The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1889-08-31

things are seen in Free Trade Great
Britain as we'll as in countries which
endeavor to protect themselves with
tariffs, it is fair and logical infer
ence that Protection is not response
BILE for the strikes and business re
verses of protected countries, The
London correspondent of the Evening
Post. telegraphing under date of
August "a. says:
The strike of the dock laborers of
London is the biggest strike of recent
years, involving the gravest COM
mercial and economical issues. L i'm
terviewed yesterday the Hon. Sidney
Holland, director of the dock COM
panies, and also John Burns, the So
cialist leader who is directing the
strike. / found both sides equally
confident and resolute, as usual in
such cases. A large number of de-
tailed points are involved, hut Burns
said the real gist was the mems de.
mand for a raise from fiyepence to
sixpence per hour as the wage of the
casual laborer. The dock companies
are nearly bankrupt .aad say they
cannot possibly afford rise, and that
if rise is paid out of an extra price
charged to shippers. trade would
leave London. / asked Mr.. HOl-
land how long the directors would
hold out. He replied emphatically ::
IA thousand years necessary. We
cannot be worse off than we are.
Shippers and merchants will suffer.
Not we."
This is the commercial issue in
volved. Already grave inconven-
fence is caused to steamships, The
delayed passengers are accommodate
ed on hoard. GrOcers cannot get
consignments of tea. The railway
companies, shippers, and merchants
are bringing pressure to bear on the
dock directors to come to terms with
the men.
The economic aspect of the strike
is equally important. Only casual
laborers are Immediately concerned,
but all the riverside workers., even
the most skilled, have struck in SYM
pathy. The trades urions also are
all subscribing to the strike funds.
The strikers parade daily through
the heart of the city. l watched
them yesterday from the Dock Di-
rector's premises and was immensely
struck with their good order and dis
cipline. The men were forty thOus-
add strong, and included types of all
classes of East London labor.
A second new departure is the de-
mand that the price of labor be not
entirely fiXable by a higgling mar
ket, but that it be recognized that
the minimum standard must be COM
patiable with possibilities of decent
ly tolerable living. The general feel
ing is that fivepence an hour is too
low. and public sympathy is strongly
on the side of the laborers. This
fact is full of significance for future
economics.
From this it appears that not only
are the strikers pleading for a mini
mum standard "compatiable with
the possibilities of decently tolera-
Bile living" which they do not find
in a compensation of fivepence per
hour, but that the dock companies
"cannot be worse off than they are"
What is the matter with the great
shipping interests CT Great Britain,
the glory and pride of the Free Trad
er's heart? Something must be
wrong when the dock laborers are
denied the poor boon of "decently
tolerable living" and the dock com.
panies have become desperate.
If the Golden Club were not so
overwhelmed with work in the
American missionary field. it could
find in all this fine topic for a new
pamphlet Wheeling Lntelligencer.