Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1886-05-19
rnE rEoErr AND Leaa ev n,


-AAA
Il is stated by Bradsfrset's, which har
endeagoTed throuQh its agents 20 make
an approximately correct oessns Of ex.
istinG labor troubles, thas $4,000 men
have taken part Ia the mevemant for
shorter hours. OF these it IL estimated
that 175 600 have struck and $50 900 have
gained their demands without striking
There are supposed to bo also sons
5000 Who Rained their object aftaI
striking. Extremely general &c ara
these statistics, they fcrm 9 sort Of basis
from whicn 30 consider the pFo6t and
loss Of The eight houK movement. IL
the hfat piace, We must note the snail
meas Of the total number 90 engaged
Al the persons seeking, peaaoably OF
otherwise, for bsttae terms Of labor,
number considerably less than 200 600.
which is about 21l per cent. Of the en-
tire number Of persons In the United
States engaged Ia gainful occupations.
Up 70 date less than 100000, according
20 this estimate, have been successful.
To the exteps 70 which the concession oI
nine or teRhouFs' pay eight h0uFa' work
IL promised, it ia pr0of that the CON-
penestien previously paid 60 the work.
men Was not as liberal as their employ
ers could have afforded and as they
themselves believe to Be proper. Bul
thiss too. muat BE- qualified. Working.
nsn will be disappointed II thsy reckon
upon every advance made OF every point
yielded a. q permanent gain. Is will Be
many months before the exact gronnd
won By this NOV, maut can be measured
Ihere we're many FIRMS which, on the
nrst Of Msy, were engaged npon orders
previously received or contrasts uRevi.
ousfy entered into, which they could mol
abandon without immense loss. To anch
Il was the less Of two evils 20 grant. foI
tbs time being. al that was asked oI
them. Even IL the demands Of the men
meant absolute loss, that loss would be
areasar II they had 20 shut down and
incur the penalties attached to broken
contracts. Thorofore u is evident that
part Of the advantage secured is ten.
porAry, There vii come a tiu1e. digfau,
u may be some weeks OF months, Whar
. portion Of the employers who have con
ceded shorter houra and equal og greater
pay will propose q rednotion Of wages
and viii shut dcwu IL the men dealinl
80 ascept the conditions. The aftermath
II the eight hour strike will be &c least
= considerable crop Of busipess auspen.
sions and seEsihly decreased demand
for iabor.
OF The 175.oO0 msE who are stilI on q
strike. Il is prohable thai majority viii
tail 10 seeoivs better terma. In mani
cases employers may ooncIuds q would
Be bstter for them IN the lope run 70 ac
out of basinsss AltoeetheF than sonssni
70 terms Which weuld make them hsavy
losers 81 the end Of tbs business year
In thess eases the strikers esBuot win
NOS because employers are ObduEaie, bu
beoa1se the conditions OF trade arr
against tho grant OF shorter hours, ans
because men will not DO busineaa at Z
ioas. The gains. therefore. of the eiRhI
hour mOVement, thouah real and eppa
Fently deserved, are very small Whsn
reomparsd with tha baIk OF indusiria
inleEssis Of The Whole country. Ths
iosses are not a. easily measured. ID Il
net easy to exsQReEata the damage don.
70 TIE Interests OF the wotkinQman. w
we're jast entering upon . period oi
promise. when industries we're regiVinr
upon every haRd. The efsos of 81
strtkes has been to scare fhe uapstal
which bad af last foand cuuraQa % q
inio productive Investments back aaair
70 ia vaults. II viii Be many q day Be.
t0fe 4 Rets tia esaFage hack. Take thl
one Item of buiidinR. Reports from a
tue eitles coancide. We know thas ~
enterprises postponed IN 81 Paul anl
Minneapolis aaoant weil into The mil
iio1a The same ia systematically r.
ported from New foEk, from Rastou
fF0m ChioAQo, from eveEy city of anJ
szEa Ia tbe oo1ntEy. The oapilss ihml
va 70 Be invested n building will sifhal
lie idle Or Il wiil b pat into real sstatl
or eissuhers cat of The reach % labai
tro1hiea. The men Of al trades, ma.
asn&. 0rtcklayers, oAFpenters. plnnbers
and al tho wofklaEasen emplsyed 4
fasloFiea where anything balong1nR q
haiidin9 o. furnishing is pEodnoed, vii
have taz9 thai much less euRloyElani
The dsnaHd Tor labor vii - eartKilsf
b. as many men as thsas millioas woals
have kept emptoysd q good waRes Oar.
ing ths neason- 1he laws cf trads Al
not 10 be ovefyaied. We beIiaTe in ~
t1aaEy of tie esGkI boar system, end vi
bslisse shat - could b. bFoaRhs lnas
general pEaeaies ~ aaattgua, patient
gradual. peasefai e4eFk Ine Aelemp
- force . e sna sleD opon unpEepaEs1
ind1sffies has proeipiease3 : bonnoa
ccuoit1o1 uhnss fosniis for tbe work
/ saQEnan show q little waERtn of pEuf
fer q snail nnmn@f, aud tFaEondgm
balance u diroet and indifse1 iasasa.
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