The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1882-04-22
Labor Troubles.

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Strikes are increasing daily in num-
Der and Importance. A few months
ago the relations of labor and capital
were almost entirely undisturbed
throughout the country. Working
people were everywhere more fully
employed than ever before, and were
receiving wages which. up to that
time, were generally satisfactory.
Now the condition of industry is on
the whole less favorable, the employ
ers, as rule, being able to secure less
profits, and therefore being less able
to pay good wages and yet consid-
cradle proportion of the strikes
which are now reported daily origi-
nate in demands by the working peo-
pie for higher wages. 1t is true,
there are notable exceptions. The
difficulty in the Harmony Mills, at
Cohoes, which may affect 5000 work.
ers, arises directly from a posted no.
tice of a reduction of 10 per cent in
wages. though the employers claim
that the movement was designed to
head off demand for an increase,
which they have been discussing for
some time. In the Lawrence mills,
reduction was proposed by the en-
ployers. But the lumbermen of Mi
chigan, the employees in the glass
manufactures in New Jersey, the
hricklayers in Philadelphia, the loco
motive-builers at Paterson, the car
penters, shoemakers and railroad
hands at Toronto, and the ship-calk-
ers at Cleveland, all desire, i'm one
form or another, better remuneration
for their services. The great strike of
cOal-miners in the Cumberland re.
giOn, the strike of 5000 marble-cut-
tiers here, that of the carpenters and
joiners, iron-moulders, coopers and
coach-painters, all originated in de-
mlnds for higher wages. Many
other controversies exist, too numer-
Gus for mention, which have not yet
reached the form of refusal to work,
but mays at any time. and other strikes
of minor importance are now in pro-
gress.
When so many diverse interests
are disturbed at the same time,
though it is not possible to discuss
the merits of each case in detail, it is
certain that there must he 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 a.
ways 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 decrease of
railroad building have materially di-
unfinished the ability of large num-
bers Of people to consume the pro-
ducts of others. The farmers, for
example, upon whose labor half the
consumers of the country directly de-
pend 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
vegetable-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 ali classes were
thriving and willing to purchase free
ly. Having hoped that the decline
in consumption would soon cease,
and having accumulated large stocks
of goods in 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 laboreSs that steps have been