The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1883-08-16
LABOR cyTEs7s IN 1888.

tests this year differ essentially from
those of 1SS1-'S2 or those of 1874 Dur
ing the first half of last year the high
pnce of food and ether necessaries of
life made wages relatively small. The
working people did not generally I'M
dezssand that the trouble was temporary,
OF that itRas necessary consequence
cf the failure of crops in 1881. Strikes
we're numerous, and some of them last
ed long time knd kept large number
a men in idleness; but there was this
ezcass for them-the times were hard
sae those who lived upon wages, because
tie eest Of lining was unusually high.
IHs1S77, sWAan The great railroad strike
took place there was similar excuse.
General depression in business afJeF the
panic of 1878 hsd caused reduction of
wages in many departments of industry.
Bnt tie retail dealers were still clinging,
as tsE g they could, to the inflated
prizes Of the period preceding the panic.
The working people were not able TO
meet this state of things with equani-
mi,y. ana many minor strikes occurred
besides the great strike OF railway
hands,
:, Ihis year the case IL very different.
Prices are low. The general range Of
prices has been declining quite steadily
for two years, and nearly all the great
staples are now selling much below the
average price for fifty years. The retail
dealers. did put up the price of food
more than was necessary or justifable
last year. bat the trade Of the latter half
of 1882 was disastrous, and there has
been no encouragement this year to
make higher charges. The cost of liv-
ing, on the whole, is decidedly low this
year, and there has been no such reduc-
ton In wages, during the past year, as
there has been in the cost of the neces-
saries Of life. Yet strikes are reported
almost every day, and in many different
branches of industry. The disagree
ment between the telegraph companies
and their operators is only the most con
spacuous of these contests; there are now
in progress strikes in the iron business,
and others in mining, in many branches
of manufacturing, and in railroad build
ing.
This year the difficulty is not with the
hands, but with the employers, and the
main cause Is not the cost of living. but
the general depression in business. AS
q rule, capital has had the worst of it
this year. Prices have declined, and
the prospect of decline was so clear
that purchasers have limited their orders
as far as possible ever since the year be-
gan. Manufacturers and miners who
persisted in keeping their men at work
have been pinched by the fall in the
value of products. The accumulation OF
unsold stocks has been large. Unsound
ness in several branches of business has
been developed, and heavy failures have
not only inflicted severe losses upon
many, bat shaken commercial conf
dence 30 that credits have shrunk. IN
addition, the revision of the tariff, while
it caused some embarrassment, was re
gaEded with apprehension by many who
have as yet sustained NO loss from it.
Out Of all this 1t has come 10 pass that
many employers have been forced to
propose reduction of wages, and many
others have closed their works. This
army Of workers thus thrown Oat OF
employment haYe pressed sharply upon
those still at work.
There ought to have been great for
bearance and mutual helpfnlness be
tween employers and employed this
year. Unavoidably it has been trying
year tor both. Heipfulness and wal
ling division of the burden to be borne
there would have been, it is probable,
but for the trades unions. But these or
CARNATIONS have been unusually active
this year, sometimes resisting reductions
of pay which employers proposed, and
sometimes even demanding an increase
of pay, Notwithstanding the embarass-
ment of industry and trade. It seems
to be peculiar characteristic and weak
ness ofAthese organizations that they are
never able TO see that business is stag
nant, or that employers are pinched.
They strike for higher wages just when
thousands of willing workers are unem-
ployed and eager for something to do,
or when employers are seriously con-
siderlDg whether they can afford to keep
establishments open at present rates
The blunders made by these organiza
tions this year will cost the laboring
people very large sum. What is worse,
hey will subject important branches OF
business 70 serious and prolonged en-
barassment. and foster an antagonism of
feeling, between employers and employ
ed, which can hardly tail to do much
harm hereafter.