St. Paul daily globe., 1889-09-01
A House to House Propa-
ganda Calculated to. Fo-
ment Discomfort.
The Aspect OF Affairs in Lon
don Not at All Eneoup-
aging.
Public Feeling in Social and
Business Circles FaVoPS
the Strikers.
To-Day a Monster Mass Meet
ing Will Be Held in Hyde
Park.

LONDON, Aug. 31.-The lOng-Smould-
ering discomfort of the labOrers in the
London docks received a strong stimu-
luS by the revelations before the lords
committee Oh sweating" last year.
The leaders of the labor movement,
seizing the opportunity, vigorously
prosecuted the campaign in the East end,
and famed the embers of discomfort
until the dock men. reused from the
lethargy induced by their sordid sur
roundings, submitted to the guidance of
Burns, their champion, and other active
spirits, their concerted action leading to
the present crisis. This was only
done slowly, the conditions under
which labor is emplOyed-especially
the large OverpluS of workers
anxiously fighting at the dock gates
each morning to obtain even a few
hours emplOyment-render it i'm
possible to take decisive action until the
workmen were fully prepared. The
continuance of the strike for seventeen
days and the strikers determined atti-
tude now show that the leaders care
fully
CALCULATED THE PROBABLE COURSE
of the movement before notice of the
strike was formally given. Interviews
had to-day with police officials, cOro
ners' officers and other function
aries, whose duties bring them
dock men and those of allied
past the condition of the dOckman's
family has been as bad as any of the
worst cases revealed before the ''Sweat
ing" committee. The local Radical
clubs and other organizations are
fully alive to the importance of striking
while the iron is hot They are greatly
assisted by lecturers and by hOuse-to-
house propaganda, intened to
foment discomfort and forward what
in view of to-nIght'S situation
and the strike committees latest mani
feStO promises to develop into an organ
lied crusade against capitalism gener-
| ally. The aspect of affairs in the East
end of London to-day was quieter than
might have been expected. The strikers
who have not jo ned in the professions
discuss the situation calmly, and ap-
pear to be resOlute. The strikers
adhere to their full demands. though
the cOuntenanceS of many who hurriedly
enter and depart from the relief COM
mittee's rooms plainly reveal sharp pri-
VatIOn. Altogether, the position indi-
Gates the near approach of a great So
cialiStic victory, bringing the labor
question and eight-hOur movement
prominently to the front. Wades Arms,
a typical East end tavern, on jeremiah
street, narrow thOrOughfare abutting
on the East India dock road, is at pres
ent the headquarters of the strike COM
mittee and is likely to become the CEN
ter of a movement in behalf of labor,
the ramificatiOnS Of which will
TOUCH EVERY BRITISH EMPLOYER
and capitalist. To-day Burns and the
other leaders in the movement were
thoroughly active. Besides his usual
Oratorical and secretarial works Burns
drove rapidly in cab to the offices
of the different dock companies.
He was eagerly followed by
the more ardent of the strikers, who
anxiously waited outside for still de-
ferred announcement that the compan-
les conceded the only points now dis
puted. Public feeling, both in the East
End and in city commercial circles,
strongly favors the strikers. Local
sympathy is actively exerted to supple
ment the various public subscriptions to
afford practical relief. AS an instance
of the many spontaneous helps, Mr..
Lafone, proprietor of Buffers
striker two Shillings to tide him over
Sunday. To-day the employees of
Yarrow & Co., who are under heavy
contract to supply the government
with torpedo appliances, struck,
while 5000 iron workers at the
Isle of Dogs have gone out for an ad-
vance of pence. The dock labOrerS on
strike number 10000. AS an imme-
diate sequence of their cessation
10000 stevedores, 5000 lightermen
1900 clerks and nearly $4,000 grain
weigherS and labOrerS are cOmpulSOrily
idle. The Peninsular and Ocean Steam
ship company has 1000 employees en-
gagged by the hour. A mass meeting of
dock men will be held in Hyde Park to-
morrow. The Melbourne trades coun
Gil, representing all branches of labor,
has called a mass meeting for Monday
to raise funds for the LODdOn strikers.
NO FURTHER CONCESSIONS.
LONDON, Aug. 31.-The directors of
the dock companies have absolutely de-
cltned to make any concession beyond
what has already been offered. Matters
remain in statu quo. The strike commit
tee met late tonight at the Wade
Arms and decided to withdraw their ap-
peal for general strike, and to sub
stitute an appeal to trades unions at
home and abroad for financial help
to continue the struggle. The work of dis
tributing funds to the needy has been
resumed, the wharf labOrers' union at
Sydney having cabled e500 for that pur-
pose. The strikers were informed to-
day that the bishop of Canterbury and
the bishop of London had expressed
sympathy with the movement. The
strike has spread to Chatham.