Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-03-20
NOW THREATEN A STRIKE.
The Discipline Entirely Too Severe
for the Low Wages.
TWO OLD POACHERS EXECUTED
For killing Gamekeepers, and the Govern
ment Is Criticised.
INTERESTING ITEMS FROM ABROAD
rBY CABLE TO THE DISPATCH. /,

LONDON, MdTcu 1S-lSOpyTlSnb l-AC
cording to cablegrams which have been
published here with regard to certain in
quiry proceeding at Washington, the broad
United States is singularly free from the
evil known as sweating" American manu-
tacturers and other yirtuous citizens will
therefore be able, without self-conscious-
ness, to give full vent to their indignation
when they learn here in THE DISPATCH
that sweating is rampant in Queen Victoria 8
own personal particular laundry, and that
persons employed therein decline to find,
in the honor appertaining to the washing of
royalties soiled linen, compensation for
ment generally.
The royal laundry is situated at Rich
moud, in Surrey, and thither is sent wash
ing from Windsor, Sandringham, and, in
fact, all the Irish palaces Richmond is q
picture of rural riverside loveliness, but the
lot of the laundry people is far from idyllic.
They work &c hours per week. Men in the
machinery department are paid % to 25
shillings per week, and women, the actual
washers, from 16 to Is shillings per week.
The Discipline Quite Military.
The discipline is quite military in its char
scter, and severe and an elaborate system of
fines prevails for late arrival, without any
balance in shape of extra pay for extra half
hours often worked at the conclusion Of the
nominal 11-hour day. Entire loss of wages
is the penalty invariably inflicted upon
man or woman who may fall sick, and the
work people are not allowed to enjoy even
the few legal holidays which occur in the
course of the year
Efforts are to be made to bring the griev-
snces of the laundry women under notice of
the Queen and Princess of Wales, and even
20 propose petition to the Prince of Wales
Each course is perfectly proper. and certain
TO result in nothing. Bolder spirits talk of
q trade union combination, and there are
wild whispers of strike, whereat royalist
nerves thrill with horror, although it is not
seriously maintained that the Prince of
Wales would have any great difficulty in
getting his shirts washed, seeing that there
are hundreds of noble danes and thousands
of untitled fair ones who would gladly tuck
up their sleeves tor the honor and glory Of
pounding his royal highness' linen
The Present u Good Time to Strike.
The Queen and court started for Coste-
bella to-day and by the beginning of next
week almost the entire royal family will be
scattered about the Riviera Now, if ever,
is the time for the laundry strike, for Rich
mond will still have to wash the royal
clothes If the work were done in France
the Queen would have to pay for it. A
generous country pays for the Richmond
establishment and will defray the freight
TO and from the Riviera, of clean and dirty
linen alike. Then again, the average French
blanchessese, as travellers have noted since
the first stranger set foot in France, is per-
tectly demoniacal in her treatment of
lingerie which, having passed through her
hands too often, returns to its owner tat
tered remnant of its former self
A strike at Richmond at this juncture,
therefore, would force upon Her Majesty
considerations of economy which might re-
suit in a sharp order to the Lord High
Chamberlain of the gold stick-in-waiting.
or whichever exalted courtier may have
responsible charge of the royal wash-tubs,
to raise wages say 10 per centum all around.
Mistake of the British Miners.
The British miners speedily found ont
that they had made mistake. Their weeks
holiday had only put money in the hands of
collierY owners and dealers, and before they
have time to recoup themselves for the
weeks wages lost they will be notified of a
reduction in pay. With SO many coal fields
now open, and better mining appliances at
command, the men can secure no benefit by
restriction unless two days rest a week is
more beneficial to their well-being than one.
There is rumor that the employers
themselves will refuse to reopen the col |
heries on Monday, and thus force the men |
into another weeks holiday against their |
will, but this is scarcely likely. The chief |
coal owners deny it. Their private inter- |
ests are against it, and their only reason for |
so doing would help the owners in Durham |
by deprlving the men of a weeks wages and |
thus prevent them from contributing to the /
relief OF the Durham strikers, for though |
the holiday movement" is now at an end, |
the struggle in Durham continues with in |
creased bitterness The determination of
both sides is strong, and with their grow
ing desperation the men are getting vicious
Rough Time for Reporter.
A reporter of the Newcastle Chroniae,
who had written something which did not
please the miners, was set upon by tbou-
sands of the men at one of their mass meet
ings. He was pelted with mud and bricks,
and finally chased through a neighboring
town until he found refuge in a police sta
tion. The police at the meeting were power
less to protect him.
The great coal strike has revealed the ex-
istence in all colliery districts of deep
seated hatred of land owners and of strong
to agitate for the abolition Of
the system of mining royalties" For
every ton of coal heaved and sent to bank
the miner receives from 10 pence to II
pence halfpenny, and the owner of the
land gets II pence, which is a first charge on
the colliery output and has to be maid
whether the coal is sold at loss or proht.
The miners denounce the landlord as a |
''blaokmailer, and they want to confne
his rights to the surface. At present he
OWLS not merely the surface, but every-
thing below it as far as a shaft can be sunk
and minerals worked. This mining royalty
grievance is sorely felt and forcibly eI-
pressed by millions of workers in this
country. It has become test question put /,
% every Parliament candidate In all colIiery
Ind most labor constituencies, and it is eI-
remely probable that it will come up for
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