New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-12-26


The causes of the recent lockout of the Singer
Manufacturing Company at Elizabeth, ~ D.,
are not such as reflect credit upon the town.
Briefly stated Elizabeth owes the company be-
tu cen one and two millions of dollars, which 1t
refuses to pay, though there Is no donDt IA 10
the legitimacy of the debt. On the other mana,
the corporation owes tho town S2O,OOO Tor
taxes. Ii has offered to make his indebtedness
an Offset so far rs il goes. to the clam 1t hods
against Elizabeth, but the latter refuses tins
proposition, and while itself acting toward Its
creditor With conspicuous and persistent bad
faith, insists that the taxes owed to 1t shall he
paid promptly in cash. To enforce this pay
mcut a Ivy was made upon the property oi the
cau,uauc. and in retaliation the latter closed 1t,
works. throwing ont Of employment 5000
persons. nearly all of whom live aud vote IN
Elizabeth.
The indignation of the locllcl-out worhmcn
las naturally h44n directed against the City
Council, whose action against the Singer Com
plny let TO the closing of the works. The
Councl appears to have been alarmed by the
outlook, for men who whilc irresponsible are
capable of shutting their eyes TO the ilnnest
praciplrs of ethics are apt 10 have their moral
vision restored by ihc protests oi 'e'r const!-
tucnts. The result was a not very tl'1r or
arfhic aerccmcnl that the levy should be-
taken OH If the company opened their works
again. The company have promptly carried on,
their II ic of the agreement, but it seems unocr-
tli:l whether tie arrangement will stanl, for
tire Council and other city officers APP car To- DC
looking already foI a urans of evasion. IL I1'
hlppcn,d in hi, case that wealthy corpora
ton has been able To- bring home the question
in issue very forchy to u large number OF
voters by throwing 5000 people out "t en-
ploymrnt. But il must be pointol ont that un-
Ill t.is vas done. aAl unt,l through this action
practical political dangers were forced upon the
attention Of the Elizabeth Council neither they
nor the people of the town seem to have
troubled themselves il the least about the
morality Of their corporate position.
Elil beth Aa, an un,lvory financial history,
and, what il most surprising and unsatisfactory,
docs not appear at all ashamed OF it. II her
Reputation and p r,i>tcnt and audacI"uN e"ih-
ding of creditors had tikcn place in th" south
or the West, local iulltcnccs would no doubt
| have been held largely accountable. Hut what
local influences, other than those 10 be i"urd IN
tie majority of small cities throughout the
! country, exist ~ Elizabeth mere u no tNl-
/ d,nce to show that her citizens are individually
| les, honest dian their icllow-countrymcn any
/ where. A> they prosper it must be assumed
+ that they keep ihcr business engagements.
/ Yet they have allowed men To represent them
VINO for years have done nothing bnt di-crrdit
the town, and now at La; halt Is called to this
dissraccful record by Il municipal act which Tor
fragrant and impudrut dishonesty equals any
story of plandcrng with the high hInd by the
robbcr blrons OF the Middle Ages The worst
feature of the ease, however, Is not the raiu
upon the Singer Company but the state of pub
/ lie npinion which tolcr;tcs such deeds, and
which Is not moved by the disgrace similar and
often repeated dlshoncstlcs have brought upor
| Elizabeth. In the absence OF radical reform,
and 4 return to municipal integrity it is prob
able that the withdrawal from the place of nj
considerable indu. trial establishments ant
capital generally viii be rendered unavoidable
Perhaps, however, the present condition %
things may stimulate the VOTERS to rcmcdia
action and so pave the way for 1t more credit
al futurp