The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1877-08-18
Our New York Letter.
True EnwarGsness of the Strike
...The Trouble not yet Over
The Liquor DeaIers---CriEne---
The Fashions.

EDITOR CHIEF:
l went up to Ludlow Street Jail to
see Donahue, the leader of the strikers
on the Erie road. He is man OF
intelligence, and was
fitted by nature for a leader. He is
not one of the kind who want their
employers to divide with them, but
he does insist that business shall be
so adjusted that the operative can
live in something like comfort. Dom
ahue says that the average that the
men make is from $25 to $50 per
mouth, and that the cost of living III
Hornellsville is higher than in New
York. For instance, flour is from
$40 SO to $ll; butter, 81 cents; beet,
% cents brown sugar, II cents; COT
fee, 38 and 40 cents, and any decent
tea from 80 cents to 81 25 a pound.
Rents are terribly high there, $25 per
month being extorted for common
frame houses of from eight to ten
small rooms. Those who, when wages
were better, had purchased property,
we're losing it by the reduction; and
what ground them more, the wages
had been screwed down to such
point that workman under the best
circumstances was debarred from
every thing Of a social nature, He
could not take newspapers or buy a
book, he could not pay dues to a lodge
or church, or so dress his wife and
children shat they could attend church
or any thing else improving. The
company had even gone so far as to
charge the employees with rent for
the waste lands beside the track, which
was formerly allowed them as per-
ouisite, Donahue admits that the
strike was a failure, but says that
some good will grow out of it.
The trouble is not yet over, fol
there can be no doubt that the work
ingmen are suffering, and that the
companies have not dealt with the
question in liberal spirit. 1t is true
that the roads are making nothing
and that the stockholders are missing
their regular dividends, but that it !:
so is the fault of the management.
they would keep up freights to pay
ing figure instead of cutting eacl
Others throats, and more especially
if they would drop all nonsense II
style, cut down the salaries. OF thei
officers and inaugurate system 0
| economy in the management, ther
could be enough of saving to maxi
up for the loss by reason OF hare
times. The workingman whose wage
were $35 a month, doesn't like to b
cut down to $50 when the highe
grade of officials are voting themseive
their old salaries.
The effect of the strike upon busi
ness was terrible There was a
enormous destruction of goods by tn
infuriated mass, which made inter
ruption in trade, and instances OF sc
we're loss are coming to light every
where. One Western brewer has bee
three years introducing his beer int
New York, Boston, Philadelphia an
Baltimore he had spent hundreds
! thousands of dollars to create h
trade and had it working smootl'l.
His shipments were caught in the ia
+ at Buffalo and Pittsburg, some ca
remaining a week. In the meantim
; his stock being exhausted, 9th
t brewers stepped in, and now he HI
t hi work all to do over again,
abandon it. There were thousands
5 car loads of perisbable goods allow
t o stand for ten days, and the goo
7 that were not perishable were so plu
dered as to be almost a total 10
The action of the companies in euttl
down wages and the method OF t
strikers in seeking redress has c'
the country millions of dollars. 1
direct loss can be ascertained-t
Indirect will never be known.
In this city the labor question
not settled, and trouble is certain
come. The busy season is half oy
and employment has been so sea
, and wages so low that the mass
workingmen have not dollar ah'
for the coming winter, and they
!" organizing for some purpose.
y coal -dockers have already struck,