Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1886-04-30
STATISTICS OF STRIKE Is IN 1850.

The advance sheets OF the report OF
Joseph D. Weeks, expert and special
agent of the Census Bureau, upon strikes
and lockouts occurring within the United
States during the calender year 1850,
have been received by the Interior De-
partment. The report says in part:
The total number Of separate strikes,
concerning which some information was
obtained, was 702. The largest number OF
strikes occurring in any one State is 304, in
Pennsylvania. New York is credited with
l04. while Ohio ia third. with SO. The
number Of strikes in certain Of the prom
inent trades is given as follows: Iron and
steel industries, 236; coal mining 1853; tex
tile trades. 46; cigar making, 40; building
trades, So; transportation, sc; printing
trades, IS; glass industries, 2I; piano
making. IA; boot and shoe making, IL.
Much OF the greater proportion tl%
per cent? Of the strikes and lockouts re-
ported upon were caused by differences as
to rates of wages. A total Of SOB, or about
sc per cent of those relating 20 rates OF
wages, or 60 per cent OF all, were for an
advance, aud II. or IA per cent of those
relating to rates Of wages. or 81 per cent
OF all, were against Q reduction. In the
boot aud shoe trades, in the rolling mills.
and in printing, however, methods OF
work and rules OF the chop occssioned as
many strikes as rates of wages. Strikes
or lockouts for other causes than wages,
however. are not often general.
Strikes growing out Of demands for an
advance are more, much more, uniformly
successful than those against Q reduction.
Workmen, as 8 rule, do not make their de-
mands for an advance on g rising market
much before they are warranted. and, when
the demand is made, the employer gen.
orally has contracts ahead that must be
filled, and, except in rare cases, under
these circumstances the demand ia con-
coded. On the other hand, when an en-
ployer feels himself justified in demand
ing a reduction OF wages, as g rule, the
circumstance are such as to make is more
for his ~interes. to have the works stop
than not to get the reduction. In such
cases opposition TO g demand for q reduc-
tion is of little effect. the reduction
or the works are idle.
OF the 307 strikes for an advance, OF
which the results are given, 127, or IL per
cent, were successful; 60, or 20 per cent
were compromised, and 11S. or 80 per
cent, were unsuccessful. On the other
hand, of the IS strikes or lockouts where
the demand was agsinst 8 reduction in
sisted on by the employer. 8 only OF
those of which the result is given we're
successful. 8 were unsuccessful, and 3
were compromised.
OF the 20 strikes in connection with
payment of wages, of which the results are
given, IL, or IS per cent, were successful,
6 we're compromised, and 8 are reported as
unsuccessful. On the other hand, every
strike in connection with hours of labor OF
which the result is given was unsuccess-
full. In questions relating to administra-
ton and methods of work the strikes were,
as a rule, unsuccessful.
The report estimates that the loss oil
wages in the strikes reported was 3d..
003, sec; that is, the wages which would
have been received had the works run
constantly. but there would be a mum.
Der Of offsets to this. In case the strikes
were successful, the additional wages
would compensate for a portion Of this
loss, and in many cases the strikers Sc.
cure employment in other industries, and
hence their actual loss would be wages
they would have earned at their old
labor minus what they did earn in pre-
sumably less profitable employment.