The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1896-12-17
craft by means

NJ
union men, it is moro than likely that
when the ship reached the other side of the
water it would be impossible to get her
unloadod until the demands Of the men in
the loading port had been met.
Strikes, however, are not recommended
by Mr.. McHugh, He says he has trick
worth two of that, and he means to intro
duce it to American laborers. The English
dock laborers call it the "ca canny" way,
this being Scotch term meaning literal.
ly ego easy" it is also known as the
"value for value" theory. The idea is ex-
tremely simple, is put in operation with
much less trouble than strike and is
much easier to sustain. For instance, If a
demand of raise from $2.25 to $2 80 a
day should be made and refused, then, in
stead of all hands going out on n strike,
the "ca canny" would be put in operation,
and each laboror, according to his own
Judgment, would endeavor to give only
So. 25 worth of his services each day until
the rate was paid. In other words, he
would give "value for value" and would
intimate that when he got better pay his
employer would get better work. This is
what would be called Sinking or "soldier-
Ing" In this country, and it remains to he
When Mr.. McHugh began by telling
New York lOngshOremen that their wages
were too low and that they were the vic
tins Of many petty injustices, he was en-
Enthusiastically received, for there is no
doubt that the longshoremen are under
paid. They work nine hours day for
about So, 80, and If they could be sure of
an aggregate of S15 a week they might not
complain, but they are hired by the hour,
and the work comes very irregularly. No
laborer knows when one job is finished
when he will get another. 1t may be in an
hour, and he may be idle for days. He
simply stands ON a street corner near the
docks and waits until a boss stevedore
comes around to make up crew. If he
has incurred the displeasure of the boss,
he does not get job until the next one
comes around. In addition to this, the
longshoremen claim that the timekeepers
cheat them out of half an hours work or
30 every day, and they have no chance to
appeal or remedy the fault.
There are none of the tricks of the trade
that Mr.. McHugh himself does not know
for he has worked on the docks himself
He was horn in Scotland about 40 years
ago, and as young man did longshore-
mans work along the Glasgow wharfs
Then he shipped as a sailor and visited all
quarters Of the globe. But he had an am
bition above the forecastle and contrived
to educate himself He was soon recog-
nized among his fellows as well posted
man, a clear thinker and a ready speaker.
He became prominent in the National Fed
Grafton of Ship, Dock and River Workers
and was the first one to propose making 1t
an international organization.
MoHugh is sturdily built man who
wears plain dark clothes and tramps
around the waterside talking to little
groups of men whenever he gets chance.
He does not rely on getting men to 20 in
to hall to hear him, but goes out among
them, mounts box or barrel and talks
to them about the benefits of international
organization in way that they can readily
understand. FRANKLIN PRICE.