New-York tribune., 1882-04-08
LABOR TROrBLES.

Strikes are increasing daily i'll number and
importance. A few months ago the relations
of labor and capital were almost entirely un-
disturbed throughout the country. Working
people were everywhere more fully employed
than ever before, and were receiving wages
which, up to that time, were generally salts
factory. Now the condition of industry is on
the whole less favorable, the employers as a
rule being able to secure less profits, and
therefore being less able to pay good wages !;
and yet a considerable proportion of the
strikes which are now reported daily originate
in demands by the working people for higher
wages. 1t is true there are notable excep-
tons. The difficulty in the Harmony Mills, at
Cohoes which may affect 5000 workers,
arises directly from posted notice of a reduc-
ton of 10 per cent in wages, though the en-
ployes claim that the movement was designed
to head off a demand for an increase, which
they have been discussing for some time. In
the Lawrence mills, reduction was proposed
by the employers. But the lumbermen
of Michigan, the employees in the glass
manufactures in New-Jersey, the bricklayers
in Philadelphia, the locomotive builders at
Paterson, the carpenters, shoemakers and rail-
road hands at Toronto, and the shlp-calkers at
Cleveland all desire, in one form or another,
better remuneration for their services. The
great strike of cOal-Ininers in the Cumberland
region the strike of 5000 marblecutters here,
that of the carpenters and oncrs, iron-,nould-
ers, coopers and coach-painters, all originated
in demands for higher wages. Many other con-
truversies exist, too numerous for mention,
which have not yet reached the form of re-
f,yo tn lint of a a.
strikes of minor importance are now in pro-
gTess.
When so many diverse interests are dis
turbed at the same time, though it is not pos
sible to discuss the merits of each case in de-
tail, ii is certain that there must be some COM
mon cause of trouble If this cause can be
discovered, an understanding of it may be
useful to employers or employed, or to both.
For every strike is a waste. Both parties
always suffer, but in times like these the
laborers are apt to suffer most. For the
state of business is such that in most
of the leading trades some suspension of
production would be advantageous to those
who have large stocks on hand. The
partial failure of crops last year and the de-
crease of railroad building have materially di-
minished the ability of large numbers of people
to consume the products of others. The farm
crs, for example, upon whose labor half the
consumers of the country directly depend for
support, have less to sell than they had at this
time last year. They raised less wheat, corn,
cotton, CATTLE hogs, fruit, milk, butter and
vegetables-less in value by several hundred
millions Hence they have less to sell, and
must perforce buy less for themselves and their
families Thus the drouth of last summer
comes home to the manufacturers, who are able
TO sell less of their products than they sold
when all classes were thriving and willing to
purchase freely. Having hoped that the decline
in consumption would soon cease, and having
accumulated large stocks of goods i'll many
cases, they are the less inclined in such cases
to prevent temporary suspension OF work.
In some instances, indeed, it is thought by the
laborers that steps have been purposely taken
by the employers to bring about strike and
suspension.
But far more common cause, it is prob
able, is the pressure which an advance in
prices has brought to bear upon those who live
by wages. This advance, though mainly
caused by the partial failure of crops has been
greatly increased in its effect upon retail prices
by speculation in products. Undoubtedly this
has materially enhanced the cost of living, for
laborers as for everybody else, and probably
even more for those who are obliged to pur-
chase small quantities at time, or to board.
than for those who buy at wholesale. Even
the wholesale prices at New York. however,
have advanced nearly II per cent on the aver
age during the past year.
Practically the wages of labor have been
Al IL.
cost of the necessaries of life. But the work
ing men would be wise to remember that the
increase is temporary, aud due to disasters Of