, 1873-08-16
THE 1RoN-WoRKERs' STRIKE.

THE IRON WORKERS. STRIKE.
Tho etriko Of tho heaters at tho North Side
Rolling Mill, which has in turn involved striko
Of tho other atocl and iron workers also, aud tho
employes Of tho Chicago Plato and Bar Mill
Company, still continues, with worry little PROS
poet Of compromise being reached. Tho
whole mattor will bo out Of tho hands Of either
party in ton days, howevor, as by that time tho
orders hold by tho Company will have expired.
As in tho present dull condition Of tho iron
trade no moro iron work Gun DO expected for
either Torkmon or employers, this may DO Il
virtual scttlomcnt for tho whole question until
business reviyos again. Meanwhile, the opera
tionB Of tho Company aro paraIyzod, and 1,5o0
mon aro thrown out Of employment at tho very
timo when they can lcast afford it.
Thore arc two sides to this question aB to all
others. It will bo difficult for the heaiors to
juRtify thomaelvos in forcing the large majority
OF their fellow-workmon out Of employment.
Without their ekillel mud responsible labor'
which prepares tho gtool and iron for tho other
workmon, 1t is impossible for the lattor to do
anything, aud, as tlero aro but aixty Of thogo
hoatarg, upon thoao sixty must fall tho
responsibility Of keeping ovor 1,40o mon
out Of work. Tho final responsibility, how
oyor, rests upon tho different mill-unonB
throughout tho Wost. When tho workmcn in
question notified tho Company TINT thoy should
strike il their domnnd was not yielded, the enl-
ployors met them, mud thoro WAS n fair prospect
~
sompromiBo, which the union, however. provons-
ed, by rightly enforcing its rulca.
On tho other hand, tho heators will have very
general sympathy in any effort they may mako
to obtain tho highest possible ratio Of wages out
Of tho Iron and Stool Association, Or any Of ita
mombers, who'll tho character Of their gigan-
tic monopoly, ind Tho extraordinary privi-
leges aud imnuuitios which tley haye lomand-
cd aud obtained from Congress, are considered.
The heator is O skilled workman whoso labor
deserves handsome remuneration. Iu the work.
, ,ng of stool, the whole responsibility routs upon
him, and tho real vallc Of tho rail depends upon
hiu knowledge Of his business. Ho brings moro
than mere physical labor to bear upon his work,
and ho ts thorafora deserving Of largo pny.
Whon he therefore comes forward and domauds
an inereose Of pay, tho Company has no right to
complain. From the very outset, tho Assooia-
ton has been constantly demanding liglor
tariffs md moro oxorbitant protection - that
is, larger license to plundor tho public
III tho first place, it secured valuable patont
on tho BoaBomer stool process, and thus shut
out competition in this country. Then whom tho
demand for steel rails became largo, and whom
, thoy were boaating that thoy could manufacture
atool as cheaply Us 1t could bo made in England
and woro thus in condition to successfully
compete with that country, they won't to Con-
gress and got tariff imposed Of over $25 nor
ton, and from TINT trno to ths they hayo Ind
absolute and oven tyrallnical control Of tho mar
kor. 10 docs not lie in thoir mouths
therefore, to iuycigh against their work.
mon because they want Il fow moro conts
a day for tlloir labor. II thoy themselves lad
not boon exectiug tho Inst dollar Of tlcr GUS
tomora, md calling upon Congress- to help thom
to cut OF competition, tboy might complain Of
tho action Of tho heaters with good graco, and
might expect to receive aomo sympathy ut tho
btoppago Of their business, If, however, the
boato1a should succeed III getting out Of
them NIL they hnyo uqueozod out Of tho
people by systematic tarifr-robhory, and II tloy
should loae their pending contrnots with tho
various railroad corporations by reason of Tho
present atoppago, it would bo no moro nor lesu
than u just rotrbution for their own exaoliong
Corporations which aro il. tho habit Of grinding
pcoplo by wholesale ought not to complain IL
their workmen now anl then follow thcir OK
ample and attempt 1t by retail.