New-York tribune., 1897-11-19
N.v.York. Nov IL. 1897
THE GREAT BRITISH STRIKE
I oss TO BOTH SIDES THE oHLY RESULT OF I'll

THE GREAT BRITISH - NINE
ross TO BOTH SIDES THE oSLY RESULT OF THE
DISPUTE ~ THE ENGINEERING TRADES
To the Editor OF The Tribune.
Cir: The great strike ~ the mechanical ens."eeiH
=, croet Britain has practically ended ana mas
.,deJ IN the defeat OF the men. The masters nave
made no practicable concession 10 the oe'na''u' "
,b.,r ,mpIoy,. while the engineers return 10 "olh
urb the,r society treasury depleted with nearly
On oo noo lost 10 them In wages. d'scontented ana
d.,,orat,,.d after three months of ideness. Inc
Society Of Amagamated Engineers OF Great pr'a'n
and Ireland was undoubtedly the sUo"b''' '"D
mos, cohesive body OF trades-union "orh'n'H III
,he world II was, too, an enormously "es'",
,odv and wa, tacltly recognized by other laoof
unions as the arisocracy OF "o'hHe" '"' ~
cannot be said of II noY.
,rb, demand OF the engineers was Tor hh e's"N-
hour day This was their foremost claim' ou.' IL"
cIdentally they objected 10 the introducto" ., ~
proved machinery English employers !" '0",
resisted what they regard as a preposterous anu
ruinous concession to more or le's Sc"'''"e"'a
economical theory. They pointed OUT Una. ~
Aneric, and Germany mechanics worked longer
hours and IN Germany at least for less wages tna
In England. The competition or fore'sn cou,.Ii. ,'
they contended was rapidly undermihhs n'i.9"
manufacture at their doors. engineering anu '"p
building firms throughout the country P'0''''
that they would prefer to shut up ther "oik
ho,. and .bipvards rn her than agree to an eight
hour day. .,,
Another peculiar feature about this great SIM
wa, that IL received jit:le nnancIAi OF niofai eup
mort from other labor unions. some ie" "eehs aso
II was believed that a sympathetic strike OF some
rorr hundred thousand workmen would be called
- 1nror,o ,ba claims OF the engineers. But Il
those who knew the relationship IN whiGn IN. ID.
SaemsE highly improbable that such an event
would take place. The Amagamated Society 1 OF
Errn.ers never helped other bodies or Worknv,n
an ssirIk. in generous financial spirit. and ttie
outside assistance was extended TO them IN te, @
pressing strait lost the Ges i inas in wage. and
prestige, reducing their union funds almost u '''
ri This is not however the most serious aspect Il O.,
this great trade dispute For some Few yea't yea ,bs
sfss ys. sni been es Re re
the Tees and In Belfast. Strike, OF minor enar
who went out making other bodies OF workmen dle
who had neither act nor part IN .S Ia The next
day Il might be the boier-maker, and so on. or
these interminabe strikes CnS oeayea not be- full
aned at the times specified and private orders for
mercantile shipping tonnage pSi,s TG5s taken at Srs"e"
rather So shss sn.n at dnrns this period that the English
tn. 'sHH Savy TSs
could not cope with the pressure OF worN
by Mby pr,vats Arms such as ArmstTonss at Tsw Tssn
Tyne and the Lairis a. Inss
orders Sa%s S.soyers and torpedo cchers In the
midst OF this enormous Influx OF work PIX .ne
and the non-ntroducon q improved msshn mac IN
oay " It looked a. II they would succeed IN the Do
Ginning Lord Armstrong; trm was IN tae and md the
nSsrs KICK sS.,erminedly followed and they have won
| the day. -, .,.br,I eve on this strike
Che has poned By to her yad. ,hs
OF course nops in The hands OF British shipbuilders
aG GdsFs wscS SnS ss viii snf
pSEed ST aussnt uS was IA, IL ate
coincidence io er.at English strike the Kaiser VII.
mdd'ea aer or Crosse should have been Launched and
make moment O naval designers all over the
torS Her speed her srseetul though nss
ana pnnsrior to anything which English shtpbuild-
| 1ar suPe 80 vet produced OF course. the oceanic
ers nav star Line threatens to rival the Kaiser
3Wt,ihelm der Crosse In magnitude and speed Bud S
" W MWlI"..nnineers' strike has somewhat Retarded tne
,..s tne of the work upon her and y must be some
p,'rDe vet before see her afoat inc rNairy Ds
,nn.n rho British and German transatishts nhes %
" ot .o much our present concern as the erect II
,n mo hsys on the shipbuding destiny OK Inc Two