Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1888-01-05
WHAT IT COSTS.

Figures Relating to Strikes ana AocKouls
IN the United states During the Last SIS
| years-The Cost of the Luxury of Strik-
| ing to the yyorkingncn of the Na1oh-
| An Interesting SIorsei to Chow On'
w.sHrNcToN. Dec. 30.-The Commis-
! sioner of Labor. Carroll D. Wright, yes
/ terday transmitted his third annual re-
| port to the Secretary of the interior.
| This report relates entirely to strikes ana
| Icckouts occurring in the United States
| fer the period of six years, beSlnning
/ January ], 1881, and ending Deceinper o.;
| 1856. Mr. Wright says that the inoustriai
| depressions, w - fave been so frequent
| in this country inco 1877. really estaoiisn
| the period rs one OF str kes and lockouts.
/ The manufacturing este b'isainent is taken
| as the unit in all matters rather than
! the strike itself. The names OF estap~
| lishments have not been given for many
| apparent reasons: but the localities ana
| the industries to which the establish
ments belong are all clearly specified.
After detailing the methods by which tine
bureau collected it's information, ana
these show that the greatest care was
taken in the Investigation, the commls-
sioner states that there were for the whole
period involved 1885 establishme in
which strikes occurred, and ?, 1S2 in which
lockouts occurred. The strikes are divid-
ed by years as follows: In 1881, 1,95S; in
1882, 2109; in 1883, 1861; in 1884, 2,S6S; in
1895, ., $50, and in 1886, 900.
Since the first of January, 1887, so far
as the bureau has been able to ascertain,
there has been a great falling off in
strikes as compared as 1886; the number
of establishments in which they occur
dropping below 5000, three thousand Of
which occurred in the first half of the
year. Nearly IS per cent. of the estab-
lishmants in which strikes occurred for
the six years named aud nearly 81 per
cent. of those in which lockouts occurred,
We're in the five States of New York,
Pennsy lvania, Massachusetts, Ohio and
Illinois. The total number of employees
involved in the whole number of strikes
was 1,31S.6 while the number of en-
ployes locked out was 159, 543 OF all the
strikers nearly 50 per cent were males
and about II per cent. females; while of
those locked out 60 per cent. were males
and 81 per cent. females. The totals show
that of the strikes occurring in the % 81 g
establishments during the period covered
by the Investigation. those in 1o,4)7 sue
ceeded and those in 1904 met with partial
success, while in s $40 es establishments the
strikes were failures.
Many difficulties were found in ascer-
tanning the exact loss o. employees. but
loss to them for the six years was $j1,Sl6,.
1855, while the loss to employees through
lockouts for the same period was s., 1872
TIT, or a total wage loss to employees
through strikes and lockouts for
the six years covered about $509iS,
SS3 Three millions three hundred
and twenty five thousand and fifty
seven dollars were expended in
assistance to strikers far ascertain
able The employers losses through
strikes for six years amounted to $50, 731,-
653, and through lock-outs to S. 432,2Gl;
being total loss to employers in estab-
lishments where strikes and lock-outs
occurred of $34 164. 914. An examination of
the summary tables by industries for
both strikes and lock outs dis
closes the fact that the chief
burden under strikes was borne by
thirteen indus tries, viz: Boots and shoes,
352 establishments: brickmaking, 47S;
building trades, 6.061; clothing, 1,72S;
cooperage, 4Si; food preuarations, 1,419;
furniture, 49l; lumber, 395; metals and
metallic goods, 1885: mining, 5000; stone,
46s; tobacco, 2595; transportation, 1,47s,
Or total number of establishments in
these Industries of 1887, being about
ninety per cent. of the whole num-
Der of establishments subj scted to
strikes. In lockouts five trades
bore eighty per cent. of the
whole bard IN. They they were as fol-
lows: Boots and shoes, 155 establishm ents;
building trades, 531; clothing, 773; metals
and metallic goods, rs, and tobacco, 226;
or a total of 1.781. For the two classes of
disturbances, strikes and lockouts, these
trades that have been named affected
q, 432 establishments, about ninety
per cent. of the whole number involved.
Among the long list of strikes there
We're several which presented unusual diff
fculties in the way of tabu-
lar statement, and for these,
namely, the photographers strike of
1883 and the strikes on the Southwestern
OF Gould system of railroads, in 1855,
all having a National influence, specific
explanations are given.
The facts given by the bureau regarding
the strikes occurring prior to 1881, and
also those relative to legislation and the
decisions of courts concerning strikes,
combinations, conspiraces and boycotts
constitute an exceedingly valuable por
ton of the report.