Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1895-10-30
LARGEST DAILY CITY CIRCULATION,
REPORT ON STRIKES.

Labor Commissioner Wright's re- port on strikes in the United States, recently published, teaches many valuable lessons. It clearly shows that the burdens of these labor wars have alIhost invariably fallen upon the lab3ring people-those less able to bear it. while capital has suffered very little. 'sThe loss to working men by strikes and lockouts during the thirteen and Q half years ending June 30. 1894, amounted to $l90, 439, 382, and to employers only $94, 1925, S37, says the Louisville Courier Journdf.
 But there are other lessons to be deduced from this report, it adds. .Over % per cent. of all these strikes were caused by the refusal of demand for increased wages; over B per cent. by refusal for a reduc- tipn of hours; 6.6 per cent. by re- fusal of demands for increase of wages and reduction of hours; almost s per cent. because of sympathetic action with other strikes; while in but little over s per cent. have they been inspired by the deter imitation of employers to cut down wages. In other words, in ma lority of eases the aggressive has been taken by the weaker party.
 From standpointof of averages the report shows another evidence Of the misery strikes entail. Only A. 49 per cent. of the total number of strikes have been successful; though in 11.25 per cent. the strik- CTS have been conceded part of their demands. Total failures were made in Az per cent, fraction less than the number that were success fu. In too many instances, how ever, the victories were the undoing of the winners. As might have been expected, the years in which strikes were most successful were those in which there were the fewest. In In 1881, with only All strikes, the successful percentage was 61.37. The number gradually increased during the next few years, and for 1885 the percentage was only B 80. In 1886 there were 1, 432 strikes, with 34. 45g per cent. won. In 1893, time of prosperity for the first six months, the showing was better, the employees being victorious in 50.82 per cent. of the cases. For the first ix'months of 1894 there was an in- crease in these labor disturbances, while the number of establishments involved was much larger, and in only 23.e3 per cent. were the work ingmen triumphant This was the year of the great Debs fasco.
 There can be no doubt that the condition of the workingman has in somes respects been ameliorated through the influence of these de- mands; but this has been attained at extravagant cost. The fact that. while strikes have increased in num- Der, the percentage of victories won by the labor element seems to have declined, shows how ill-directed is such warfare. The same object might have been attained in far greater degree by arbitration. This is well illustrated by the experience of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, which has been so fortu- natesas to be directed by a really great leader. Peter Arthur does not believe in striking, and by hus- banding the strength of this organi- zatidn, it's blows are more dreaded, and rarely is it necessary to put fortHits strength. If conservative action were taken by every fedora tion of workingmen, the number of strikes would be vastly diminished; millions of dollars would be saved and Eages would be more easily ad- vancy D.