Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-09-23
Tho Disastrous End Of a Great
STRIKE.
Cincinnati Commercial.

The great strike which has just
ended at Pitlsburg was fully developed
on the LIST Of June. Ten thousand
shilled workers in iron went out on
that day. The strike in the Pittsburg
district was followed by strikes at
Wheeling, Youngstown and other
places as far to the southwest as st,
Louis, but those who held out longest
we're the strikers in the Mahoning
Valley, the Pittsburg and Wheeling
districts. They have been idle Tor
four months and a half.
A new scale of wages was adopted
by the Amalgamated Association, and
the employers were notified that they
must accept it or the men would go
out. The employers responded
that the price OF iron and the prospect
of a reduction rather than an increase,
would not wrrant them In accepting
the new scale. AS there was a large
amount Of stock on hand, they prefer
red rather than u the mills at a loss,
that they should stand idle.
This has been the posture Of affairs
up to a recent date, when the fnishers,
tired of the strife, manifested a desire
to 90 to work on the old scale, and
threatened to secede from the Anal
gamated Association if it did notrecede
from its actioni in June, The puddlers,
however, insisted on continuing the
struggle, and declared they would not
resume unless at the advanced figures.
There was, therefore, the imminence
of a disastrous split in the Amalga.
mated Association. and the secession
of an important body of men from its
ranks to be considered. Rather than
this catastrophe should happen Presi-
dent Jarrett, after ~ascertaining that a
majority of the men we're DESTROYS to
resume on the old terms, declared the
strike of; and thus ends one Of the
most obstinate and we'll conducted
strikes in the history of the iron in.
dustry Of the United States.
1t leaves the men in a much worse
condition financially than it found
them. and the Amalgamated Associa-
ton is much crippled in its recouroes.
The strike, as the result shows, was i'll
timed. The demands upon the iron
masters we're more than they could
pay, without loss to themselves, and
hence their steady refusal even to
compromise on rates. Both sides are
losers, but the greater loss falls on
those least able to endure it. The
operatives, with all the aid given
them from the Association fund, and
by way Of contributions from sympa-
thizing labor associations the country
over, have had but scanty subsistence,
aud their families have suffered ac-
cordingly.
To say that all this loss, hardship
and suffering might have been avoided
had there been a Board of Arbitration
In existence, whose authority would
have been recognized by both sides, is
plain enough to those who havestudied
the subject and read the accounts of
the proceedings Of Boards of Arbitra.
ton in England, as given from time
TO time in the Commercial. The fail
ure Of this strike, and its disastrous
consequences to twice ten thousand
wOrkmen, should suggest to them as
we'll as the proprietors of iron works
themselves, the advantages Of such
Boards in compromising differen ces
that will inevitably occur betw cen
employer and employed. Millions Of
dollars might have been saved in this
strike alone had an appeal been made
to a competent Board of Arbitration