Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-09-22

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| New interest has been added 10 the relations
khish have lately existed between the New
York Central railroad and its striking employees
by the oficial announcement, promulgated on
Friday, that none of the workmen who struck
will hereafter be taken into the service OF the
eompany in any capacity whatever. Those
Who applied for work before the strike was de-
elarsd ''of" by the directors of the movement
have generally been reinstated but those who
held out awaiting the formal action Of their
leaders must look elsewhere for work for all
future time. This drastic course, Vice Presi-
dent Webb says, 10 due as well to the men who
helped tho road out Of its late difficulties as to
the company itself. which cannot afford to
again give employment to those who for six
weeks past have been doing everything in their
power TO destroy its property and ruin its
businesa
II 10 perhaps not strange, under ali the cir
cumstances, that the railway authorities should
adopt retaliatory measures, but this action
must nevertheless be great shock to the three
thousand and odd men who quit work when
ordsredto do 20 by the leaders Of tho labor
organization, fully expecting to be finally taken
back, either rs vicsors or vanquished, and its
effect cannot fail to exercise q most potent in
dusnce in future when strike is contemplated
in any quarter. The hitting back policy which
she Central road has found itself able TO enforce
will doubtless be adopted by other corporations
under similar conditions; and when employees
fully realize that not only ia nothing to be
earned by them during the continuance of
strike, but that other fields must DO sought for
the earning Of a livelihood in future their
leaders will be slower in ordering strikes, and
men who have families as well as themselves to
support will hesitate about obeying orders
fraught with such direfui results. Tho sober
second thought 10 certain to be indulged in be-
fore striking the first blow when il is under
stood shat blown are to be taken AZ well %
given
A comparison between the cities Of Now York,
Philadelphia and Washington in the matter OF
tho statistics of houses built last year is interest
ing in more than one respect While Philadel-
phia with II. 965 new buildings led all American
cities in number, in cost she was surpassed by
New York. Philadelphias larger number Of
houses COS. S26, OOO, 900. New York's smaller
number Of q, To cost s75, 912, SIG. The average
New York house was more than five times rs
expensive as the average Philadelphia building.
This fact may, and probably does, prove that
houses and fewer comfortable homes than the
smaller for its working people. Comparing
Washington with these older cities, using the fig
ures Of the last fiscal year-that of ending June
so, 1880, it appears that the number of permits
issued during the year was 2,244 and that the
aggregate cost of the work exceeds six millions.
Hence the average cost of new building in
Washington, reckoned by these figures, is less
than in New York and about equal to what it Is
in Philadelphia Hence also Washington sup
plies more cheap buildings than New York in
proportion to size aud of greater average
chsapness, equallipg Philadelphia In both
respects. In this connection, and repeating
figures that have been published in The STAR,
1t may be stated that during the last five years
the yearly average number OF dwelling houses
built in Washington has been 1000, and that
during the last ten years the total number OF
dwelling houses has been 5000. Besides
dwellings many hotels, apartment houses,
stores, etc., have been erected.