Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-06-30
STRIKERS CAN'T WIN
In Their Fight for Wages That They
Can Live on Without Having to
Exc OUT AN EXISTENCE By TIPS.
The Force of Habit Causes Giant to Make
Some Very Funny Breaks.
IKE OUT AN EXISTENCE By TIPS.
GEO. STARR BOOKS BARNUM IN LONDON
Try CABLE TO THE p1spArcH.,

by CABLE TO THE DISPATCH,
LONDON, June 29.-[Copyright. l-Your
Liverpool correspondent writes that it looks
to-day as if the great strike of seafaring men
is about to end in favor of the employers.
This strike is of international interest
References in the news columns of The
DISPATCH to delays in crossing the At
lantic due to green hands in the furnace
rooms OF steamships have given a hint of the
trouble, but it has been more considerable
than any strike that has ever been or
ganized in the transatlantic service be-
fore. Passengers coming over on ships now
in Liverpool, or who have just sailed for
New York, like the Alaska, Britannia and
City of Paris, have had sailors and stewards
tell them all about it, for every employe on
every ship has his mind full of it.
All the employees of the great steamship
lines except the officers are concerned in the
strike. Wretchedly paid for years, and
SUBSIDING MAINLY ON TIPS
they get from passengers, the stewards have
at last arisen against their bosses and have
become spokesmen to the passengers, not
only for themselves, but for the stokers and
sailors who have no means to reach the pub
lie ear. They all make common cause
against the companies, which are also
united.
On one side are 1000 men organized like
militia, and marching through the streets of
Liverpool to the music of bands, while on
the other side the steamship companies are
using the old Cunard steamer Atlas as a
receiving ship in which to put those men
who do not care TO risk their living by join
ing the new union. Such men are not al
lowed to land when their ships come in from
New York, but are taken on tugs to the
Atlas, lying, in the Mersey, so that they
may not be approached by the strikers
these include sailors, stewards and stokers
The Atlas has harbored so many of these
prudent men that after the sailing of the
City of Paris, the Britannia and other ships
last Wednesday there was still left on board
of her 800 men more than had been needed.
That is why it is predicted that
THE UNION WILL BE DEFEATED.
The men say that they have been out
witted. However, they claim that the force
on board of the Atlas is recruited from
the liverpool slums and from a raft of
Scandinavians that the companies found out |
OF work in Liverpool.
The greatest victory of the strikers |
has been in securing the SYM
pathy and cooperation of the |
royal naval reserve. This is body of men |
who have served their seven years in the
naval service and are now paid two
pence or threepence day, as retired men,
subject to call to naval duty in case of war,
to make a living. Some are coasting
guards, some are fishermen, and some are
working as sailors, ,Stokers or stewards on big
New York steamships. They know what
it is to work under the universal rule which
gives man pay enough to buy his clothes
and then makes him dependent on the pub
lie TO get his living out of tips. But all are
almost certain to fall together. New unions
seldom win their first fights.
1t is to the credit of these strikers that
they have kept order throughout their
representations They have to fight rich
companies and a spirit of conservatism
which is as solid as the Chinese wall. Per
haps in time to come they will get what
they ask. If they break up or even lessen
the outrageous nuisance of tipping" on
ocean steamships they will at least earn the
blessings of our countrymen.
THE STRIKE ON IN GLASGOW.
Your Glasgow correspondent telegraphs
that the strike is still in force there also.
The attitude of the men is still embodied in
the phrase, mo Surrender" The iremen
are particularly firm and pretend to be
hopeful, though their leaders publicly ad-
vised them to-day to accept the terms of
their employers. This was after the Anchor
line boat Furnessia had been delayed more
than a week through the INABILITY of the
company to get men to load the vessel
The strike In Glasgow reminded one of re-
cent car strikes in New York, so perfectly
was it organized, with meeting halls, head
quarters, pickets, etc. Yourcorrespondents saw I
1t least 10, 900 men gathered arounda cart, in |
which their speakers were talking. But the
Importation OF men from other parts of the
1ingdom by the employers union has |
broken the backbone of the strike. The men j
must lose this time. {
Another and an entirely bigger thing is
he strike of the riveters on the CLYDE.
Many of the shipyards where the most ia t
nous ocean racersihave been built are semi
by this strike, and the end of this I
Uprising cannot yet be told, though appear S
noes indicate that the riveters will gain at '
east part of the increase in pay they are S
triking for. t
THE FORCE OF HABIT