Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1888-01-05
COSTLY AMUSEMENT.
WHAT STRIKES HAVE COST.
The Report OF the Labor Bureau on
the Labor Troubles OF the Last
Six Years

The Commissioner OF Labor, Carroll D.
Wright, transmitted his third annual report
20 the Secret,ry Of the Interior. This report
rela es entirely to strikes and lock-outs occur
ing in the United Stltes for the period OF six
years, beginning January, l, 1881, and ending
December 81, 1856.
Mr.. Wright says that the industrial de
pressions which have been so frequsnt in
tnis country since 1877, really establish the
period as one of strikes andlock-outs. The
manufacturing establishment is taken as the
unit in all matters, rather than the strike it,
self The names OF establishments have not
been given, for great apparent reasons, but
the localities and the industries to which the
establishments belong are all clearly specified
Following is synopsis of the report:
In the six years mentioned strikes occurred
in p 1856 establishments AMI lock-outs IN q
lS2 The strikes are divided by years as fol-
lows: in 81, 2,62s: in 80, 2,1O5; in 'SS, 2,759;
in IA, 1851; in IS, 2,2Sl; and il 'S6, 9,S93.
Since January l, ~, there have been less t, a.
5000 strikes, 800 OF them being in the irst
six months. About 20 per cent of these
strikes and 81 per cent. of the lock-outs oc-
CURED in New York, Pennsylvania, Massa-
chusetts, OHIO and Illinois, these States con-
tanning 40 per cent. Of the establishments AMI
5S per cent of the capital engaged in manu.
factures. There were 1,S1S,62 persons en-
gagged in the strikes and 159,943 locked out
or the strikers nearly so per c'nt. " 1re males,
and about II per cent. females; while of those
locked-out G9 per cent. were miles and 8!
per cent, females. or tine strikes 1O,407 SUE
ceeded, 1904 were partly successful, while
500 failed.
As nearly as could be learned the loss to
employees through strikes was $5l, S16, l65,
and that Through lockouts was So, lS2,7l7, or
a total wage loss of $59,94S,SS2; S3,3o5, ,O57
were expended in assistance to strikers, so far
as ascertainable. The employers losses
through strikes for the six years amounted
to $50, 732, ,6SS, and through lockouts to 49,,
49,, ,26l, a total of $34, 64,914
The chief burden under strikes was borne
by l3 industries, viz: boots and shoes, 3j2
establishm brickmaking, 47S; building
trades, 6,O6O; clothing, 1,72S; cooperage, 4s4;
food preparations, 1,419; furniture 491; lum-
Der, S95; metals and metallic goods, 1855;
mining, 1850; stone, 46S tobacco, ,059; trans
portation, 1,47S; or a total numoer Of 19, ,957;
being about 80 per cent of the whole
number of establishments subjected to
strikes. In lock-outs five tradls bore so per
cent Of the whole burden. They were as
follows: Boots and shoes, l55 establishments;
building trades. 531; clothing, 773; metal and
metallic goods, rs; and tobacco, 226; or total
of 1,76l. Forthe two classes OF disturbances,
strikes and lockouts, these trades that havo
been named affected y, ,432 establishments,
or about W per cent. of the whole number
involved.
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,
couspiracies and boycotts, constitute an ex-
'ceedingly valuable portioo of the report