New-York tribune., 1894-06-25
THE POTTERS' STRIKE.
AN INDUSTRIAL STRUGGLE PROLONGED
AND COSTLY.
srArr-nrs OF THE SITUATION IN THE MANUFACT
oR1Es OF TREHTON-A GREAT INDUSTRY
DEMoRAI1zED BY TIE WILSON

DRIES OF TRENTON-A GREAT INDUSTRY
DEMoRAIIzED BY TIE WILSON
TARIFF BILL
o,,er,on \ J. June % (SpecaD.-'rhc persistency
with which the strike Of pottery operatives has
been maintained at Trenton. y. j.. and other points
where pottery is manufactured for the supply O.;
the market OF the United States has proved on" "i
the most interesting features Of the prevailing ~
dustrial depression II is especially significant. how
ever in the fact that II is a positive ana over
,yhelnjne refutatiOn Of the theories and the argu-
ments advanced by the free-trade orators ana writ
ers to the effect that the National distress Is due 20
the massage Of the Mckinley Tariff law. IT at
moment when the Brooklyn Bridge was massed
with people quietly pursuing their way In the con-
eciousness Of apparent safety an unexpected force
developed all prepared TO blow up with dynamite
and panic onsued resulting in the destruction ol
thousands Of human lives. the natural theory OF
these philosophers would be that II the bridge hai
no; been bu,lt nobody would have been tempted to
blow II up. ard hence these lives would not nave
been lost.
The manufacturers of pottery at Trenton and else
where. together with their operatives, were moving
along quite satisfactorily and prosporously on the
basis Of the Mckinley law. Then appeared Demo-
cratic anl Popu,istic and Free Trade Congress and
Executive The Wilson bill was formulated and
passed 5y the House II onbolies schedule pr7vii-
ing for reduction from - per cent al valorem on
plain white ware ana 90 per cent on decorative
ware t. IS per cent and ~ per cent respectively In
prosperous conditions of trade the manufactures ot
the United States. Of the capacity Of most of the
,oiferies at Trenton. carry H. their storage racks
from $4,000 to 5000 worth of stock ready Tor I'M
mediate shipment on receipt Of orders from mer-
chants dealing directly with consumers. but after
the election Of 1892 not only were these producers
confident that attack would be made on tNe
,ar,r but throughout the year 1893 result 81
the Notwithstanding influences pending the passage
of the Silver Rtpaal act business mad suUere'
largely from the strngency in money Il became
necessary therefore. TO reduce the volume oi piod-
nets for stock account even before the wilson
schedule was adopted by the House With the mar
ket value ot the ware constantly lowering because
OF diminishing demands and in the face Of almost
positive assurance that the duties would De read
iusted on a ruinousy low basis the manufacturers
sought protection for themselves from nnaNo'ai CO..
lapse and endeavorel at the same time TO secure
the continued operation of their potteries whereby
the men might remain employed during the Wn'cr
months, by preparing new scale OF WORKING prices
To have continued operations on the old basis under
such altered conditions would have meant 10 them
not only the destruction Of ali hope Of profits but
would have resulted in the frltiering away Of the
actual capital invested.
MAGNITUDE OF TIE POTTERY INTERESTS
1t IS said on the authority Of a conspicuous opera
tor that N5OolQ0 IS invested in the pottery in
dustry in the United States. and that $4,000"
was. in the prosperous year Of l692 Tor instance
paid out in wages to those directly anI indiTecNN
contributing 70 The maintenance Of the plants.
The ramfca,ions Of the industry broad. They
include besides the immediate operatives. the
workers in the clay pits. whence the "a" material IS
shipped to the potteries-from Maine Ne"-JerSey'
Maryland West Virginia. Ohio and other points
The consumption of coal is also large. Without
the existence of the po,teries the clay ana coal
heretofore entering into the manufacture Of crock
cry would be essened the extent Of their desruc-
ton and the labor employed in the development
of raw material would be necessarily directed 10
other branches Of industry. The transportation
charges on the shipments. no; only on the raw ma
teria TO points Of manufacture, but Of the per
fected product as distributed among merchants and
consumers. form an Item Of no mean slghlhcahce
when the question Of labor comes into consideration
as applied to the effect upon railway employees ana
payroils.
In Trenton there upward OF twenty potieries
of varying capacity: those OF six kns predominant
ing and these during the later periods Of their ac-
tivity, afforded sources OF income - from 80" 10
10000 operatives. Not al were married men Win
families good many were young men. apprentices
and boys. and some Of the employees in the decorat-
Ing departments were women and girls. The pay
rolls OF the larger establishments averaged from
5000 to $500 week. 1t is said. But taking the
number OF potteres fifteen, with an average
pavroll OF 81 500 and the OF wages previously
paid but now vi, ,-Ted and unpaid. amounts TO
s225Oo week Tn strike has continued through
out a period OF t"en,y-four weeks This would
make the sum withdrawn from circulation dur'ng
that period In the city Of Trenton alone @f'Hh IL
IS said. however b. manufacturers there ana ner-
chants familiar with the statistics Incident 70 'he
episode that the total amount OF money thus with
drawn from active use within the last six months
and directly due to the strike OF the p0tters is not
less than $4,000.
HOW THE STRIKERS LIVE.
How do these men support themselves AMI those
dependent upon then?" asked by Tribune
reporter few days ago Of a well-known citizen Of
Trenton
We'll" ne replied. "some had accumulated saw
ings by industry and thrift ami they have been
living their past savings. Other men Of families
with nothing saved. have been carried along by
landlords who have allowed the payment of rent
each month 10 go by default in the belief that
the strike would soon end: that the men would re-
sumo work and pay their rents out OF their future
earnings. The Is true with respect to dealers
in merchandise The more shiftess ana thriitiess
are being supported in their ideness by the saoon-
keepers who in the past they have freely ana ire-
quently patronized. Then. again. the Potiers Tn
ion while never very strong here. has been reor-
ganlzed during these later troubles. few estab-
lishments sA seven IN number, mink. manu-
featuring exclusively heavy toilet or chamber ware
and not affected by the tarn so greatly as those
who carried on a more miscellaneous business have
continued operations. / believe. from what have
heard that tho operatives In the poteres referred
10 contribute sympd hctically ont Of their earnings
IN support OF the more worthy in the craft formerly
employed IN the potterics which have shut down
In my judgment ii IS a mistake for lan1lords mer
chants or sa.oOn-kcepers & exterl these credits
for II IL better for al u work than to be dle
no matter what may be the cause % their dleness
when labor be obtained"
Another operator with whom The Tribune re-