Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-09-07
LOSSES BIZ STRIKES.
Some Figures and Facts that workins
men would DO Well to STACY
Loss OF Time Is
Loss of MOney-COurts OF Arbitration
Must be Established to Pre-.
vent Strikes.

PHILADELPHIA, September 5.-The Times
| takes leseon from the strikes Of this year
that ia worthy of study by all classes Of
| vorkingmen. 1t says that from the COM
mencement of this seasons labor strikes,
the regular periodical battles between the
workingmen and their employers, the press
| of the country, almost to a unit, has gener-
ousiy espoused the cause of the workingman
and sided with him in all bis alleged grew
\ ances. An immense mass of conflicting
| reports and statements concerning the strikes
! has occupied the columns of the daily papers
| for the past four months, but the unweIcoule
fact remains that the unfortunate, many
instances misguided, strikers have been de-
feated in about sill their efforts. Let us
| calmly review the recent labor strikes, and
after carefully examining the profit aud
loss" statement, let us see how much ii profits
| the workingmsn snd woman TO insugtiraie
and maintain an Unsuccessful strike.
This seasons strike mania commenced with
the'Boston piano -msk ers, not SO much for an
increase OF pay, but because they were OPP
posed to the manufacturers employing nom
union men in their factories. These piano.
makers, 10 the number of 900, after remain
ing out on strike for elk weeks and finding
that they could not bring the employers TO
terms, finally returned to work This exper-
iment cost the piano-makers, most of whom
were skilled workmen comm anding salaries
averaging $50 per week, sum equal to
S162, 900.
The cotton spinners of Fall River, Mass.
were the next to fall into line, and they were
immediately followed by their brethren and
sisters of Lawrence, Mass, and Cohoes, n.
I. THESE people kept up a stubborn fight
Tor over Jour months, only TO give in and re-
turn to work just where they left off, without
accomplishing anything, except great loss
OF valuable time and much money, besides
nnfnlI mia 4.
their families. Il is computed that
upward of 1900 operatives, repre-
senting the strikers in the cotton and
wooden mills OF Fall River, Lawrence and
Cohoes, have been idle for the past four
months Computing the average weekly pay
OF men, women and children at SIS, which
.um is considered by competent judges as
fair average CT earnings, we fud that these
misguided mill operatives have lost or sacri-
feed the enormous sum of II ,344, 600 during
the past lour months Aud what have they
gained in return for this sacrifice of their
earnings?
The freight-ksndlers OF New York, Jersey
City and Boston have been enjoying all the
excitement and discomforts of desperate,
even sangulnary war against the Transports
ton companies fer the past three months
Eight thousand men have been on strike.
They, like the other striking workingmen,
were finally forced TO accept the inevitable
and submit 10 circumstances without accom-
plishing any good for themselves. The av-
erage pay OF a freight handler, or longshore-
man. is about S12 per week, and the figures
show that these hard-working men have de-
liberately sacrificed or thrown away ST. 1872
600 in futile attempt TO prove that their
services were absolutely Indispensable.
Nearly $4,000 iron-workers, many of them
skilled artisans, employed in the various
iron-working mills and foundries, were in
duced by their leaders TO go out on strike
and defy their employers. They have been
on strike for over Two months, and, having
failed in their demands, they are now beg
ging their former employers to take them
on again on any terms. This formidable
strike, which at one time promised 10 revo-
lutiouize The iron manufacturing interests of
the country, cost the members of the Anal |
gamated Iron and Steel Workers Union the
immense sum Of $780, 600 in wages alone |
About 500 stone-cutters undertook to see |
what they could do by getting up a strike |
After sacrificing $4,000 in wages and gain |
ing nothing they wisely decided to return TO !
work. Some 100 glass-blowers and 600 pot |
teIs tried the came doubtful experiment, |
with the same result, the two trades sscri- |
fcing S265, 900 to profit and loss. Then a |
considerable number of coal miners, yari- |
ously estimated at from 5000 to 1000, tried |
their hand at going out. After contributing |
nearly $4,000 10 the profit and loss account
they quietly gave up the Improbable strug
gle and resumed work.
From the facts above stated it appears |
that the only result accomplished by the |
workiugmen in the various labor strikes in |
augurated this season is the loss OF much |
valuable time and the sacrifice of nearly |
could have earned had the strikes not been |
instituted