The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-09-05
STRIKING FEVER

STUNNING FEVER
The strike in san Francisco hns now
lasted for six weeks, and there seem
no signs of breaking. But as was point
ed out in "a letter quoted In these coll
umns few days ago, the merchants
and employers of San Francisco feel
determined upon their point, and they
year II necessary, and would when
their blood was up fight for another
year. This is too long a period TO hold
a labor organization In hand.
The strike has had its effect upon
the orchardists and farmers of the
State, and the Chinese exclusion act
will not have .nything like the sup
port in California which it used to have.
The farmers and orchardists were
never very sure that they voted right,
at that time, but now they are very
thoroughly aushed that they voted
wrong.
Then again the strikers have lowered
Farm and orchard wages in California.
The hired hands have been making
from $3.50 70 $500 per day during the
season. The San Francisco strikers,
having nothing to do in the city are
moving out into the country and TAX
ing jobs at Sl.OO and S1.5O per day.
throwing out the regular laborers. This
is a curious position, but strangely
illustrative of a strike. The strikers
will not work for a good wage, because
their union tells them not to. They
will not allow any man to do their
work, which they have quit, but they
are perfectly willing to leave Tan Fran
cisco and take the bread out of the
mouths Of hard working men who are
trying to make living in an honest
way.
The labor union leaders seldom see
beyond the length of their own noses.
They think only of their own ahilia-
lions, and they care for nothing outside
of those. Whether non-uniOn men
starve or not is no matter to them
They are after one solitary thing, and
the business is so good, and the power
is so great that men are attracted who
should not be attracted, and then are
urged to methods which they may be
Obliged to acquiesce in, or retire, and
they do not want to retire. If they re-
tire more INSCRIPTIONS men take their
places and carry the movement on.
The exclusion act will certainly get
a black eye in California and IT Is GO
ing to receive no support from the
East, which always has been against
the act. while the South is now begin
ming to ask and agitate for Chinese
labor. This will leave the labor organ
izations TO fight for the act. The labor
organizations alone, though strong.
will not be able to carry the measure.
1t was only the assistance Of the farm
ing and agricultural classes which
made California solid before, and the
labor leaders have most efectualy
alienated those classes.
Then again the labor leaders have
alienated the shipping interest. The
deep water steamers manage to get off
nearly on schedule time, but it is al
most under a battery Of guns, and there
is continued violence and the ever
present fear Of incendarism. Even
half loaded, and the consequence Is
very serious shrinkage in profits. On
the other hand the coastwise vessels
are actually tied up to the wharves
and are lying idle.
The shipping interests, always one |
of the most powerful in the United |
States, hang together both east and |
west. What hurts the Western ship |
owners is going to be resented by the .
Eastern shipowners, and they can put |
up very bitter fight both at the polls .
and in Congress. Just at this time,
when mems minds, throughout the
mainland are concentrated upon the I,
expansion Of our manufactures and
commerce any blow aimed at the ship
ping interests is not only going to call
forth counter work from them, but It is
going to unite with them the manufac-
turer and the merchant. and eventu-
ally some of the labor union men Will
themselves see the folly of the present
course, and then will come dislntegra-
ton and violence.
We may look for violence soon. Up
TO the present there has been no or
ganized violence either in the Coast
strike or in the steel strike. There
has, however, been a great deal of
sporadic violence, and far more than
the papers are willing to admit. But
as time goes on the leaders will feel |
that they ought to intimidate, and in
timldatlon will lead to crime. The
prospect is not a brilliant one, but
there Is a silver lining to every cloud.