The Republican journal., 1888-02-02

STRIKES DURING THE PAST YEAR.
The commissioner reports nine strikes dur
ing the year, of which three succeeded and four
failed, and as to two the result is not stated.
They were as follows:
July 5. y men in the employ of the Andros-
coggin Water Power Company. lumber mill.
struck, assigning as a reason that they wished
to leave OFT work at O'Clock saturday after
noon, instead of 3 80 O'Clock. But 60 hours a
week was demanded by the firm, the time table
being from 6 30 A. NJ. to II NJ, and from l =.
NJ. to . :A Z. NJ. or 10 hours q minutes for
five days in the week and eight hours OH Satur-
day. The strike was short, and failed
July :, - WeaVerS employed by the lOrk
Manufacturing Company struck on account of
Il rule forbidding operatives to put on their out
er clothing until the ringing of the bell. This
failed after one day.
July II, Cabot cotton mill, Brunswick. Three
hundred and twenty-five weavers struck for i'll
crease of wages. Wages increased cents Il
cut, and work resumed after suspension of
100 operatives one week. Succeeded.
July %, Farwell mills, Lisbon. Seventy-tive
weavers struck for advance in wages. Out
about a week. Pay advanced - per cent.
Succeeded.
Aug Il, Lockwood Company, cotton mill,
Waterville. Cause of strike, those who work
by the piece had their wages advanced Aug. l
to make up for the shortened hours of labor.
and the day help wanted more pay for day
of 10 hours than they had received for II hours.
gave it up on the fourth day.
Aug. 10, Edwards Manufacturing Company,
cotton mill, Augusta Two hundred weavers
struck for advance in pay. "A disagreement
had arisen between the manager and the weav
ers over the report of committee agreed upon
by them to investigate prices paid for piece
work in other places. The commissioner of
this bureau and prominent officer of the X.
of L., were requested to use their efforts for
settlement. The result was that all the strikers
oft nf
eight days. Failed.
In August, brief strike occurred at the
Barker mill, Auburn. The weavers and spool
ers demanded more pay, and were allowed ! 1-2
per cent. advance. Succeeded.
In October and November strikes took place
among the Iasters employed in the shoe factories
of David Cummings l. Co., South Berwick,
W. f. Morgan Il Co., Portland. Cause, dis;i-
greement as to prices on lasting machines. Re-
liable information as to results has not been
obtained by the commissioner.
LABOR ORGANIZATIONS
| An historical sketch of organized labor is
given from the time of the guilds of the middle
| ages. showing the progress achieved under
| them. OF the Knights Of Labor it is said the
| semi.annual report of the secretary. made July
| 26, 1887, was follows: Whole number of
locals reported Jan. l. 1887, 124; number adj
| mitted since, 5-129; number of locals lapsed,
| 1S; number of locals, July l, 1SS7-111. The
membership was rot stated. In his report
made ut the sixth session of district assembly
S6, held at Biddeford, July 26 and p, 1887, the
district master workman referred to the con-
dition Of the order in the following words:
1.-The delegates attending this session must be,
doubtless, aware of the alarming decrease in
membership during the latter half of the past
year. To use the language of another, MEM
bers were leaving the order with as much haste
| and as little ceremony as rats leave sinking
ship To stay this wholesale exodus was my
first consideration, and to beget, in the member
ship of the locals, confidence in the administra-
ton of district affairs. Had this exodus con-
tinued in the same ratio, we would be an or
ganization only in name to-day"
Several important trades have local unions