The times., 1897-10-31
LABOR WARS IN ENGLAND
A Great Strike of Cotton Mill
Operatives Imminent.
BATTLE OF THE ENGINEERS
Il Is as Good a. Lost Unless There
is Rema rItabIe and Uniooled-for
Change-The Seal Eng
lish Interest In New York May
orally Election.

London, Oct. 30.-The Industrial situa
tion is the gravest yet reached. There is
little prospect Of compromise of the
engineering struggle, and meantime the
trouble in the cotton trade has reached n
decisive point, and next week may see the
beginning Of another great war involving
great trade OF the empire. The spnners
and weavers viii decide Monday whether
to submit To 8 per cent reduction in
wages. which the employers declare the
exigencies OF the trade demand. The
leaders of the operatives unions are US
ing their Influence 10 secure a negative de
c!sion, coupled with an offer To curtal
production. II is extremely doubtful IL
the manufacturers would acceptthe aIterna-
tive, which they protest is altogether In
adequate.
A cotton strike on top OF the engineers
strike would undoubtedly weaken the
chances uf success of the operatives in both
trades. Public opinion a the outset would
probably condemn tie aggressors In each
trade. This means that il would oppose the
engineers, who attempted 10 enforce the
eight-hour day, and sympathiZe with the
cotton operatives, who are resisting re-
ductiun. The engineers hattie is as good
as lost, and, despite the uncompromising
attitude OF both sides, the men are seek king
any honorable retreat from the demands,
which, it is new clear, would destroy the
engineering trade OF Great Britain. Even
the most prejudiced Of the strikers are
to realize that the foreign con
which at first encouraged theIr,
are really designed 10 XIII their employment
In their trade by taking advantage OF the
opportunity ~ seize the foreign market.
The British government has at last done
a sensible thing regarding the seal ques.
ton. Several days ago Lord Salisbury
asked the leading members OF the fur trade
TO furnish him with the best information
available about the threatened extinction
or the seals. 1t is impossible TO conjec-
ture why this obvious step was not taken
years ago, instead of sending d single
Official observer to find out what everybody
knew all about Replies were
promptly seut 70 the foreign office and a
prominent member of the trade informs the
New York sun that they all plainly
dlIlInel thdI the IuI seal was FdpiCly
becoming extinct. Then came the ex-
planning of the governments obstIuacy in
refusing to believe the contention OF the
United states upon this point. "How is
it," qIeried TIE foreign office attache
''if this is true and the catch diminished
more than SO per cent, as you show. that
the price of sealskin is no higher than
when the supply was abundant
The answer Of the fur man was easy
Seal IS bot the fashionable fur.
The incident furnishes striking Illus
tration OF the Incompetence OF the average
British diplouiatist in dealing with
practices! business question.
London. Oct. 30 English interest in
the New York mayoraIty campaign is ex-
traordinary. The subject for the past
day or two has eoHpsed all other foreign
concerns in public estimation. 1t is sig
nificant that Seth Lows friendliness TO
Great Britain is warmly reciprocated
Almost the entire British press is earnestly
advocating his election.