, 1879-05-21
THE COOpERS.

Will THERE LIE 4 GENERAL sTRIKE1
An announcement appeared III an evening
paprr yesterday thnt a meeting Of coopers
would be held this tNcdncsday) evening for the
purpose Ut considering whether OF not general
strike should bo iuauEurated. For the purpose
Of nscertatrtng tho reasons for This nctson, a
Tribune reporter looked up ons ot tho most
prominent Incmhers Of the coopuys' craft mud
Inquired what special grievance tic trade had,
mn! Why the lnogo was mnac: Tbts WIS Nr.
Gcosgc Sctstllfng, Secretary Of tto Coopcrs'
Untpn, nnsi one ot the htst-krown among the
Socialist agikAtUrs.
Mr.. scnEllilIg said Tint tho first intimaton
that 10 bad OF the Intended meeting WIS cot-
talncd IN tic announcement referred to, md
That at largo meeting of coupors which lie Mt
tended Oil tiis previous hycnlnE nothing was
kald Of any proposed strife. Thu movement
nll,st therefore bt entirely IL spontaneous que,
although ho 'vas not SURPRISED to irar Of II.
liG s1ppascu That It osi1luatel Will! the "tiEht
harroih ceopers,-ttlose wllo lnako whisky alid
| york easEela as.a lard tieFccs. lic WAS eMgagoa
IN the manufacture Ut -four barrsls different
class Of work. Hut oil branches of tile trade
were equslsY depressed.
with regard 10 prices. he sad TINT tho tight
barrel men had been seruwcd down to the lowest
notcl n,. u % was rea1ly imposs5elo for them to
tng n alard.ticrce Or barrel. and ha had henstl
| t!at one nlnn said ho could get thu work done
for ii ceut.. It took II tirst'cluss nan to make
| lorty ot iaese III "eekt AFl 70 make Blk =
tie prico ranged Iron, 81 to 9l,io, and touchod
SILL, tll,u fur couple OF years following TINT
good !lgnrcs wcrc obtained. hut since tl,cn the
An AyeraKc workman could not complete tnnre
tan four barrels or tiotces an tlay, and It WAa
no wonder that tloy bad grown tired Of Il.
The reporter asked about tho fnur~harrcE
| trattU Mr, Sell!lllnk said that d reuily good
workman could nuke 1tsera or perhaps sixteen
In DAY. The prico paid was nin0 cents for
shayr'hooptd barrels md 10 cents ior llatf-
shaved md halt-potul. but, ~ rule. ten TO
a fair woskmnn. In former tiues the price was
Is cents. liz believed lllat thu tlaY Of tho Hour
barrel was nearly over, nnd that 10 the near
future lour would ha put up exclusively in
aacks, either OF paper or spmo toxtilG fabrtc.
There was DO inoHey Iii the trade, ami
It wat 'hntl Tor even frsl-r'nss ruoprrs
to make q living. He knew nothing of tle IT,
tcnto1. of the trade at largo. but thought tho
subject would be iulY discussed ut tho meeting.
As 10 tho prohsa,'u notion u Tho gathering ~
was unable to gtye eycu E,leas. All ho knew
MAS that ~nges ~ere extremely low, anil that
very naturally the Hun were much dissatisfied.
TA1I.oRs' srAiKe,
Yesterday afternoon abort a score OF thu
jollrtleylnon taIlors su,poyul by Wiliourhbr
litli n Co. nanrchch into the pfcsencc nf I'll,
forc.nan w!tt thu un!inlshel garu'unts on tllei'
arn,s, ai.,a refused 10 anish them unaess thc&
IomIuds 1nr au increased schedule of wage
wero compiled with: lnasuuch US this IN
expeetcd request could not bu COMPLIED With
tluy nre intlulg!ng tn thu coetly luxury ol, /
strike. Tho men who are now nn The strtk'
nako IRON ell to SIS for d weeks woE)
Ut ton hours per hay. The principal deman'
Of the coatmakers ia for axtra pay for extr
F wsa o sn
3icssrs. W, II. Il Go. atate TINT theY arc iotuI
work lu Chicago which they formerly hsd don
III New York, aud thcy claim. that tleY DAY the!
iallors. Auu Cannot sell clothes At present prize
1t wages aEu raised or cItTaa allowed. I'll
strikgrs haya assulnud tile offensive and succeed
cd iif soaring oil nen WHO we!o willing to aor
In their places and 1t former prices. The tlrt
will, II necessary, Import meu from the Eat t
do their work.