The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1886-04-30
THE LEADING QUESTION.

THE LEADING QUESTION.
How the President's Message q Received
Ar. Powderly's vIews-Strike stattstios-
Secretary Turner Before the Labor Com
mittee.
WASHINGTON, April 24.-The Presidents
message on the labor question occasioned
more or less comment here to-day. mot
only In political circles but everywhere.
Senator Beck Is outspoken in praise of the
Presidents plan. He says il he could he
would adopt IT. and name ex- Senators Thur
man. Mcdonald and Conkling as the arbi-
trating committee. and give them $4,000 .
year apiece. Such board would command
the respect Of all partiea Senator Van
Wyck thinks the Presidents idea q good
one, and one that, II adopted. would bring
good results. The two prominent Knights
Of Labor in town to-day, Messrs. Pow
DERBY and Mcdowell. both say il
Is good Is far rs it goes, but that
It does not 90 far enough. Mr.. Pow.
derby said: ut is not just what want
though. want department of labor. 1
don't believe in doct0ring these troubles.
want to go to the root OF the disease.
Strikes arc but medicine. They relieve the
patient for time but his sickness comes
back on him. The matter must be seri-
Ously and carefully studied. We need .
department Of labor, to have records on file
to 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 lent's idea of having q
permanent commission on arbitration
Mr. POwderly liked better than the
bill that came from the House Labor Com
mittee, which provides for arbitratOrs to be
appointed in each particular case. Mr.. Nc
DOwelPs recommendation is that an eXect-
tive department, with cabinet minister at
its head, should be created and that the con-
troll Of external navigation OF the mercaD-
tile shipping interest now held by the Treas
ury should be turned over to it. This de-
partment should be known as the Depart
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 equita-
bic system of regulation established.
STRIKE STATISTICS.
WASHINGTON, April 24.-The advance
sheets of the report of Joseph d. Weeks,
expert and special agent of the census bu-
reau upon strikes and lOclzouts in the
United States during the calender year
1855, have been received BY the Interior
Department The records show, he says,
that many strikes and lOckOuts still grow
out 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.
Guently from sinister and mercenary mo-
t!ves, create discussions and endeavOr to in
augnrate strikes. When strikes are in pro.
gress their duration is liable to be pro-
longed By the efforts of such persons Yet
the tendency is toward less frequent strikes
and lOckUuts.
The number Of strikes in certain of the
prominent trades. as given in the report, is
as follows: Iron and steel industries, 1856
coal mining, 15S: textile trades, 46; cigar
making, -; building trades, SO; Transports
ton, SO; printing trades IS; glass indus.
tries, 81; piano making, Il; boot and shoe
making, II. Much the greater proportion
(6lI per cent? of the strikes and lOckOuts
reported upon were caused by differences
IS to rates of wages a total of sos, or Sc
Der cent relating to rates of wages Strikes
growing out of demands for an advance are
much more uniformly successful than those
against reduction. In conditions of trade
hat justify an advance it is much more to
he interest of the employer to give in than
rave his work stop
OF the S13 strikes the results of 4S1 or so /
yer cent are given. OF these 169 or 35 per
ent were successful: SIS or Is per cent. |
we're compromised and 227, or A per cent. |
we're unsuccessful. While the larger num- |
'er OF strikes, SOB out of s13. were for an
dvance in wages, a larger proportion of |
trikes for this cause were successful than
or any Of the other important causes.
The report concludes: "As to wages lost |
t appears that "a, TO employees lost S3,7I1,-
~. This would be at the rate of S57 each. |
Is the entire number of employees estimated !
vas 22S, l3S, the total loss OF wages on this |
verage would be S13,0O3. S6G, which would |
ave been received had the works run con-
family. OF course there would be a num- |
er of offsets to this. In case the strikes /
we're successful, the additional wages would |
for a portion of this loss. In |
ther cases, where uniOnism existed in the |
rades where there were strikers, the men
eceive strike pay or strike benefits; but
Nv refunding money that had hesn T nr n,x
nslv MD THEW IN ,,am,, nasa. g. 49,.
m strike secnred emniovment in othar in.
ustries. and hence their actnaI loss wonid
q what Wages thew wonid have oorraS a.
heir old Iabor minns wb.t thev did aor, j.,
less nrot;,abIe emniovn.nt
sECnrrARy TrRYrR TrsTirIrs
w.surycTov Anr;I o. IT, s..s
ava session of the House Comm;tts. ~,
he Labor Difficulties in the Sontbwes,
pened YESTERDAY with the DENOMINATIONS NJ
frederick p. Turner general secrat.rv ond
reasnrer NJ tho Kn;o6ts ~ sho- ~. h..s