The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-04-30
A STRIKE in CHINA.
Shanghai Tailors Did Not Get Enough
Rice, Pork and Fish.

China a short time ago. gives sn account OF q
Chinese strike in the city of Shanghai. IL
was q striko OF 1000 tailors, which lasted
eight days. and was stubbornly contested.
The chief complaint OF the Shanghai tailors
was that their provender, which was given to
them by their Chinese employers, was too
scanty. When they declared that trey could
not live upon the small quantity of rice. fish.
and pork which they got for their daily food,
aud appealed for more. the employers disre-
garded their appeal. and likewise disregarded
the polite request for more wages. Some of
the employees sleep in the workshops whore
they eat, which places are exceedingly filthy.
but no complaint was made on that account.
The strike OF the tailors for more pabulum
bad not been expected by the bosses, to whom
it gave great annoyance, especially as IL oc-
Cured at the busiest season of the year.
when the European residents ordinarily buy
n stock of clothing. The bosses were sure
that their bands could not hold out lonz. as
few of them were ever able to wais till the
end Of the month for their wages, and many
OF them bad TO ask for part OF their daily
earnings every night 10 keep their families
from starvation. Their pay euch day was 10
Mexican cents. or about Is cents in American
money, and the cost 10 the employer OF their
food each month was about Sl.56 IL American
money. Though the bosses felt certain that
hunger would soon compel them TO snrrep-
der, yet at the end Of the third day OF the
strike the tatfors sti,f refused to yield. The
bosses then caused the arrest OF tho instiga'
tors of the trouble. come of whom were
iogged and locked up for several days, while
others were sentenced TO years imprison-
ment. Further threats of vengeance were
made against the malcoptents, anG there
were also attempts to bribe those OF the
Shanghai brethren who were regarded as
weak-kpeed.
But the hands stuck IL out day after day.
though >hey had neither distinct organiza'
rion nor n treasury from which they could
drew the means TO procure the necessaries OF
life For eight days fll business in The trade
was stopped. In the Chinese tailor shops In
Shanghai not one OF the hand machines was
operated by any of the 1000 workmen. There
is in the Chinese lapguags a term which
bears the signi6cation OF tho French "soIidar-
ity," and this was the secret watchword OF
the tsilors of Shsnehai.
The bosses were nonplussel. II the strike
continued they would lose the trade OF the
season. aud some OF them would be brought
10 ruin. They conferred with each other.
They demanded that the disseminated men
should tell them plainly what they wanted.
The men replied thar the bosses did not give
them enough to eat and that they needed
more rice. more pork, and moro fsh every
day. besides better wages than 30 Mexican
cents day. These terms were extravaeant.
and the granting OF them would be ruinous to
the bosses and destructive to the trade OF
Shanghai. Yet the men held out, and de-
cared that they would not surrender so long
as their pigtails continue to grow. Had rot
the Chinese sage. Contucius. said that the in
dustrious workman ought to have enough to
eat2 This maAim OF the ancient sage affected
the mind OF the bosses. The truth OF it was
as indisputable as that of the other sayings of
the reverend Master"
At last. on the eighth day. a settlement was
brought about. IL was after much talk that
an agreement was entered into between the
parties TO the dispute. The bosses agreed TO
raise the amount expended for their mems
victuals from 81 SO a m onth to s2c0 (as com
puted in American money!. and they also
agreed to make an advance in wage. which
were fixed at % cents q day OF eizht hours.
TIE terms were accepted by the 1000 tailors
Work was resumed in tho shops, and tie hand
machines were set in motion at ful, speed.
The bossGs hRd saved tho seasons trade. and
the tailors OF Sbenvhsi had secured an in
crease in their scsnty grub.
In the history Of Chinese industries there
are other incidents like that described here,
but in few cases haze the strikers sought for
as much as was gained by the Shanghai
tailors. The six Chinese companies which
exist in the United States. and make rules
that son OF tho Celestial empire would
dare 10 disohey have heard the news from
the great city that stands beside the wssaug
River. and may pofsibly have sent prcstings
to tho successful tailors. In China there are
no trades unions in the American sense of the
term. though there are powerful crganiza-
tions OF n soCia-pulitical kind such for ex-
ample, as tho No Ro-Kwai amorg tho south.
ern Chinese. which once eafed alarm by