The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1894-04-20
STRIKES AND lOCKOUTS
Their Effect Upon Society, And Its
Duty Toward Them
Considered i'm an Able Paper Before
The Social Science Club, by w.
l.. COmStOCk.

The meeting of the Social Science
Club was well attendedTuesday even
ing, and all were well repaid by an
able and interesting paper by Mr. w,
l.. Comstock, on ''Strikes and Lock
outs" He considered the subject from
the various points of interest and drew
his deductions therefrom in clear
and forcible manner. A synopsis Of
his paper would hardly do it justice,
and as we have not the space to repro
duce it entire, we will simply touch
upon some of the principal points
therein.
In his opening pages he reviewed
some of the causes leading up to the
labor troubles which have shaken
society during the past few years, one
factor of which were the financial dis
asters score or more of years ago,
which filled the land with tramps,
leading to an increase of the criminal
class, and the consequent increase OF
our prison population, so increasing
the product of prison labor that the
same had an effect in controlling the
price of products of honest labor. This
had an influence in bringing into life
the great labor organizations which
have played such an important part
in the industrial situation of the
country.
From this he considered the inner
ent and natural rights of labor and
also of the employer, and then gave
a brief history of strikes and labor
troubles from their earliest existence
to the present time. The first labor
trouble, he said, was ''the exodus of
the Isrealites from Egypt, which is
said to have been national protest
against capital, and to have possessed
all of the substantial characteristics
of modern strike"
The labor troubles of Rome and
other ancient nations were briefly
alluded to, as well as those of late
day in England and this country. The
disastrous effects of strikes, he said,
can hardly be computed, and the
heaviest burdens fall upon the work
ing classes.
''Four recent strikes in England in
vOlved a loss in wages of more than
twenty-five million dollars" OF D.
900 strikes investigated by the ma
tional bureau of labor, it was estimat-
ed the employees suffered loss of
about SOL, 800, 900, while the employers
only lost about $50, 100000. Such was
the history of strikes, and he was led
TO believe, that as general thing, the
victories for the strikers had been in
value more nominal than real. He
cited one instance where an increase
of wages was obtained, but the losses
were such that it would take twenty
years of this increase to make good
the losses sustained in securing it.
But the gains from strikes, he argued,
could not be reckOned only from a
financial standpoint, as in many re-
Spects results beneficial have resulted
to those engaged in them.
Labor individually he found to be
rather at the mercy of capital, and to
remedy these irregularities labor
unions of various kinds had been
formed. AS these were chiefly heard
of only when great strikes are on,
many are led to suppose their function
to be only in encouraging strikes. But
he found their objects to be mainly
peaceful, and that in the matter of
benevolence, and utility they are of
high rank.
He then referred to the vast amount
aof good they have done in times of de-
preston, such as we are now expert
encing, and also to other general bene-
fits which come from them.
Turning to the remedy for strikes,
ne alluded to the socialistic plan. But
this he dismissed as impractical. Mel
ther did the plan of cooperation pre-
sent to him method by which vari-
Gus troubles could be avoided. In
pIOhU cIoIllS, IoWCNCl, lC UCllCNCu
could be found at least partial rene
dy for many of the difficulties.
He found, on investigation, that
very large proportion of strikes and
lockouts occur among laborers employ
ed by what are termed natural mo-
nopolies," and he also observed that
"a school comprised in part of very
able men is forming, the view and
contention of which is chiefly that
the government should own and con-
troll those natural monopolies such as
railways, telegraphs, telephones, ca
nails, irrigation works, harbors, gas
works, street car lines, and similar
systems" Along this line he devoted
considerable argument favoring such
a turn in affairs, and believed that it
would prove beneficial. 1t was charg-
ed that such course would be spe-
cieS OF government paternalism, but
he preferred government paternalism
to corporate or monopolistic paternal-