Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1882-07-07

sion or the labor question has recently
taken, especially by partisan press.
makes the question, Do strikes pay /?
peculiarly pertinent at this time. And,
hrst. what is the cause of strikes
What object is sought to be obtained,
and are they commonly successful, and
do they pay? are all seemingly insepa-
raole questions. We think it beyond
controversy that strikes are almost uni
versally instigated by trades unions,
which are organizations of laborers
who claim their purpose is to aid un-
ION men to procure information about
wages and assist in its dissemination;
TO aid their sick and needy; to assist
those on a strike and to maintain it.
and to nix rules on work with view
to affect wages. And we think 1t but
just to the laborers and to the mem.
bers OF the trades unions to say that
they as rule discourage violence, and
In taking this view of the question we
would unhesitatingly say that laborers
have right to strike, subject, of
course. to this further limitation that
the laborers prior to the strike give due
or reasonable notice to the employer of
their intentions so to do, and do desist
from violence not only to their employ
er, but to other laborers who may wish
to continue or commence again at old
prices. We think this view is fairly
sustained by the conduct of the labor
ers during the present strike, and the
excellent order maintained at Pitts
burg during the present assemblage of
labOrers at that place. But are strikes
expedient? We claim they are not.
for the following reasons: First. thew
are usually unsuccessful, from
the fact that capital holds out much
longer than suffering labor. In 1870
no less than eight great strikes occur.
red among the various trade unions in
Massachusetts,, and only one proved
successful. In 1874 there were a great
number Of strikes in New York, and
We don't recall single instance where
any were successful. But the greatest
argument against strikes is, the work
men may soon loose more by being out
of employment than they can make ND
by obtaining the increase demanded.
This may be easily illustrated in this
wise, without referring to the present
scale, but which any laborer of ordinary
intelligence may easy cit to his own or
his neighbor's particular case.
Suppose the workmen at the time
the strike occurs is receiving daily
salary of 81, and strikes upon being re.
fused an additional ten cents per diem.
This, were it granted would increase
his income $3.50 per month Excluding
Sundays). but in case it is refused, and
he is thrown out of this employment,
not 81 90 per month but $26 per month
for every month the strike continues
would be lost without computing in
terest; but suppose after a suspension
of one month the employers sign the
scale, and labor is resumed at the in
crease demanded. 1t then is ten
months before the workman regains
what he has lost by this one months
idleness.
Now the enormity of the loss to Ia
Dor caused by strikes can only be CON-
pretended when it is traced i'm the az
gregate. There are at present nearly
$4,000 iron workers idle. ION strike.)
Upon each of these men it is estimated
that four other persons are dependent
for support, making in all 200, 1000 per-
sons directly affected by the strike.
Now applying this to the above figures,
the whole increase demanded is $4,000
per day or $4,000 a month, and in
case they are thrown out of employ
ment, as is the cas,, the whole loss per
diem is $4,000, if it lasts for month
the whole loss is $1,300,000. This last
amount should 60 to the support of the
100000 persons dependent upon this
fund for support. No one can com
prehend the loss of comfort to families
of the confusion that both capital and
labor meet; the lack of confidence of
capital already invested in the particu-
lar industry; reluctance OF new capital
TO enter; the rigidity of the employers
the enmity of the workmen; lack of
harmony and the tendency to disorder
in that and other cencomitant
trades and industries. Strikes tend to
make the employers unite against the
workmen and produce a conflict be-
tween labor and capital, whereas there
SHOULD be the greatest harmony be
tween the two. Nor can the blame
be all attached to the laborer. They
could often avert strikes by being
frank with the workmen, explaining
the state of trade, giving them fsii
statement of profits, and when times
are hard and workmen dissatisfied an6
complaining, an equitable division Of
profits. or an offer or the same, has the
desired effect. In England strikes have
often been averted by capital uniting
with labor, and when clamor occurs
each agree in appointing umpires tt
regulate prices of labor based upon The
percentage of profits made by the EN-
ployers.
The conclusion is that arbitration
should always be resorted to to settle
difficulties which may arise between
laborer and employer.