Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1891-02-14
AN ANCIENT LOCKOUT.
Tho First Strike We Know OF Was In
Egypt Three Thousand Years Ago.

The First Strike We Know of Was In
Egypt Three Thousand Years Ago.
"There is nothing new under the
sum-" receives nowhere n more startling
vcrifcation than in this matter of
strikes. The way in which our work.
ingmen of modern Europe try to coerco
their employers was in substance the
way adopted by their dark-skinncd,
meanly clad, poorly fed predecessors in
the land of the Nile before Moses led
the lsraclites out of Egypt NJ. Mas
pero, who is we'll qualified to speak on
all points connected with Egyptology,
devotes several very interesting pages
to the subject in his charming "Historic
Readings" 1t seems that the families
of the working classes were quite as i'm
provident in Egypt thirty centuries ago
as some of them are in England at the
present day. At the beginning of the
month, when they had just received
their months rations, eating and drink
ing went on without restraint. BY the
middle of the month the stock began to
fail, and famine began to stare the
thriftless households in the face. So
again and again they went out on strike
in order to eXtort more from their SUI
periors. A strike of masons is described
by NJ. Maspero in detail, and some parts
of the description might almost be mis-
taken for extracts from an English or
German newspaper in the nineteenth
century of the Christian era.
The 10th of the month the builders
employed at a temple rushed tumultu-
ously out of the place where they were
working and sat down behind chapel
in the temple precincts, eXclaiming: 1--WE
are hungry and there are eighteen days
before the next pay day." They charged
the paymasters with dishonesty, assert
ing that the latter gave false measure.
The paymasters, on the other hand,
charged the men with want of fore
sight. alleging that they spent their
wages as soon as they touched them.
After some further negotiations with
the officers of the Government the men
resumed work on the understanding
that the King himself should receive
their complaint. Two days later Pha-
raoh actually visited the temple, and
when the matter was laid before him
ordered relief to be given to the woebe-
gone masons. For short time there
was quiet, but soon provisions failed
and discomfort broke out again with re-
ncwed violence. On the 10th of the fol-
lowing month the strike was in full
force again. Not man would work.
On the 18th and 18th they still refused
to lift tool. On the 10Th they at
tempted to leave the precincts of the
temple in order to carry their griev-
ances into the outer world, but found
that the person who was placed over
them had taken precautions SO effective
ly that no one could leave. So they
spent the whole of that day in laying
their plans. On the following day they
resorted to more noisy methods. After
vainly appealing with loud cries to their
manager, they decided to apply to the
Governor of the city, and therefore
rushed through the busy streets to the
inconvenience of pedestrians, not top
ping until they reached the Governors S
palace. Like their European Successors,
these discontented artisans stubbornly
refused to work, spent many hours in
discussing their position and prospects,
disturbed the order of the streets by
their impetuous movements, and ulti-
mately obtained part, at least, of their
demands. So we can trace the strike
back for 8, 900 years; that is, to period
when Rome was not built, and even
Greek civilization was still in its infancy.
How old the method was at that time
it is at present impossible to say. Per
haps the custom is as old as the Pyra-
mids. Perhaps the first strike preceded
the most ancient OF the existing mouu-
ments of fcivilization.-Pall Mall Gazette.