Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1888-01-05
STATISTICS OF STRIKES.
Commissioner OF Labor Wright Reports
on Strikes and LockOuls.
The Results OF the Strikes In the
United States for the Past
Six Years.

WILMINGTON, Dec 30. -Commissioner
If Labor, CarrollD. Wright. to- day trans.
mitted his third annual report to the See.
rotary of the Interior. This report relates
entirely to strikes and lockouts occurring
in the United States for the period of six
years beginning January /. 1881, and end,
ing Dec, 81, 1886. Mr., Wright says that
the industrial depreSsious which have
been so frequent in this country since
1877 really establish the period as one of
strikes and lockouts The manufactur,
ing establishment is taken as the unit in
all matters rather than the strike itself
The names of establishments have not
been given TO, many apparent reasons,
but the localities and the industries to
which the establishments belong are all
clearly specified. After detailing the
methods by which the bureau collected
its information, and these show that the
greatest care was taken in tho investiga.
ton, Mr.. Wright states that these were
for the whole period involved O., 1886
establishments in which strikes occurred
and 2, 1872 in which lOckOuts occurred.
The strikes are DIVIDED by years as fol-
lows: In 1881, 1889; in 1882, 2,l0i; in
1888, 2,756; in 1884 2 1868; in 1885, 2, $50,
and in 1886, 9,S96. Since the first of
January, 1887, so far as the bureau has
been able to ascertain there has been a
great falling of Of strikes rs compared
with 1886, the number of establishments
in which they occurred dropping below
5000 5000 of which occurred in the first
half of the year.
Nearly rs per cent of the establishments
| in which strikes occurred for the siXy wears
named and nearly OF per cent Of those in
which lockouts occurred, were in the I've
States of New York, PENNSYLVANIA,
Massachusetts. Ohio and Illinois. The
total number of employees involved in the
whole number of strikes was 1913, ga,
while the number Of employees locked out
| was 100, 543. OF all the strikes nearly 80
per cent were males and about | per
cent females, while of those locked out
CD per cent were males and 81 per cent
! females
The total shows that of the strikes oc-
curing in the %, 1876 establishments dur
| ing the period covered by the invcstiga-
| ton, those in IL, 407 succeeded and those
in 3,Ol0 met with partial success, while in
500 establishments strikes were failures
Many difficulties were found in ascertain
| ing the exact loss OF employees, but the
| information secured show that the loss to
them for the SIX years was S5l ,S16. 1865,
while the loss to employers through lock
| outs for the same period was 8, 1872, III, or
| u total wage loss to employees through
strikes and lockouts for the six years GOV
ered of $50, 94S. SS2 The amount eXpend,
| ed in assistance TO strikers SO far as ascer-
| tanned was 81, 1926. 057. The employers
| losses through strikes for the SIX years
amounted to $50. 132 ,Gj3, and through
| lockouts to S3, 432, 26l, beng total loss
| to EMPLOYERS in establishments where
strikes and lockouts occurred of 1871, 1884,
| 9l4.
An examination Of the summary tables
| by Industries for both strikes and lockouts
| discloscs the fact that the chief burden
| under strikes was borne by thirteen in
| dustries, viz. Boots and shoes, 352 es.
| Establishments; brick making. AIS; building
trades. 5000; clothing / 72S; coopcragc
4S4; food preparations, 1.al9; furniture,
| 49l; lumber, 800; metals and metallic
goods, ,5S5; mining 1000; stone, l63;
| tObacco,"2, $50; TRANSPORTATION, l,47S; or II
| total number OF establishments in these
industries of 1887, being about 80 per
| cent of the whole number of establish.
ments subjected TO strikes
In lockouts five trades bore so per cent
of the whole burden. They were as fol.
| lows: Boots and shoes. 1855 establish.
ments; building trades, 53l; clothing, 773;
metals and metallic goods,6 6, and tobacco,
1875, or total of 1851, For the two
| classes Of disturbances strikes and lock-
outs, these trades that have been named
affected %, 1872, establishments or about
80 per cent Of the whole NUMBER involv-
| ed.
Among the long list of strikes there
were several which presented unusual
difficulties in the way of tabular statement,
and these, namely the telegraphcrs' strike
Of 1883 and the strikes on the southwest
crn or Gould system of railroads in 1886
81, all having national influence, specific
| explanations are given. The facts given
| by the bureau regarding the strikes oc.
curing prior to 1881, and also those rela.
tive to legislation and the decisions of
courts. concerning strikes. combinations,
conspiracies and boycotts, constitute an
exceedingly valuable portion OF the re-
| port