, 1875-09-01
:
THE sTUNE-CUTTERe' 8TH1KE.

H. AQU fuGE1 ITO HUM GI3bG Ila6 AOAAH
..--..... .~'-s-:e .:-:~'.:::.---. |
THE sTpNE-CuTTERs STRIKE.
Thore arn about 800 stono-onttors In this
city. Soven-eight!,s Of thom belong to tho
"Union which Inns just ordered n strike for |
- day. A'f few contractors, who lavo
heavy, unfinished jobs TINT must bo prompt
ly carried through, havo yielded to tue Do |
mand and arc paying tho atlrn asked for It
Ia probable, however, that they will not con-
tinuo to do no nfter tho work on hand ia fin
iHhod. In TINT event, tho several hundred
cutters who are now idlipg about the streets
will bo joined by 2n0 more. Tho mon who
arc mixing this sad mistake can, perhaps, DO
reached by plain md honest talk. We pro-
poso to try The experiment.
It seems to be admitted TINT first-c1ass
oustor IL worth S. day. Ile can get that,
and hns boon getting 1t in several Yards. One
firm, which employs only non.,nion hands,
phys tho bost mon 81. q day and ordinary
mon tf25O. This strike il an attempt to con'-
pol employers to pny inferior men what none
but good nen cnn earn in the present state of
the la},or market. It deprivcg the skilled
minority Of all work for the sake Of II selfish
and unski1lsd majority. 1t IL, therefore, All
injustice.
Tho primo Cause Of tho unexpected activity
| In building this season has been Tho cheap
ness of fnatcrials. The cheapness Of cut
stonc has led to its uaa in place Of brick in
very many fronts and in tho decoration Of
many others. This strike, by either increas-
ing tho cost Of cut stono or diminish
ing its production, will check this ac-
tivity. Tho strikers are doing their
host to prevent their own employment hero
after. In 18to tho worktngmen Of Norwich,
/! England, struck, and ruined tho industries of
tho town, which, have never recovered. The
stono.catters OF Chicago arc uuwittingly try
| ing to 10 tho Same thing, on q smaller acalo,
hero. They are throwing AWAY tho breaa
they need to earn no1t yonr and in succeed
ing yoazH.
Tho cutters complain Of tho compotition Of
convict-labor. They probably suffer more
from, this cause than any other trasle in tho
city. Can they be blind enough not to eco
that they ase merely forcing employers to
use oonvict-labor by denying thom thoir own ?
There arc only fow hundred mon who arc
now cutting stone at Joliet. Thcro arc q
thousand who can DO put to this work,
md who will bo, il this strike is prolonged
or tho stono-cuttors wages forced up. Much
of Tho work must be donc. Tho Chicago
euttors decline it; tho Joliet convicts will
hase it.
Tho average wages of tho trnde, on tho evo
Of tho strike, sctsn to have been sal day
Tho idlon,ss of 600 men represents, then, d
loss to tho workingmen Of (5o0 X 2.75=,
$1,375 day, or $3.50 per week. II the
700 strike, tho loss will bo 1,02b day, o,
nenrly $4,000 u week. Suppose thuy ars
idlo for ten days and thon carry their point
Tho aggregate money loss will DO $t9,25o
Besides this, there will bo the inevitable
growth Of baa habits nnd tho promotion o1
bad feeling botwoon masters and mon
Loavin9 these serious evils out Of tho count
vo find that the pecuniary loss Is so gsea
and tho possible gain by the strik
(25 to 10 cents day for ouch man
10 email that tho remedy will b.
far worse than the disease. The 70a
will earn between them 3175 day moro tina,
thoy did before They will have to receiy
this for 10 working -days-over eightoel
weaka-before thoy have made up tho los
: suffered by tho strike in ten days. And thel
they will not havo done so nnlegs every on
of the 700 is re-cngaged. Is the game wort
. | tho cnnMo :?
Another thing tho strikers would do wel
to consider IL tlat tho .nasters will almost IN
ovitably win. Tho 300 mon now idle ar
" drawing $3, 900 wock from tho treasury Q
tho Union. If tho 100 strike, the troasur
will be depleted at tho rnto Of 81, zoo d weel
), It cannot stand the strain long. Until 1t
exhausted, tho employers have only to hav
their work dono ut joliet instead Of at CHI
caco. Tho saving will balance tho incor
= vcnienco.
Il tho men persist in their suicidal cours.
y loaf through tho busy season aud begin tn
= | winter with nothing IN their pockcts md uotl
:. Ing to do, we fail to SEQ why they shoul
, expect to hayo themselves and thoir fa1n,lis
supported at the expense Of the honest worl
;. ora Of this city who are now to'ling forwha
over remuneration or wages they can get, nj
:. whatever scanty profits they can make.
- will not do for these idle mechanics to reclo
;, on public charity noxt wintar. II they d
. wine, thoy will reeede from the claim
hastily made and foo1iah]y enforced The
! will consent TO be paid BY tho piece, vi
~ abandon tho pEeposterous idea that an inf
i. rior workman ought TO be paid "a much
= q superior ono, aud will use tho accumu1a
~ cd funds OF tho Union In starting cooper
- tive stores, and perhaps eventually co-ope
:. ativo shop, instead Of wasting the har
( earned money in reckless strike
10 GOVERNMENT PROVIDING a ouRaENg
I ~ =. ~ - g. ~