Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1873-03-21
The New York Strikes.

The New York papers and the telegraph
bring frequent word of immense strikes of
wOrkmen in that city. now organizing and
to he made this spring. The combination
Of trades unions is represented to be the
most extensive one ever known on this con-
tinent, embracing already some seventeen
trades, including masons, carpenters. ma
chinlsts, printers and others, to which new
accessions are constantly made. The plan
is understood to be that all shall strike at
once, and it is supposed by the workmsn
that 50 extensive a stoppage will at once
compel general rise of wages On the
other hand the master builders and manu-
facturers say that wages are already 50 high
a. seriously to injure business, and to make
it a matter of indifference with them
whether to continue their business OF to
stop. Many of them are already arranging
to stop their machinery, while capt.
talists who had intended to invest
largely in new buildings, are put
ting their money into other invest
the part of employers OF yielding to the
demands of the trades unions, and with the
experience of the strikes of last year before
them, no reason appears why they should.
Then the manufacturers had very short
notice Of what was coming business was
very active, and there were a great many
heavy contracts to be executed the work
men were well organized, and determined
But the strikes failed the unions exhausted
their funds the workmen lost their wages
for long time and when they were at last
obliged TO yield and announced themselves
ready to return to work at the old prices.
many found that they had permanently
thrown themselves out Of employment, be-
cause the business had left them and their
employers and their city. This removal of
industries from New York to places where
strikes are less easily organized. Is still in
progress. The largest piano factory in |
New York city is to be removed to Astoria. |
Long Island. The sash and blind manu-
actarers. says the Dry Goods Reporfe
contemplate a similar exodus at the pres
ent moment. nearly all the packing boxes
uSei III ew York are made in Connecticut;
a vast portion of our printing is now done
in London Newark firm has succeeded
inohtaining the largest cutting job for this
city, in open competition with all the New
York contractors, and the city Is now one
thousand buildings behind in consequence |
of the same strike The loss in city i'm |
proyements for the year by the strike. is |
fixed at more than twelve and half million |
dollars.
If the strikes failed then, they certainly
must fail now. Now, the employers have |
full warning, aud are prepared business
Is dull; money Is excessively tight. In
many cases manufacturers are not making |
money now and would be little injured by
stopping their machinery for month or
two. 1t is safe to predict that the defeat
of last year for the unions will be repeated
only that it will be more overwhelming
That strikes should be ATTEMPTED undar
such circumstances seems Incredible and ia
probably only to be accounted for bv the
fact that the officers of the Trades Unions
have the handling of the large sums Of
money contributed by the workmen in pre-
paration for the strikes, and find it for their
own personal interest that strikes should
occur, no matter how much suffering they
bring on their deluded followers.