Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1889-04-20
CHINESE UNIONS AND srWK ~.


The extreme secrecy with which
all Chinese organizations are en-
shroudod rendered it a task of cx-
ceedmg difficulty for the bureau to
obtain any information concerning
them. Some few facts, however,
not wholly unintoresting, were
brought to light which, coupled
with facts of Il similar character
taken from consular reports, show
with what similarity the Chinese or
carnations and guilds are con-
Quoted as compared with the most
approved American system.
Every city in China has guilds
controlling arbitrarily every indus
try and branch of business. Boy
cotting is carried on to a sometimes
oppressive limit. The large cities of
China are ruled entirely by trades
unions, the membership of which is
compulsory, under the threat o. tor
ture, or sometimes death. They
regulate the hours Of labor, appren-
ticeship, strikes and wages. Black
smiths, carpenters, wire drawers,
silk weavers, mlllers, postal compan-
les, BARRIERS, etc, are banded to-
gether into federation for NUT tual
aid and protection. Some unions
are particularly famous for their
truculency, and very few cases are
reported where IA member is guilty
of breach of the rules, or is found
uninterested in the proceedings of a
meeting, for fear of the admlnistra-
ton of the law, which is extremely
and rdculously cruel, as the follow
ing case will undoubtedly show: At
Soochow one of the gold leaf craft
was adjudged guilty of violating the
rule of the union forbidding the
taking Of more than one apprentice
at a time. He was summoned be-
fore their tribunal, found guilty Of
his great crime and punished by the
cannibaistic process Of being eaten
to death by one hundred and TWEEN
ty-throe men, each taking choice
morsel and repeating the operation
with crimsoned lips, until the cul-
prit expired, amid the savage yella
of these imps of heIl's contagion,
Such treatment surprises and dis
gusts people Of civilized com nun
ity, while the Chinese see the i'm per
atIve necessity of rigidly enforcing
union rules.
Strikes are rarity, but when one
does occur, their demand is acceded
to without question or hesitancy.
The introduction Of labor-saving
machinery into Canton encoun tered
such violent opposition from the
unions that the authorities were, in
consequence, compelled to remove il
to Hong Kong. Machinery for sew.
ing shoes especially fired their hearts
to such heat that general uprls
ing was apparent. The unions
formed themselves into federation
with the intention of prohibiting, by
all means, the use or INVASION Of THU
enemy to honest labor. 1t is re
markably strange, but nevertheless
asserted as true, that cooperative
clubs are more common in China
than in America. 1t is stated b,
some writer's and authorities on Chi
nese trade unions, that they are al
exceptionally mild people, and nj
population are so docile, SO law
abiding as that of Soochow, thu
Athens of China, when their blOoC
is not up" Ordinarily mild meas
ures are resorted to as preliminar.
movement to subjugate and brinl
the offending member to terms
"and rarely" says the authority
edo such measures fail of success.
The western mechanics are the mos
truculent, and resort to treatm ent
far more cruel and barbarous thai
the one cited above.
CHINESE FIsHMONGER'S UNION.
Is the most wealthy organization
in China. 1t has a reserve fund o
100000, let out at interest, in
vested in bank stock, thus rapid,
enriching itself yearly, This uniol
is very peaceable, holding that goo
faith between the merchant and pur