New-York tribune., 1872-05-14
THE SEASON OF STRIKES.

WORKTNGNIEN LEARNING TO AVOID THEM
HOURS OF LABOR REDUCED AND WAGES AD-
VANCFD THROUGH NEGOTIATION-PEACbfol
STRIKES AFOOT AT THIS TIME-INTERLssIiddSSoS idSo
COMPARATIVE TABLE OF WAGES IN looS-io'S'
With the recurring Spring and consequen'
resumption Of activity in the mechanical arts
yeIop most Of their life only under favoring sAes
up the ofmoOted question OF wages ana '"o mus NUS -
Dor. The various trades-unions, now iha' tneS H"0
tbe advantage of an en- forced necessity are conslueS
or have had under consideration the propriety OF ue
mandng from employers decrease OF WoTAne hours in
conformity CLAWS passed specially Tor the oehent anu
the regulation Of wages upon pasls eQua"y
satisfactory 10 the employer and empioye
In fact. this is the season of strikes, and
several have already come of, while others
form the subject Of daily discussion There is less dis
postion to strike and greater desire 70 offer compro-
ises and 20 seek arbitration in their differences with
their employers than formerly, and workngmen weigh
the consequences Of their action before precpatng the
mutually runous conflict between capital so-caled and
labor That this is so is perhaps more plainly evihceo
by the occurrences Of the past few weeks Is Ger
tainy credtable alike TO the Of the workngmen
those among them who are educating ther 1co"s
to a standard of reasoning thought and Intelligent
action. The movements that have occurred or when
arc pending amos the various trades as far as known
follows:
The carpenters of this city, encouraged by the success
of their feowcraftsmen in Brooklyn and by the sue
cessful issue Of the painters movement last week. IN
formed their employers Saturday last that on ana aitcr
yesterday they would expect TO work eight hours at
A. 20 per day Tie members Of the Carpenters Union
accordingly quit work, yesterday, and assembled at
Masonic Han. where they organized q meeting ana
appointed committees TO visit the various shops IN
which working at the old rates, and TO CONFER
with the bosses" who had not already aceeded to their
demand. Many Ofthe leading carpenters had conceded
the terms demanded prior to the organization OF the
meeting and during the day Others were reported TO
have granted the required terms. About 500 non-so
oiety joined the organization during the day, ana
the Of the movement as stated by one OF the o
Gers OF the meeting fully assured. 1t was said that
had the men delayed turning out day or two longer
there would been strike as the "bosses" gene
rally yielded 10 their demands with good grace. Vic
lent demonstrations were deprecated by those present
at the meeting who preferred as they said, to use
moral suasiOn," aud accomplish their desires peaceaby
The officers OF the neeung were; ~ ~nIcnaei rIaruy
Chairman; and M. ID. Power, c. ODOnoyan, Thomas
Wie, and Bernard ONeill, Secretaries. The Chairman
in reply to question said motion would be for a
moment entertained which aimed at physical force, ana
he wished il TO distinctly understood that the meeting
would not responsible for any Illegal act or any
be boss oarpentcrs held secret meeting in the after
noon al the Mechanics and Traders Exchange in Park
place Mr. Hennessy IN the chair. Conmlltee from
1he Carpenters Union, consisting OF Michael Pardy
Anthony Kelly and Daniel Moore waited upon the meet
lng to state their views and explain the results and OBJ
jecs of the srko but the bosses refused 70 admit them
saying that The meeting merely an informal one 1t
70 decide ipcn The fna course Of action and was unan
rnousy agreed accept the eight hours as days work.
b that the men should be paid at the rate OF IS cents
an hour making s. 50 per day instead Of s. CO. which is
nov paid for day WoIR OF zen nousi MI O3ODs ~ ino
Secretary stated that the men would be IN az pto1a
billy sful IN relation 10 eight hours but that the
masters would not agree TO s. 90 per day.
The carpenters OF HoDOken win join those OF New
York in the demand for the eight-hOnr system.
A week since, the iOurneymen painters who mad pre-
viousy after general conference, decided upon what
they should ask, notified TO their employers that they
EXPECTED a reduction Of their daily working time 10
eight hours and that unless this demand was acceded
10 they should strike The ensuing day they ceased
--.I. rfo thor
employers and in reporting the results OF Their confer
ences at Their sen wbat was Vi demanded @
aud the effect OF the movement was so decisive that the
Xarons unions whose aggregate membership about
IO were strengthened by the accession TO their ranks
oi 500 non-society men,
In Brooklyn, the ourneymen carpenters, who have
been actag the Eight Hour question, have succeeded.
il Is said, however, that they concede reduction in
wages of 20 cents-per diem The brek9yers OF Brook
yn time since got eight hours without any reduc-
ton of wages and the brlckayers OF NewYork, 1t Is
told are about to demand the same.
Inc stonecutters succeeded in obtaining eight hours
without dminutOn of pay, and did not strike
At Newark the masons and laboreTs have struck Tor
fewer hours and greater pay for eight hours and
torS Is Ge1reeated by some of the workngmen who
claim that reduction OF hours should not at once be
followed demand for higher In this city the
M nSons t anu and seeinriv ayeTse 10 doing So have
been cgoatng with their employers, and IL is under
HE Central Park laborers have demanded increase
OF pay from e. q 10 s. 90 and having appointed COM
mtee confer with the Parx Commissioners thereon
Tue men Employed in the furniture trade discussing
strike This trade Is represented by four German two
French, and English EightHour League, and has a
central organization.
Ine lab0rers inside the casson Of the East River
Bridge struck for dmlnutiOn Of hours and increase
of wages. The strike mainly due TO the dssatsfac
lion the composing one gang with the frequent
change Of fOTemen The Bridge Company offered 10 Ie
duce the working time OF these cSson labOrers TO four
hours and their pay to 81 70. The men, after
holding out for eyera days while demanding IS per day,
accepted the terms offered
TAc pipe-men the CTOtOn Water aqueduct who had
struck Tor increased wages returned 10 work. and ac
satle rate OF pay as the Central Park employees.
norton OF the journey taiOTs have formed new
union one the leading ideas OF which is 10 avoid all
strikes or difficulties with employers, II possible. The
grinders aud pOshers connected with the silver Nickel
bsass aud iron business have combined FOR the purpose
OF forming trade association and by It's means To Tegu
iafe their hours Of labor and rates Of pay.
Tue subjects OF hours and at this time the
principal topics OF discussion with the aborng classes
There little difference between the wages OF last
year and those of the present. indeed the variation is
slight that the officers Of the state WOrkingmens As
eemly, who have annually tabuated in their printed
prCceecings the rates OF wages have concluded TO dis
pense with table in their Forthcoming report
assuming that the rates of 1871 closely assmate 10 the
current scale. The scale OF in the following table
is averaged from the reports MENTIONED and will, there
fore found nearly accurate as can be made III gen
eral statements:
COMPARATIVE 1853 AND 1872 or THE
PRINCIPAL OCCUPATIONS (NALE AND TxhALE ~
CUkkBNCY ARTICLES OF FoOD AND FUEL
~-WAGEs FoOD PUKI-~
WAGES MoNYY-> Flour, lbs Beef lbs Coal, tgns