New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-01-30

the Continent. and the losses are shared by
many trades. From July to January the new
unionism and employers federations have been
conducting devastating warfare upon each other
and upon national interests. and Newcastle has
been one OF the chief battle grounds The CON
Met has now virtually ended. and the losses are
counted by the chief Tyneslde Industries as
most serious. II not wholly irreparahle.
COLLAPSE OF NEW UNIONIsM
The struggle has been closed by the with
drawal Of the demand OF the Amalgamated So
ciety Of Engineers for a working week Of forty
eight hours in the London district As this is
complete surrender to the masters after their
proposals have twice been rejected, 1t Is evident
that the sympathetic lockout ordered by the al
lied employers in the engineering trade will he
withdrawn. The sympathetic strike, which was
the direct consequence Of that lockout. will he
countermanded. and there Will be rush for
work In the Tyneside district the men who
have been locked out since midsummer are
eager to resume work, and are applying for re-
instatement with serious miseivings. for promi-
nent firms Ike the Armstrongs with their ship
yards. steeworks and ordnance works. have
declared that many OF the places have been
satisfactorily filled. and that there will not be
room for all the men who were formerly en-,
poyed The local trades-union Is finding It i'm
practicable to hold back its members until
definite settlement can be effected The now
unonism. after supporting them during long
period Of inaction. Is powerless to prevent pri-
vate negotiations for a resumption Of work.
The men consider it necessary TO look after
their own interests, and to make the best terms
possible with their EMPLOYERS
1t is indeed a signal triumph for the masters.
won with heavy sacrifices Of business and trade.
They resisted the demand for eight hours in
London because they foresaw that the move
ment, unless checked, would inevitably extend
TO the provinces: and they justified their oppo-
sition on the ground that foreign competition
was already so destructive that the working
week could not he shortened without rulnous re-
suits TO English Industries. Their real object.
however. to regain complete control Of their
business by imposing their own regulations upon
the use Of labor-saving machinery. and the en-
ployment Of less skilled workmen for managing
il than those who had been hired at full wages.
They asserted that the trades unions interfered
with the management Of their business and by
the prohibition Of apprenticeships the Jockey
ing Of machines and the imposition OF fines for
overtime. prevented the introduction OF various
expedients for reducing the cost of production
and for competing successfully with American.
German, French and Belgian rivals This has
been the real ground Of conflict. and since the
masters have won the battle they will undoubt
eddy take advantage Of their victory 10y ordering
many changes In the regulation az the working
force. The new unonism. with its sympathetic
strikes and federated trades organizations has
taught employers how 10 combine with TIRE
sistbe power for self defence IN declarations Of
their own Despite Sir Christopher Furnesss
appeal for magnanimity they will make full
Of a triumph which has been followed 10y an
unconditional, surrender.
Golden SALT WITHOUT SAVIOR
The two stock arguments agains. the Anlsri-
can Protection which have been worn thread
tare in England during the last generation
have been. first the Impractical lity OF compel
ing for the worlds trade without opening the
home market TO free imports: ard. secondly
the disastrous consequences Of trades-unionism
under system OF artilcislly stimulated indus
tries. Cobdenism has been emphatic In declar-
ing decade after decade that England had moth
ing 10 fear from American competition in foreign
trade 50 long as Industries We're protected. and
that there were more labor strikes and more
organized revolts against capital in the United
States than In any European country. North
umbrian opinion has not been impressed with
these time-worn arguments when the Newcastle
press has been filed with warnings II the in
creasing force Of American competition and the
fatal effects Of English labor conflicts and ~
systematized interference from trades unions IN
the management Of machine works.
Indeed IL has ben during the first YEAR =
what is known in England relentless an!
ignorant McKinleysn" that American pig iron
has been shipped 10 Liverpool that American
firms have obtained orders for steel rails from
India Japan England and the Continent. that
he American tinplate industry has obtained
complete possession u the home market and
displaced the Welsh trade; that American cleo
trio plant and motors are imported on q large
sale into England for the benefit of mrnic pail
ties; that the cycle trade is menaced with an
invasion of cheap American wheels. and stails-
ticians giving warning that the enormous
production Of lower transportation charges and
superior facilities Of the United states FOR manu-
featuring indicate that FnClands supremacy IN
the iron trade Is passing away All these con
fessiOns made by the Newcastle press, mol
withstanding the confirm ID English habit OF re-
ferring TO MCkinleyism as a fatal drag upon
industrial progress Moreover. the anne press
has urged the necessity Of adopting the Anlerl-
can Industrial principle If the unrestricted use
Of labor-saving machines with Inc employment
Of partially skilled workmen in managing them;
and Il has contended that American trades
unionisrn is more reasonable and less arbitrary
in this respect than English trades -unionisn
and that those terrible Americans must DE
Tough. with their own weapons. From the
heights Of recent experience as broad ana cIrai
views of American industrial enterprise can Dt
had as those II the Tyneside from the famous
high-level Stephenson bridge }. y r
ATTACKED BY GEORGIA BiNKERS.