The New York herald., 1874-06-01
TEE POINT BREEZE STRIKES.
Attitude Of the Coopers and stevsdorss Towards
the Jobbers-A Combination in OIL
The Police Called In to Pre-
vent Disturbance.
PHILADELPHIA, MAY 80, 1874.

PHILADELPHIA May 30, 1874.
The affairs OF the coopers and stevedores at Point
Breeze, who have now abstained from all work
during period OF several weeks. are rapidly be-
coming as dangerous as they are complicated and
peculiar. The companies claim that those out OF
employ insist that others shall not work; that
party from Pittsburg was met brbed and paid
money to return home, and that two men, q few
evenings since. were waylaid by gang OF seven,
were assaulted by slung shots and 'Dlack jacks"
and almost beaten to death. And YET these
coopers anc stevedores
ARE NOT ON A STRIKE,
for they are satisfied with the wages paid them,
but refuse to work on very unusual and previously
unheard OF grounds. The story, briefly is this =
The supply Of coal oil from Petrolia and other wells
in venango county became greater than the de-
mand. The oil brokers had little or no opportunity
for speculation, and combination was effected,
the oil wells suspended and the market
left unsatisded. company Of seven oil
brokers met in little room in this
city, and agreed to withhold the oil from the
ket at home and abroad and thus increase its
price. This combination extended to New York,
that city and this being the two principal ports
from which petr troleum is shipped. BY and by the
oil wells OF yenango were utilized again; but
thousands upon thousands OF barrels were held
here rom market and stored away for sale keep
LARGE DEMAND WAS MADE
from abroad for shipments, and the Oil specula-
tors found 1t to their advantage to hurry 1t or at
once. Thus 1t was that they advertised for coop
ers. The advertisement was answered and the
offer made TO each applicant was SIS per week.
1t was q low price; but times were hard,
the community was suffering from panic.
and the terms had to be complied with.
The companies, or rather these SPECTATORS,
then said co their men, Here We wish assurance
that interests shall not be impeded by strikes
or disagreements OF any kind. To convince US
that nothing ike this shall occur you must give us
certain percentage OF each days wages until the
ject TO am just reason why II shall not be returned
to you.' The men regarded tpese as
UNJUST AND USGESERods CONDITIONS
any one wished to leave on reasonable grounds,
the money would be promptly gwen back, they
IN a little while had an offer which was more re-
mnneratlve and which called their energies to an
went % e o brokers' nd told sem q e
the, .ns money which had been Withheld from
to return 1t to them, as they feared that the
departure OF the twain would lead Others, perhaps
all their employes, TO follow their example.
Hence arose the difficulty. The coopers, never
having nad any "unionr whatever, formed one at
once, not because they were dissatisfied with their
wages, but because OF the action on the part OF
the brokers referred 70 above. Tne brokers at
once tried to engage otner men, when the steve-
dores joined the coopers and refused TO handle
any barrels made ready for shipment by parties
who were not connected with the newly formed
union
The coopers and stevedores, numbering several
hundred nave held JOINT meeting, aud seem TO
INSIST upon the following:-fhe wages OF $l8 per
week were low and unsatisfactory 10 begin with.
The demand OF forfeit from each days earnings
was both ungenerous and unjust. by refusing TO
return this forfeit TO certain parties whose inter-
est called them elsewhere the spectators broke
their strict ana honest agreement, while the inter-
est upon all this great amount Of forelts was
used by the Iobbers themselves.
Thus far public opinion Is with the men. The
terms OF the oil jobbers we're, in the Judgment OF
ALL both rigorous and cruel nor have these jobbers
ever given any satisfactory reason 10 their en-
pJoycs why the lust wages OF the men were
NIthheId. The jobbers Immediately applied to the