway, and permission was given
one large contractor by the Dan
ish Government to bring to Newcastle
workmen employed in the Government arse
nails of Denmark. But affairs were not 80
favorable to the employers as at first seemed
probable. The English hands who could be
obtained were chiefly inferior workmen, and
rioting having begun, many Of the newly
acquired hands abandoned the employers. The
Germans who were engaged protested that
they had been sllured by Misrepresentation
to enter into contracts with the employers,
and large numbers Of them went over to the
strikers and were sent 70 Hamburg Or London
at the expense Of the League.
As no marked dissatisfaction has. been e1-
pressed By the worismh with the wages paid
them, It might be inferred that they desire to
alleviate their arduous labors by reducing the
hours Of employment. 7 Under these circum-
stances the question naturally occurs What
compensation arc tho wofkinen willing to
offer for the clear loss eptailed by The REDUCTION
Of the hours Of laborf An ingenious theory has
been advanced that skillful workman will &C.
comphsh; hi the reduced perbdi the same
amount Of work % in the previous longer
term. Opposed to this is the statement Of one
Of the most influential Of the employing engi.
neers. "The only edect.n Says sh William
Armstrong, "of the reduction OF hours ct
Sunderland hss been to cause the higher
"rste for overtime 10 commence one hour
earlier chan before, and the ''acta&
duration Of sash day,s Labor -ssmains ct least
"as sreat - ever" 1t has been suggested
that the real purpose OF the Nihe Hours
League b not TO procure Tor the workmea
hitherto employed the higher wages which
they might eArnIby working sufacisnt numL
Der Of extra hours to complete the requfS-
ments of the employers, but 70 force the Int
ter to employ an xdaitienal, number of work.