Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1872-08-02
THE PEOPLE.

few months there has been \ greater
prevalence Of labor strikes than ever
before known. The increased cost Of
living and the decreased relative value
Of money has been the principal In
duclng causo for demanding increase
Of wages, yet In many instances the
strike has been for a reduction Of the
hours Of labor. The working people
have been successful in these combined
movements In many Instances, yet in
many more, however. they have not.
The eight-hour movement In New
York was unsuccessful after = long and
wearisome strike Of nine weeks. and
its effects are rather severe on many Of
the participants, who are now com
PEELED to resort to other expedients In
order to earn a living, being refused
work by their former employers in
consequence Of the part they took in
the strike. In the building trades.
however, the eight-hour system has
been partially successful. and the car
penters and painters are generally
working for eight hours q day. In the
metal trades, aud In tho numerous
branches Of wood working, the men
have returned to the ten-hour system.
The plsnomakers, coachmakers, up
holsterers and sugar r~efiners, have also
gone back to work on the old basis Of
time and wages. Notwithstanding
this failure. It Is believed that the work.
men Of New York are organizing for
action in the mture-probably next
Spring-when, with moro complete
concert and with a larger reserve iuud,
they Intend to commence another
strike with better prospect of success.
In Europe also there has been n prev
alence Of labor strikes, the most Inn
portant being that Of the building
trades In London, which has been
longest continued, the men firmly ad-
herring to the nine-hour system and in
slsting that proposals for compromise
must come direct from the employers.
On the other hand, the employers Of
fer to refer the whole matter in dis
pute to a board of arbitrators, COM
posed Of equal numbers OF masters and
men, with an umpire to be appointed
by the board. THIS method Of adjust
ment has been rejected BY the men.
By the latest mails, however. il Is an
nounced that n fair prospect exists OF
terminating the strike. The masons
have offered a compromise, which con-
cedes the nine hours n day, but only
goes half way In granting the mems
demand Ia the matter Of wages. The
working time Is to be nine hours a day
all the year round, and the wages are
to be eight pence and a half, or severn
teen cents an hour. The hours Of
work during the twelve Winter weeks
are to be f%orty-seven hours, and during
the remainder Of the year fifty-two
and a half hours n week. This ar
rangement gives a half holiday OH
Saturday all the year round. The en-
ployers, It Is stated, have agreed to
this compromise, but the bricklayers,
carpenters and j~oiners, painters, plas-
terers and smiths have refused to rat
ify the proposals OF the masons and
are still agitating for the original de-
mand for mine hours and nine
pence" The baker, In London are
combining to obtain a reduction Of the
period Of labor to twelve hours \ day.
At present the days work varies from
twelve up to sixteen and eighteen
hours, according to the quantity Of
bread and the number Of patches re-
quired to DO baked. Ths journeymen
jewellers are also agitatlng for nine
hours a day. In the North of Eng
land the women at several Of the col
lierlcs recently struck against the
high prices Of meat, pledging them
selves not to buy any until the charge
wa, reduced. At the Seaton colliery
the women have been successful,
butcher having contracted to supply
beef at fifteen cents a pound, \ reduc-
tion OF one-thlrd OH previous prices.