New-York tribune., 1886-04-24
STRIKES AND LOCHOC1S.
FACTS GATHERED BY THE CENSUS BUREAU.


INTERESTING REPORT OF SPECIAL AGENT ON HE
LABOR TROUBLES or 1850.
WASHINGTON, April 23.-Ihe advance
sheets OF tho report OF Joseph d. Weeks expert anu
spccai agent OF the Census Bureau upon strikes ana
ockouts occurring In the United States In isso nave
been received by the Interior Department
"The total number o! separate strikes" says the ro
mort concerning which sone information was oD-
tanned was 762 Tho largest number OF strikes re-
ported occurring In one state Is 3ol III fenh's
vania. New-York Is credited with only about ohe-lhu
as many. namely, lO4 while Ohio Is third win e' VI
the total number three States are credited WIN
sol or 5a per cent While probable from the fact
that these three states largely engaged in those
industries in which strikes and ockouts arc Oh mos
common oeeurrenec, that strikes are most IrequcA'
therein 1t also probable that the true rropor"o"
which the strikes In States bear to the total num-
Der of strikes not great as these figures suggest
In those States which the indus tries nre most dvesE
Aed-hat Is in the mining and manufacturing states
strikes are most frequent Strikes aro inirequen' "
agriculture, but occur freely In manufactures III me-
cban cal occupations and In mining 1t Will also DO op
served that rule strikes are most frequent I'D 'nose
dustries large bodies OF men are coectcu IN
one and those sections OF the country
where such establishments are most numerous. ino
number strikes in certain Of the prominent IrAoes "
AZ follows Iron and steel Industries, 2o6; coal nihihe'
l5s; textile trades 46 cigar making. 43; building
glass industries. 27 plano making, IA boot anu shoo
making, H."
Continuing, Mr. Weeks says The number OF sIriHos
occurring in Great Britain FOR the ten years. 1871 ~ In
clusiye was about 1852 The relative frequency Oh
strikes in certain OF tho British trades differs greatly
from that obtaining in this country In the puiiu'ng
trades In which $685. than % per cent OF tho
1852 strikes OF Great Britain occurred there were pu'
Al, or less than 5la per cent In this country In the
clothing trades including boots and shoes we had pnt
90. - -
total number of causes reported for the 762 strikes
and ockous In this country during the year 1850 was
s13 This greater number Of causes than OF strikes u
duo the fact that strikes or lookouts involved
more than question or cansc.
much the greater proportion-71a y per cent-of the
strikes aud ockOus reported cansed by differ
ences as to OF wages total Of 5o3 or about 50
per cent OF these relating TO rates of wages or 62 per
cent of ALL for advance and IL or IA per cent
Of relating rates OF wages or go per cent OF all
were against uction While this corresponds with
the generally received opinion as TO the relative fie
auency OF strikes from different in all industries
there is notable variation in this proportion. or the
more important industries this is especially noticeable
in the boot and shoe trades. In which methoas
OF work aud rules Of the shop occa-
stoned rs many strikes IA rates OF wages
Strikes ockouts for other causes than wages now
ever, are not ofteu general.
Strikes growing out OF demands for an advance are
more, much more, uniformly successful than those
against n reduction. -
noticeable fact IN certain trades where the classes
OF employees somewhat numerous is that IL some OF
these trades the strikes scattered with some degree
Of average regularity among the different trades while
In others certain classes appear to have been
railroad whero twenty strikes nro re-
ported and Ourtcen classes OF labor no class Is credited
with more than live strikes while most OF them
ported in only TWO. in the glass industries where
there were twenty strikes and seyehtccn classes
OF labor involved, no ono class is credited
with over IN cigarmakinc. however. IN
which industry there were iortytwo srikes Wh
with being concerned in thirty OF the forty TWO IN
general foundres, whore there fonrieen Strikes
tho moudrrs reported have been IN every
one In foundries whore there were forty
nouldcrs are credited with being concerned In twenty
three strikes and moulders in forty-onc In rolling mills
three classes pnddcrs are reported as beng concerned
Of the eI3 strikes the results 49, 80 per cent
are given OF these, l69. OF 80 per cent were sue
cessfu: eghtyfve. lS per cent we're compromised;
ana 227 or Al per cent. or the 3o7
strikes for an advance. lZ or IL per cent
M xyNo or 20 per S1 wes e2pGS%5Scd % 5e othel i
hand of the ornve strikes or ockonts where the de-
mand against reduction. insisted on BY me elL-
ployer. three only Of those OF wnch lne
ssS' svs@ ssa ss1
unsuccessful or the other classes those involving
anor%y .a@o sra on TIE other hHnd overy strike
connection with hours OF labor OF which the result
nistraton and methods OF work the strikes we're as
From II Of the 7G3 STRIKES reports received
showing The number Of men idle in those cases TO have
been 1913 262 making average OF about 80 men TO
| each strike Returns from 226 strikes show the num-
days of dleDess in these strikes to have been
| 1889 s72. This would give average OF $500 days
lost az strike Assuming this as All average, We
should the number OF days of denrss. as for one
man, I'm 7G2 strikes G.7O9,Il0 Assuming 300 as tho
average number OF employees idle at each strike would
follow that the number OF days during which each OF the
o26,I3s men Idle by reason of strikes and lock,
outs was %. wages lost, it appears that sI77o
employees los: $37l1l97 This wonli be at tho rate OF
5 each. As the entire number OF employees estimated
was DPS. IS the total loss OF this average
would be Sl3 003 S66 that s for The tiine lost the
| wages winch would have been received had the
works run constantly Is the amount named OF course
there would number of offsets to this In the
strikes were successful tho additional wages would
pensate for pOr ton OF this loss In other cases. where
upionism existed in the trades In which there were
strikes the received strike pay or strike benefits
but these strike benefits were IN most cases. simply re-
funding money that had been previously paid Then, in
many cases. the persons strike secured employment
other and hence their actual loss would lie
what wages they would have earned at their Old labor
minus what they did presumably less profitable
| employment"