Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1888-02-04
STRIKES FOR six YEARS.

| The Labor Commissioner Rsports-.
Figures showing the Financial
Losses TO Employers and Work.
men.
The Commissioner of Labor, Carol
ID. Wright, has transmitted his third
annual report TO the Secretary OF the
Interior. This report relates entirely
TO strikes ard lockouts occurring
In the United States for period of
SIX years beginning. Jan. l. 1881,
and ending Dec. 81, 1886. Mr..
Wright says the industrial depressions
VIII eli have been so frequent in this
country since 1877 really establish the
period as one of the strikes and lock-
outs The manufacturing establish.
ment is taken as the unit in all matters.
rather than the strike itself The
names of establishments have not been
gwen for many apparent sons, 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 the IN
vestigation) the Commissioner states
that there were, for the whole period
involved, ~. 1856 establishments In
which strikes occurred. and 2. 1872 IN
which lockouts occurred. The strikes
are divided by years as follows: In
1881. 1928; in 1882. 2.10j; in 1888.
1853; in 1884. 1867; in 1885. 1884, and
in 1886, 1888. Since the LIST of Janu-
AIRY, 1887, so far as the bureau has been
able to ascertain, there has been a
great falling off of the strikes. as COM
pared with 1886, the number of estab-
lishments in which they occur dropping
below 5000, 3 600 Of which occurred in
the first half of the year. Nearly 75
per cent of the establishments in which
strikes occurred for the six wears
/ named, and nearly 81 per cent Of those
in which lockouts occurred, were in
tile five States of New York, Pennsyl-
vanin, Massachusetts, Ohio and Illinois.
which states contain 40 per cent of all
I tho manufacturing establishments in
the country and employ So er cent of
the capital invested in mechanical in
dustres in the country.
The total number of employees in
volved in the whole number of strikes
Z for the whole period was 1913, ga,
while The number of employees locked
out was 159. 543. OF all the strikers
SO per cent were males and about IL
per cent females, while of those locked
Z out 60 per cent were males and 81 per
cent females. The totals show that of
/ the strikes occurring in the %. 1886 es-
adjustments during the period covered
bv the investigation those in 10. 407
succeeded. and those in g. 004 met with
partial success. while in 1910 estab-
lishments the strikes were failures.
Many difficulties were found in ascer-
tanning the exact loss of employees. but
the information secured shows that the
I loss TO them for the six years was $751;.
SIG. l65, while the loss to employees
through lockouts for the same period
was IS. 1872. III. or a total wage loss to
emplo,e s through strikes and locknuts
for six years covered Of $50. 948. SS2.
The sum of IS. 325. 057 was expended in
assistance 10 strikers. so far as ascer-
lainable. The employ er's losses
+ through strikes for the six years
amounted $50. 732. 65S. and through
lockouts 10 3,432, POI. being n total
loss TO employers IN establishments
where strikes and lockouts occurred of
s34. 164. 9l4
An examination of the summary
tables by industries, for both strikes
aud lockouts, dscloses the fact that the
chief burden under strikes was borne
by thirteen industries, viz: Boots and
shoes. 1852 establishments; brickmak-
4 ing AS; building trades, 6,060i cloth
/ ing. l.72S; cooperage, 4S4; food pre-
! parations, l.6l9; furniture 49l; luIn-
her. 1895; metals and metallic goods, L.
5S5; mining. 1000; stone, 46s; tobocco.
! 1859; transportation, /. AIS, or a total
number Of establishments IN these in
dustries of l9 957. being about 80 per
sent of the whole number of establish
ments subjected to strikes. In lock-
outs Eve trades bore 80 per cent of
/ the whole burden. They were as fol-
lows: Boots aud shoes. 1855 establish
menis; building trades. 53l; clothing.
773; metals and metallic goods. &c. and
I lobacco, 226. or total of l,76l. For
the two classes of disturbances, strikes
aud lockouts. these trades that have
been named affected %. 432 establish
ments or about 80 of the whole num-
/ Der involved.
Among the long list of strikes there
were several which presented unusual
difficulties in the way of tabular
statement, and for these namely, the
telegraphers' strike of 1888 aud the
strike on the Southwestern Of Gould
system of ra lways. in 1885 and 1886,
all having national influence, specif-
ic explanations are given. The facts
I given by the bureau regarding the
strikes occurring prior to 1881, and al
so those relative to legislation and the
| decisions of courts concerning strikes,
combinations, conspiracies, and boy
colts. constitute an exceedingly valu-