New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-09-04
TIE BIG ENGLISH STRlkEo.
NO "ODIOUS MKINLEY TARIFF" CAUoED
THESE.

HOW THOUSANDS OF DURHAM MINERS PAh'
BRITISH INDUSTRY AND THEN SUBMITTED
TO A REDUCTION OF wAGEs-FRLE
TRADE no PREVENTIVE OF
LABOR DIFFICULTIES.
rBY TELEGRAPH 10 THE TkIBUSE-1
Washington, Sept. 3lt is barely possible tha' 80
OF the Free'Trade editors and orators VINO pe'aS
declaring that every labor disturbance In inc on'o
States is due TO the system OF Protection might .es
to do So at least modify In some des'ee'
reckless assertions, II they would study the iao "
atlon TO the disturbance Of other countries frec
probably Will not contend that the odous "0''
tariff" Is responsible for enforced reductions Vi ""e
and consequent strikes and other disturbances III
England where the worlingman rs well as his EN-
poyer enjoys all the blessings peculiar to the oe'e"
system OF Free Trade In fact II one had to dcpehi
upon American Free Trade newspapers and Deho.
orators for his Information. he would never
that the largest and costnest strikes OF the aS' y
and In the whole world have taken place In fns'a
and that tens of thousands of worn gmen after nohs
OF ldIeDess have been forced 10 submit TO Il s"'P
reduction of the insufficient wages they had hther'o
received.
Early In March, 1892, the Durham Coal o"he''
Association proposed to reduce miners wages ~ po
cent the miners quit work. The effects were specify
apparent destituton and suffering among the uhuo'
paid miners their families heavy decrease In the
output and shipments OF coal paralysis OF traspor'
ton industries virtual stoppagc Of iron worhs anu
stagnatlon In every branch Of trade ana pus'Ies'
The coal shipments during the month OF April anu
May 1892, were $4,000 tons less than during inc
corresponding months of 1891. Other effects Oh uiis
strike In Free. Trade England described In the
following paragraph from an Official report SUP
mittcd By Consul Mecalf Of Newcastle uponTyne und~
date OF June 10, 1872 which will soon De pubhShcl
by tho Department OF STATE:
OUT of about 80 blast furnaces In the north Sth,
district there only eighty-three In Dasl
three months ago; there are only three now. mes
figures how the disastrous effect Of the Strihe "
bIa>t furnace men, lion miners, railway serEah.s
and sesncn who depend on the continuance AZ Es
Of the blast furnaces. Two or three weeks ag" hpo,e
$50 steam and sallirg vessels were iid up ~ tnS w"
Tyne alone. and in Durham and Northumberlane
nearly $50 railway trains daily were dscoh'ihu''
during the strike.
The history OF the Durham strike related IN
Consul Mecars report is painful we'll as inter
csting. II appears that In January, 1892, alter
months OF contention, the mne-owners tried to per
suade their employees 10 submit to reduction Oh
wages, or allow the proposition for reduction 10
go arbitration. To neither proposition would the
miners agree. In the following month. the owners
Intimated I'm decisive terms that they must have
reduction OF 10 per cent. In order, however. 10
obviatc u strike lockout they offered TO accept an
immediate reduction Of IL per cent or per cent
nj once and another . per cent on the LIST OF May
The men would have no compromise. howeve: ana
during the time the notices were being issued Tor
them 10 terminate their employment unless the de-
mends made conceded. they forced thor decara-
ton, by overwhelming majority, TO fight the matter
out by OF strike In the Issuing OF the notices
the employers were blamed by the representatives
Of the men as being TOO hasy. On the other hand
the owners were OF the opinion that they had shown
great patience and forbcarance In putting Oh The
evil day. 50 long. on saturday. March IL, al loo
collicrics in the county connected with the Miners
Association. the men proceeded to draw their gear
to bank. and between 10000 and 10000 stood ready
10 resist the demands with cries OF No reduction
NO arbiati0n."
The effects OF the strike began to be felt In
nearly all the various and varied Industries ia the
county In the Cleveland district distress and
poverty followed closely upon IT. heels. The seip
ping interest partially psrayred. The railway
miners traffic suspended and about zoo trains
belonging TO the Northeastern Railway we're brought
10 standstil. In engineering. men were put on
short time and business among tradcsmcn gradually
declined. The engineers strike In Newcastle sank
into insignncance before the great Industrial struggle
In the County Of Durham. the condition OF aHairs
being aggravated by the policy OF the Federation Board
In insisting upon stOppage OF the nonass'ated
cOllleres also and withdrawal Of the enginemen 30
that the mines could neither BE- ventilated nor kept
free from water. AT the nOnassociated colcrles no
question had been raised rs 10 wages, the owners
not being members OF the Coal owners Association.
From this time forward the struggle increased In
bitterness and. I'm the graphic words oil Consul Met
calf distress became very KEEN on April the
coal owners issued manifesto, reviewing the grounds
on which the reduction was sought and Immediately
aterward the Federation Board replied and challenged
the owners to prove BY facts and figures other than
those based tho defunct sliding scale that the
condition OF trade justified their demand.
Another ballot taken and on April 10 was
made known. II follows FOR continuing
the strike. 1888; to give the Federation Board
power TO settle, 16,415; majority for the strike.
1871. The day previous letter had appeared
from Sir George Elliott expressing surprise at the
men interfering with the pumping and ventilation
OF the mines, which against their own interest
as well rs that OF employers On April IL state
ment was made declaring that fully Gl,"1oOoo had
already been sacrificed In wages and that the coal
owners also great sufferers, as some OF Inc
pits cost about 81 900 week to keep them free
from water.
ON April 30 n communication received at the
Coal Trade Office from the Federation Board asking
TO be allowed to send n deputauon TO meet the
owners with view 10 settling the question. Accord
lngy on the 25th meeting was held between
the two bodies and the owners then stated that,
owing to the pits being stopped and the extra cx-
penscs enailcd, etc. they must now ask FOR 10 IL
per cent reduction. Two days aferward the FEEDER
alton Board ordered n fresh ballot to BE- taken rs
10 whether the nOn-assocatcd cOleres-wh0se menl-
beers numbered about 1O00O-should begin work.
The n0n-assoclated collcry owners also met ana dc
cded that the men should not return to their employ
mcnt except under n substantial reduction In wages
such reduction not to be less than mat offered pS
the Coal owners Association.
This so completely altered the aspect OF affairs
that another ballot taken and 1t was decided By
a majority to give the Federation Board power TO
settle ON Friday, May 49, another conference loon
,ace bctvcen tie coal owners and the AT which
HE members of the Federation board offered TO accept
an immediate reduction OF IL per cent. rms was
refusrd The board then Issued another ballot asking
whether the - = per cent should be accepted or
| iii cnutinue the strike. The result that the
majority Of she colieIcs against submitting 10
| the full reduction ., ~, ,oa
Immediately aiterwad the Federation Boafn iss1u
circular requesting replies 10 be sent TO the following