Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1886-04-29
THE LEADING QUESTION.

tnE IEAOiNG QOESlION
How the Presidents Message is Received
Mr.. Powderly's yiews-Strike Statistics
Secretary Turner Before tho Labor Com
mittee.
WASHINGTON, April 2A--The Presidents
message on the labor question occasioned
more or less comment here to-day, not
only In political circles, but everywhere.
Senator Beck Is outspoken in praise of the
Presidents plan. He says if he coulo he
would adopt 1t. and name exSenators Thur
msl, Mcdonald and Conkling as the arbi-
trating committee, and give them $4,000 a
year apiece. Such board would command
the respect of all parties. Senator Van
Wyck thinks the Presidents idea a good
one, and one that. if adopted, would bring
good results. The two prominent Knights
OF Labor IN town to-day, Messrs. Pow
DERBY and Mcdowell, both say it
Is good as far as it goes, but that
it does not 90 far enough. Mr.. Pow
derby said: ut is not just what want.
though. i want department of labor.
dent believe In d0ctoring these troubles.
want TO go to the root OF the disease
STRIKES are but medicine. They relieve the
patent for time but his sickness comes
oack Or him. The matter must be seri.
Ous:y and carefully studied. We need
department of labor, to have records On file
10 make careful and constant study of the
labor question, and be ready to act and to
recommend action at any time Arbitra-
ton should be conducted from this depart
ment." The Pres tents idea of having
permanent commission on arbitration
Mt. POwderly liked better than the
Dill that came from the Housa Labor Com.
mittce, which provides for arbitrators &. be
appointed in each particular case. MIR. Nc.
Doweils recommendation is that an execu-
i've department, with 4 cabinet minister at
ITS head, should ee created and that the con.
troi OF external navigation or the mercan-
Tie shipping interest now held by the Treas.
nry should be turned over to if, This de-
Pa.tment should be known as the Deport.
ment of Labor and Commerce. BY having
an executive department controlling inter.
nal and external transportation, railroad
and marine matters, he believes the present
difficulties could be reached and an eouita.
bic system of regulation established.
STRIKE STATISTICS.
WASHINGTON, April 24.-Tbe advance
Sheets OF the report of Joseph ID. Weeks,
expert and special agent of the census bu.
feau upon strikes and lockOuts i'm the
United States during the calender wear
1855, have been received by the Interio,
Department The records show, he saws.
that many strikes and lockouts still grow
ont of the most trivial causes. 1t Is also
true, especially in localities where large
bodies OF workmen are gathered that there
Will always be found men, who, too fire.
Quently from sinister and mercerary mo-
lives, create dissensions and endeayor to in.
IN OF los t.;I-
gress their duration is liable to be pro.
longed by the efforts OF such persons Yet
the tendency is toward less frequent strikes
and lockoutS
The number Of strikes IN certain OF the
prominent trades, az given in the report, is
as follows: Ion and steel industries, 236
coal mlnlas, l5S: textile trades, 46; cigar
making, 81; building trades, Sc; transporta-
tloi', 81; printing trades IS; glass indus.
tIles, "a; piano making, Il; boot and shoe
making, III. Much the greater proportion
(6l13 per cent? of the strikes and lockouts
reported upon were caused by differences
as to rates of wages, total @. BOB, or Sc
per cent relating to rates OF wages. Strikes
growing out of demands for an advance nre
much more uniformly successful thah those
against reduction. In conditions of trade
that justify an advance It is much more to
the interest of the employer to give in than
have his work stnp.
VI tho sig strikes the results of 4S1 or IS
per cope. are given. OF these 1863 or IS per
cent were SUCCESSFUL: s. Or Ii per cent
were compromised and 227, or AZ per cent,
were unsuccessful. While the larger num-
Der of strikes, 5o3 out of S13, were for an
advance in wages, larger proportion of
strikes for this cause were successful than
Tor any of TIE other important causes.
Inc report concludes: "As to wages lost
1t appears that "a, no employees lost STILL
UT. This would be at the rate of S57 each,
AS the entire number of employees estimated
was 22S, l3S, the total loss OF wages on this
average would be SIS, 003. $780, which would
have been received had the works run con-
stantly. OF course there would be num-
Der OF offsets to this. In case the strikes
were successful, the additional wages would
compensate for portion of this loss. In
other cases, where unionism existed in the
trades where there were strikers the men
receive strike pay or strike benefits; but
the strike benefits were in most cases SIM
ply refunding money that had been previ-
ously paid. Then in many cases the parties
on strike secured employment in other in
uustries, and hence their actual loss would
be what wages they would have earned at
presumably less profitable employment"
SECRETARY TURNER TEsTIFIEs.
WASHINGTON, April 24.-The fourth
days session of the House Committee on
The Labor Difficulties i'm the Southwest
opened yesterday with the examination of
Frederick p. Turner, general secretary and
treasurer of the Knights of Labor. He had
taken part i'm the attempt to arrive at set
Element, and was present at Powder!y's in
tervicw with Gould. The Knights of Labor
had no political object; did not seek to in
fiuence legislation, and had made no such
movement on their part.
The witness thoroughly believed in arbi-
tration, and would like to see arbitration
compulsory.
Mr.. Grain asked: Suppose the arbitra-
tors reported that the knights of Labor
should go TO work at one dollar day when
they wanted Sl.50, are you willing to say
YOU would ask your fellow members of the
knights of Labor to abide by that?'
Mr.. Turner replied: IF | entered into
an agreement to abide by arbitration,
would submit
Referring to remark made yesterday by
MIR. Hopkins as to prominent persons con-
Dected with the Knights of Labor having
Teen seen around brokers' Offices. the most
! OSitive denialS of all stock specuations
were made by Powderly, Mcdowell and
Turner.
Mr. Mcdowell favored one of Gould's
suggestions yesterday as to the propriety
of having railroad engineers and officers
licensed by the general Government.
The committee at l 80 closed its sitting i'm
Washington, and it was arranged that the
members should leave this city for St.
Louis Monday morning.
Said He WAS Poisoned.