The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1895-10-25
LABOR TROUBLES.
Tenth Annual Report of Commissioner
Carroll ID. Wright.


Carroll ID. Wright.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 22.-In his tenth
annual report, devoted to strikes and
lockouts, which has just been COM
pleted, Carroll ID. Wright, commission
er of labor, computes that the loss to
employees in establishments in which
lockout and strikes occurred during
the thirteen and half years ended
June 30, 1854, amounted to $3.50, 40 3, 3s2,
and to employers to S94, ,s25, sS7. The
loss to employees on account of strikes
was S163, SO7, SOC, aud on account of
lockouts, S26, ,6s5. $40; to employers on
account of strikes, $50, $50. 3s6, and on
account of lockouts, S12, 235, ,4j1.
The number of establishments in
volved in strikes in this period was GO,
16?, and the number of persons thrown
out of employment by reason of strikes
3, ia, 4O6. making an average loss to
the employees of each establishment of
s., Sos and to each person of S44. The
number of establishments involved in
lockOuts was 6,O67, and the number of
persons locked out 3GG, $50. These per-
sons lost an average of SIS each. The
assistance given to strikers and the
subjects of lockouts during the period
amounted, as far as ascertainable, to
s13, ,43s, 7O4, or little over 7 per cent
of the total loss to employees.
One of the most important tables
given is that relating to the causes of
strikes. This statement shows that
more than a fourth of them were caused
by refusal to accede to a demand for
increase of wages; over 13 per cent. for
refusal to concede Il reduction of
hours. and more than per cent. by the
determination of employers to reduce
wages Three thousand, six hundred and
twenty, or almost s per cent of the
strikes, were caused by sympathetic
action with other strikes. and 1,6ss
were occasioned by the employment of
non-union men. The industries most
affected by strikes in the past seven
and a half years were the building
trades, with 20, 7S5 esta ablishments in
volved. After these, in the order of
Importance, came coal and coke, cloth
ing. tobacco, food preparations, stone
quarrying, etc.
entire country for this period, 5000, or
to exceed sc per cent, occurred in
twenty-six of the principal cities,
while of the establishments involved
in lockouts over 81 per cent. occurred
in these cities. Fifty-nine per cent. of
the establishments engaged in strikes
were closed on an average of twenty
f,,-r Il .,f
gagged in lockouts for an average of
thirty-five days, the loss of time in
other cases being only temporary. In
each case there were a few stablish-
ments closed permanently.
Success was gained by the employees
in over 43 per cent of the strikes; par
tial success in over 10 per cent, while
the remaining AZ per cent were fail
ures. Over As per cent of the lockouts
succeeded completely, and over 10 per
cent. partially. The others were fail
ures. In the successful strikes 669. .992
persons were thrown ont of employ
ment, 31S.s0l in those partially success
full and !, 400. 9Ss i'm those which failed.
OF the total number of persons thrown
out of employment by the strikes in
the entire period of thirteen and Il
half years, SIS per cent. were
females and by lockOuts 22.53.
OF the 1O,4s strikes which occurred
in the seven and a half years especial
lv covered by the present report. :. 295
were ordered by labor organizations.
while of the 442 lockouts of this period
only eighty-one were ordered by
of employers. Sixty
nine per cent of all the strikes and 76
per cent of all the lockouts of the
seven and half year period treated of
occurred in the five states of Illinois,
New York, Pennsylvania. Ohio and
Illinois taking the lead
of all the states of the union