The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1889-01-04
The Result Of Strikes.

There has been issued BY the govern
ment rccc ntlv through the bureau of
statistics an official report relating 10
strikes and lockouts. 1t is of deep
interest to all who are interested in the
welfare of labor The report shows
that during the seven years from 1881
to 1883 there were 22,2S6 labor strikes
in this country. Less than 80 per
ce mt. Of these were successful, little
over 10 per cent. were compromised
and the rest were total failures. There
were 1,323,203 persons engaged in
these troubles and the statistics show
further, as an inevitable result of
strikes, that the number of employees
was in nearly every case reduced. The
actual loss in money that the strikers
sustained is found to aggregate in the
seven years s5l,S14,.23. to which
should be added $4.i30,195 contribu-
ted to needy strikers by their fellow
laborers. The loss to other employees
in the suspension of work on account
of strikes is estimated to be $50, 10l,-
653. These figures tell 4 fearful tale,
and the many millions thus lost to the
wage earners of the country, causing
untold suffering and misery, represent
in forcible manner how unproduc-
tive of good strikes have been. Other
indirect losses must be estimated in
this reckoning. Property remained
idle, the disturbances TO trade and bus
mess reduced the number of laborers
by checking the demand for the pro-
ducts of their labor, the support of the
leaders, who in every case exacted tri-
butte from their followers these
things, combined with the actual loss
given in the tables of statistics. will
certainly raise the amount lost TO labor
during the seven years to the enor-
nous sum of S100,000,000.
another disastrous feature of strikes,
not always taken INTO account, is that
in many industries they have operated
to the positive injury of home labor,
resulting in some instances to exclu-
sion from former fields OF work. The
Hun and the Pole are principal opera
tives in many of the coal and coke CEN
tres. Italian laborers are now extern
sively engaged upon public works
where few years ago they Were I'M
known. And foreigners, many of
whom never become citizens, are rapid
ly taking the places of American Ia
borers in iron, cotton and other mills
because they are willing TO accept one
third less than our laborers need for Il
support.
In this we have national problem
of grave import. The new year is said
to have opened with a promise of in
dustrial prosperity, but the condition of
labor under the destructive tendencies
of the times is not hopeful. The strong
hand of legislation must come again
to the rescue. American citizens mus.
be recognized and protected from I'M
just competition. Capitalists will op-
pose everything that does not profit
them. Beyond certain limit the
employer has the advantage of the en-
ploye. But strikes are not whole
some remedy for the evil. They NAV
sometimes be necessary, but in nearly
every case labor suffers. May spirit
of fairness on both sides prevail du-
ring the year just ushered in, for free
dom from contentious will promote the
good of all, and capital and labor will
mutually reap the benefits.