Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-05-01
LAgoI. plPFloUL LIES


There era Indications Of troublous times
ahead for the next few montha IN the labor
arena az the East. In the coal regions Of
Pennsylvania aud among tie on.workers
there is disccntent over the proposed re-
duction Of the wages of the latter, June
lss, aud the Immediate 'tbushel reduction -
on the labor product Of the former. To-
day is fixed for the strike Of the coal
miners. There is some reason to expect
that they viii succeed, at least tempors-
riiy. since they resist very email reduction.
Between n-workers and the manfacs.
urers, however, there is SO broad an issue
that it is not likely to be settlsd until after
a long struggle, especially if, as we expect,
there is hidden purpose behind it all.
The disagreement must affsct iniuFiously
many other injuries. The iron n1anufsct.
urers declare. with apparent sincerity,
that they must reduce wages or "shut
dosn :" she worknen reply that this is not
inevitable, and that they are making polit-
ical capital at their expense. But if the
manufacturers shall establish the fact that
the cost Of production ia il excess Of the
reward OF sales, the workmen will have no
alternative bas TO submit hard as it may
b.. There ig no method they can en-
ploy to compel the manufacturers to pro.
duce at loss, and wien the latter set
about to prove loss to their own sasisfac.
ton they arc not az all likely to consider
that the wofkingmso's Judgment is of q
different character Wish very rare exosp-
tons strikes operate more severely upon
the working classes, and rarely do they
bring abous the end desired by tae work.
ers. Ii there has been over-production,
and the product. as consequences,
hiss declined. no possible atrike can prevent
narrowing Of labor or a reduction of the
wage rate. All it can do is to shorten the
interval IL which the market supply will
lessen and the prices advance but in the
meantime the worker is idle and pays
dearly for his idleness. What the work
MAJ seldom does before striking Ia to ascer-
tain exscsly the condition of the market.
If he would do this be would be able to
discriminate between the rapncity of the
employer and the necessity that forces him
TO reduce wages. The failure of nearly all
the great strikes should be lesson to work.
mes, and teach them thai, however hard
the lot of the wage.winner, he rarely in
deed csn settle the difficulties arising ont
of surplus Of labor, over. production, OF
unhealthy competition. by striking. If il
were possible or right to limit human free.
dom and narrow the labor market, She
worker might exercise control over che
wage paid. Bat this may not be, and hence
the threatened strikes viii fail, al those Of
the past have failed, and the manufacturers
viii accomplish exactly that for which they
asm-to make the strikes excuses for closing
mills that they wish to close anyhow. Ii
the case OF the iron,workers it is to be
noted that when they struck in 1882 for ar
increase Of rolling mill wages, during the
continuance of the strickland it extended
over several months-rolled iron did no.
advance, anu pig iron declined. The re-
port Of the American Iron and Steel Asso
citation up to April ist of this year shows
that the evils of over-production in 1879
md 1880 have not been wholly overcome,
and that alarm is felt because of the tariff
modification which takes effect July lst. II
is not unreasonable to look upon this aE.
parent alarm as purpcseful, and assumed,
with view Of affecting legislation in Con-
gress. In whatever light viewed, however,
il would have been discreet for the iron.
workers, at least for this year. TO have
postponed their strike. If the threatened
reduction is for political effect, the scheme
will be carried out; if it Is of necessity it
will MOI be abandoned, and thus the work
ers will be forced toyisld or remain idle.