The Labor enquirer., 1885-04-18

ss1:5S S.1Esiz
d Is limit the number Of operators and
make pools and combinations possible
and objective. On the other hand, There
afs 2,5OO,OOO manufacturer employees
who are associatrng themselves together
for mutual protection, who insist that
the distribution of the profits is
grossly unequal, and who occasionally
presume to strike for higher wages or
against = reduction Of present earnings.
Bnt the use by strikers Of threats or vio7
ience to effect their purposes is contrary
to law and indefensibIe and the right to
secure legislation by false pretenses, the
effect Of which is to restrict competition,
and at the same time opening wide the
door to competing laborers and actually
importing the so-called 'pauper labor
under contract and while reaping large
profits refusing living rates of wages to
the employed, is grossly unjust.
-~fJ q
The military has been three times
called to the scene Of strikes in this
state, in each instance to the door of an
industry which is being 'fostered' by the
government, which the people are being
taxed to protect, and have in these in
stances been again taxed to defend. 3
The Important question is not whether
strikes are either polite or right, or to
what extent strikers may lawfully 60 in
enforcing their demands. but rather how
can We avoid the conditions which pro-
fduce strikes; how can we reduce them
| to minimum? This increase is not at
ltributable to the increasing deDravity
of Iworkmen. n D ~ There win be
strikes 50 long as there are unreasonable
wage-workers or unjust wage-payers
and force, threats and intimidation will
be indulged in so long as injustice is
practiced." '.'' . >'' - 3,5.,'.' , p .,:
The report quotes from Bradstreet fol
December showing the numbers out o.
employment and says: Everywhere
men are being discharged and factories
closed up. At no time in the history o.
this country have we seemed to have
SO much wheat, corn, wool. clothing, Of
so many boots and shoes, yet destitutior
was never 80 prevalent. At no othel
time haye we had SO many people want
ling -four. meal, clothing, boots and shoes
These things have been accumulating
not so much because they were no
needed. but rather because there is no
the ability to buy them, Our produc
tive capacity has been unlimited, bu
our consumptive capacity has been lin
| tied" rs" .-',l4.
Considerable space is devoted to stats
tics concerning the employment of chill
dren. One table shows that 1877 familie
composed of a687 persons occupy 1S'
rooms that 1907 families or 6,l92 per
sons occupy 1907 rooms; that l ,29l fami
| lies or 5,6ls persons occupy 1878 rooms
that 1,sl1 families or S,447 persons oc
cupy 1924 rooms. ,l.~ T.
A table is shown giving the wage
earned by the parents of 974 working
children, and the report says in relation
thereto Mine hundred and thirty-thre'
| out of the 974 are the children of pa
rents receiving not over $3.50 per day
555 are the children of laborers recelv
ing $1.50 per day, and 65 are the chill
dren of widows and infrm parents
Evidently the pressure of social environ
ment, rather than cupididity and greed
has compelled the sending of these chill
dren into workshops and factories; tn
mite contributed by the children beinl
in most cases absolutely necessary II
exc out the scanty living afforded by th'
low wages of the parents"