New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-03-23
THE BUILDING Trades SETTLEMENT

,rho milling trades strike which ended yes
tcrday would surely prove useful To nose VINO
were engaged in il. il they wonld consider all
the facts in the case carefully ana u" 9uid'd
hereafter by their plain teaching. II should he
said AT The outset that some features OF thc con
trovcrsy are crcditablc and encouraging. IN"
strikers have not dcmcancd themselves 10y acts
of violence, nor in any way forfeited the good
will Of the public and their employers. unless
pcrbaps Ivy adhcring too long To position
which they were finally glad TO abandon. Then.
too The DISTINGUISHED efforts of Bishop I"ticr
and others 20 bring both parties to Il SrnSibl"
agreement have been commcnlablc in pnrp">"
and practically justified hy the event. Ana the
employers. though they have firmly maintained
their side Of the dispute have not been uiilIaII-
nprlv or vndctvc. From these somewhat IN
usual experiences the community at large has
derived much satisfaction.
Rut when the consequences of the strike are
taken into account II appears that u good deal
Of suffering much Inconvenience and heavy
loss have been incurred for which only
mcaprp rccompcnsc is diSccrnihlr. Members Of
the Electrical Union caused the trouble hy de-
handing an Immediate reduction in iho.r hours
If work from nine to eight. being unwilling -
wait for that concession until May II. H. IA"
contractors proposed. After few dlys. mrn
in other building trades joined for lh".r assist
ancc in u sympathetic strike. and for about four
weeks several thousand intelligent and gen
orally Industrious workers have been idle.
Their aggregate loss in wages amounts {"
several hundred thousand dollars The pllc'S If
many Of them have been filed in The mean uu"
and not a few cases II dire distress and pro.
l,.fu A
agreement under which the strike has been d..
clarcd of. and rs many II The strikers ~ were
needles, have gone back 10 work show any sub
stanrial results GAINED 10y this VcIli.ou~ ana
costly contest: We cannot now discover Any.
In behalf IL The men. individuals who nave
small claim TO speak for them Al This slime 90
to be heard respectfully assert that they have
won important points tn" cighi-hour rule VIII
90 into effect on May instead ~ May L.. Nh"
EMPLOYERS have been obliged 10 compromisr.
and guarantees for The fuiur" favorable {" nh"
men have been established. they say. and there
fore II Is Il victory. But III" gain of few
hours time Is pitifuy small offset &" a
months idlcncss with all Us consequences Of
actual AMI anticipated suffering. and there can
not really be much moral satisfaction In II. All
| the other conditions on which III" men ARE per
United 10 90 back 10 WORK. III WOrK tniN can on
tain constitute a wcllnigh complete abandon
mcnt Of The attitude which they originally as
sumcd. Members If the union who did not
strike and We're expelled are To be taken back
| into fellowship. II they desire: bu not dis
| urbcd II they do not. The Board of Delegates
| moreover. is 10 be ignored In the settlement II
unadj ustcd questions. and this whatever others
may think Of IT. cannot bc claimed as victory
| by those whose authority II impairS.
| on the whole therefore. It seems To- be evident
| that absolutely nothing has been accomplished
| for the strikers by this struggle which could
| not have been arranged p"accably without the
loss of n single days wages. II negotiations had
| hcru entered into in 4 reasonable spirit before
| the strike was ordered. 1t * on" NOR" example
| through which those who felt constrained to
| obey orders have lost heavily. and outsiders IN
no wise at fault have paid the usual penalty.
| As the matter stands now. there Is scarcely any
| CONDENSATION in evidence; but if the Sluary
| lesson which this experience offers 10 teach 10
| all Is taken 10 heart by only Il few of the great
army Of workers, the strike may be worth in
| fnitrly more than it has cost. We have little
| faith in schemes Of compulsory arbitration II
| all after hostilitcs have begun; but voluntary
! arbitration is always conmcndabl" until the
pcacc has been broken and. il generally Resort
| cd 10 ~ "A means Of preventing instead Of end
| Ing A strike. would accomplish in The aggregate
| great results.
|