The sun., 1897-12-24
FRENCH wORKMEN REBEL.
a ROAR OF DISSENT aREETS 4 PLAN
FOR a GENERAL STRIKE

"A ROAR OF DISSENT GREETS PLAN
FOR a GENERAL STRIKE
Un,ops Rersse to Feiiew Their Leaders in the
naatter--leng Hours asa short Pay OF
French werhmen-Thry Are Lees Hndus-
trious Thau American sIcchsnics. Though.
PARIS, Dec 1.-THE trades unions OF France
have an enrolment of 100000 workmon, who,
divided In craft, hhvo two common standing
grievances, long hours and small pay. short
time ago, fred by what they had heard OF the
great strike In England and the manifestations
of sympathy with It, some Of tho leaders con.
ceived tho idea of o general strike upon British
lines, thinking that one grand union in the com-
mon cause might enable the workman to bring
his employer to terms. The French labor lead
ers, however, are not, as In somo countries, po'
.tentates with salaries; they are just ordinary
workmen who have to earn their bread as their
fellows do, and, IL they are not umid, they are
usually cautious for that reason. Tho course
Of action upon which they may determine is as
costly 10 themselves and their families, In tho
event Of its turning out badly, as 1t is to their
followers.
In this instance, then, these labor leaders did
o great deal Of consulting before they broached
the subject Of q general strike TO the councils
of the various unions. From the drift of the
discussion they came TO the conclusion that
great majority Of tho unions could be depended
upon and: that tho matter was worth trying.
They outlined their plans to tho general ooun-
ellis aud advocated frat, as test, the accumu-
lation Of war fund. Tho various councils
called the unions into secret conclave and ex-
plained tho project. 1t was 70 be war to tho
knife against tho employers and every work.
man was expected to stand close to his brother.
It was to DO tho great event In the annals Of or
ganized labor.
Tho answer which tho rank and fllo of tho
unions made to their leaders win probably never
be forgotten.by those well-meaning II undiscern-
ing captains. Neither organized labor nor unor-
storm that was raised. From Finisterre to the
Gironde and back TO the great factories Of Lille
the roar Of dissent Numbered. Amid 1t all the
proposed collection was made Four hundred
and twenty thousand enrolled French workmen
contributed to the fund for fighting their en-
Dloyers the sum Of exactly s66.23.
This was In q country whose workpeoplo
have grievances which arc not imaginary. Tho
law prohibits employers from requiring q man
to work moro than twelve hours out Of twenty
four. seven days in the week, in any industrial
occupation, 30 called. It does not touch agri.
cultural or commercial pursuits, in which
there is practically no limit as regards hours.
In many TRADES, particularly in those allied to
building-carpentry, masonry. bricklaying
plastering. and plumbing, for instance tho
legal limit Is worked up to, and most of tho
workmen in these lines are employed from to
2, Sundays as we'll as week days. In manufac-
turing. mining, and transportation the hours Of
labor are shorter, but only in rare instances are
they less than sixty-hve hours O week. This
applies to women well as to men. but there
are restrictions in the case OF minors, and no
child of:less than ~ years maybe employed ex-
nv itA Darenta.
The wages that go with these hours are like
wise unsatisfactory to the workpeople After
the period Of apprenticeship a man in Franco
earns less than half the sum a workman
in the same trade in America earns. Out
the support Of the State. but On the other
somewhat greater, and his family averages but It
onehslf the size. Charles Guyot, socioiogist
who has been studying the French workman Of
to-day. finds him to be u much more discon-
tented person in this generation than in the
last, q fact which he ascribes largely to Ameri-
heard of them through friends who have emf
grated. He sums up the French workman's
''The. Frenchman works from one.third to
Qne-han. as hard as the American. and no m
ducsment mt in the way Of high wages would per
will do more work in six hours than French
man will do in twelve, and he will do II better.
He win do 1t better because he knows how to
do 1t better. nearly always. and because he
n
to lose all sight OF his pleasures when he works;
he wants his little glass Of wine or beer at least
his % cigarette He also loses e too ~" much a time
in stopping to look critically at his w6rS: He
talks too much, and his nature is too sooiable.
Ina wordnand @ 1 say. 1t only because it is q
countries must have obseryed-when the French
lean workman works he works. 1 believe the
Frenchman. considering his temperament, is
WIFI bis think he would be eae very SnSappy i.
with the Americana. Tho French workman
does does not % dTess l SO well as tho American. but
pier. Yet he grumbles."
louder voice than his brother Of other countries
10 as much matter of uncertainty as is the
but that his complaints often are as fruitless
the last report Of the Minister of COMMERCE
srkes % sa0T nvoRns assG tesTe were IN
men 4os 4os Women. 4Sd and 2cSs cRaqen Con.
siderably moro than half of these strikes oo-
iority Of the lockouts lasted only few days.
The main cause for striking was a demand Tor
trivial Importance; there were very few strikes
for shorter working hours. But tho most sig.
Ths srfers 70 In
fewer than 10 per cent. Of the number Of strikes.
They effected q compromise in about 80 per
ated f This IL Ser n face o the efs f.es ehst
poE Ccut VI LILO compromise Cud0b were bfDl-
trated according to the law OF 1892, which was
working people, The cost 20 labor OF Its VIC
tories was the loss Of ga. .1os days wages in the
<76 strikes.
Arbitration in accordance with the law noted
Is being called more and moro into play for the
eettlement of labor disputes, but SO far 1t has moi
been o signal success. What is more efica
ciops particularly In preventing strikes by
amioable discussion of disputes between employ.
ers and employed, Is the time-honored Con.
sells des .Prld 'hommes, instituted at Lyons In
1905. and extended gradually to all the large
towns o. the country. These tribunals are or
the judges are employers and v orkmen duly
elected under supervision of tho Government
Their functions cover almost every conceivable
subject. but they are mainly occupied with
questions OF wages and hours OF labor. In their
proceedings there is something that recalls thu
9asy-going office of q country Justice of tn,
Peace in America, and there Is very little Of thu
the ofticlal institutions Of the third French re