New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-11-22
INDUSTRIAL WAR.
CONFERENCE IN THE ENGLISH EN-
.cINEERING CONFLICT AFTER
FOUR MONTHS CAMPAldN-HH
---. n,c on NEW INIONISM.

.,,..a communities II Is not conducted i'o
scientifically than a labor campaign III ''
+r,al England For four months Il
conflict has been in progress IN the enc
,rads and from the outset there mas 80,
re,tber irregular skrmishng nor any i'i,0
,a+ed maneuvre. Each side mas oepe"u
perfection of organization ana inae -
e,snc,al resources. II has been 'e'' VI
ance between the Amalgama'eo ,hs
A. Ennloyers' National Federa'io"' ~
h.+t,a has been fought without nouns
shed or outrage. but not without iniieN' ,a,,,.
oes and determination. 1t has oeei' do 80.
.. orange an armstice and TO cohciuue -
IN this labor war as II has been loi Wv ,,a
rean Concert 70 conduct nesoua'io ..ro
,rurkisb evacuation of Thessaly or ioi ,',' al,
Government Of Crete. Indeed " :. r,sa
have been practicable for the poa'1 on,,-
20 omen the way for conference u ,,,,,.ters
~ Nd M, been behind It and II the M''''''o-'
ioh NaN 80 ~, been warned in the bye
elections that workmen are voters oap"
.,~-,- ov,s,,re narties into dsorganizauon'
~ orio4r NJ this labor conflict was a oe'naHN
.ho rort ~ the London engineering "aueo
-. Gov O working day Of eight hours MANY
n;,Aari,g firms indeed majority Vi '
- a,r.adv made the concession anu ."0
.r.aes-unions attempted to coerce the iii'"o',,'
=. .aont tho same course, by calling OUT II"
.s.r,h.rs who were employed IN lie" ei'N
.bons This minority appealed 10 'he Elm
National Federation for protecuoh " -,
body assuming that the demand ioi 80
hours would be taken up throughout '"'
v,nsdouo ~ IL were once grantee Ill hoN"
- .. ,,ate a determined stand against IT,
II ,ssued notices for the discharge OF 81 pei 80
., tho men connected with the unions WHICH
xu.,a identified with the strike TINS chaiie"ee
was Immediately accepted by the traoes-u
THE Amalgamated Engineers ordered out 'io &c
oaining Is per cent OF their members po'"'
lockout and strike about ninety tnousailu WIN
zen have been out Of employment ana 'he
sn1,neerins trade has been hai1-parai!~eu
tbroushout the United Kingdom since the mid
die Of July.
I'll. .onseouences Of this prolonged campaign
80. hsan disastrous alike TO employers and en-
r,ovea The masters have lost business and the
wan have exhausted their trades-union savings
1uork IN shipyards and machine-shops mas peen
seriously delayed II not suspended outright Inc
construction of new VESSELS for the navy ana lot
foreign Powers has been hicd T.d; contracts lot
machinery wanted In every part or the "or'u
have not been carried out and fresh oroers lor
similar work have been placed In Germany
France. Belgium and the United states Inc
trade returns for the last four months disclose
a sharp decline in the export Of Iron manufac'-
ures and especially Of machinery Less work mas
been done in one Of the chief English INDUSTRIES
and foreign rivals have largely increased their
share Of new business. Meanwhile the reserved
funds of the engineers union have been depie'eo
nv weekly payments to the force thrown out Of
work The authorities Of the Amalgamated En-
sineers boasted at the outset that they had
4
strikers wages Probably their resources were
overstated but whatever the fund was II has
been wellnigh exhausted. for they have recently
been receiving subscriptions from all sources
and their officers have proclaimed that they
must have at least $4,000 week in order to
maintain strike payments.
u The most remarkable feature Of this conflict
y has been the lack Of harmony between two i'm
portant labor organizations. The Federated
Trades. which is not connected with the Anal
gamated Society Of Engineers cautioned all the
unions affiliated with 1t against aiding abet
ting the striking engineers The London boiler
makers disregarded these orders and went out
on sympathetic strike in order to help the
engineers. The Federated Trades endeavored to
enforce discipline by directing the striking
boiler-makers to resume work. and by threaten
ing the forfeiture of all the subscriptions which
had been paid for several years and the
pudiation Of all future claims for strike pay and
benefit. The London boer-makers broke out
in open revolt against these orders from their
own headquarters. and voted against the re-
sumption Of work until their employers should
concede working day Of eight hours. In this
instance the Federated Trades had made an
agreement with employers against the eight
hour movement, and was compelled to turn
against the striking bosr-makers, who were
IN sympathy with that cause, and to threaten
them with expulsion. This internal dispute will
undoubtedly be compromised and the Amalga-
mated Engineers brought into the Federated
Trades
This action of one body Of organized trades
unionists Is the single exception to the general
sympathy which the engineers have commanded
in their fight with their employers. The treas
ury Of the Amalgamated Engineers is now
ceiving large contributions and subscriptions
from cotton operators. bricklayers, coach build
ers coal miners and many other trades-unions,
and In this way IS enabled 10 prolong the strug
gle. The cry has been raised that the employers
Of the National Federation have openly chal-
ienged the right Of the engineers TO combine in
self-defence. and are striving 10 destroy trades
unionism: and organized labor Is responding
generously TO the appeal for $4,000 a week for
the maintenance Of the strike in the common
interests Of all the unions II the masters have
not declared war upon trades-unionism. they
have at least been E;ost impotio and uncon-
cfiatory IN responding to offers from the Board
Of Trade for mediation and arbitration. For
this reason they have alienated public SYM
rathy, aad. while 1t has been generally assumed
that they would win by virtue OF superior flnan-
fhay have heen med
preventing a settlement and for creating BIT
ter feeling Of resentment among the working
masses
Mr. Richie has persevered in his peace nego-
tiations until he has at last arranged a basis