The sun. (Wilmington, Del.) 1897-19??, 1901-06-21
FRIDAY. JUNE 81, 1901.
MEMS OFFER REJECTED.

have been rejected by the Harlan
llolIingsworth Company.
This fact effectually disposes of the
charge that the strikers, or any one SYM
pathising with them, is trying to pro-
long the strike me strikers themselves
and all their friends are anxious for set
Element of the dispute the proportions
and bad effects are increasing every day.
The men want the strike ended for their
own ana their families sake. Their
friends. sympathising with them, want
the strike ended for the mems sake, but
also for the good Of the employers VINO
refuse to grant what the men demand,
and for the good of the community in
general Whatever else is involved IN
: the strike is subordinated to these special
and general interests.
The right desire about this matter Is,
however. that it be settled right. Any
other settlement would be only make
shift. The old dispute would remain and
the trouble be likely to break out again
fpItHtlHS All tiit tioupit aiih ip't'N' - sNN
men and the employers that the present
strike has cost. These troubles and these
losses are serious. There is no use, no
sense. in denying that. The men realize
and admit this. The employers who are
holding out against the strike also admit
it, and both sides admit the desirability,
not to say the necessity of an early end
of the strike. 1t is to the credit of the
men, therefore, that they have proposed
terms for reasonable settlement Of the
difficulty. At the suggestion of the
representatives of the strikers and of the
Harlan & Hollngsworth Company oc-
CURED on Wednesday evening. The pro
position for compromise was made by
the representatives Of the strikers.They
proposed that the Harlan X Holdings
worth Company concede the nine-hnnr
day, and the men would submit to a re-
dnction Of the tell-hour day wage scale
per cent All the men to return to
work and the agreement to continue un-
til September first, when the present ten
hour wage scale should be adopted for
the ninc-hour LAY. This proposition en-
inently fair iii itself, and bearing with
it the evidence Of IN earnest desire upon
thn Dart Of the men to settle the strike
upon basis of united good will, and
really Offering the IL. & III. Company
advantages not claimed by any other
machinist employing firms in this city,
was reported TO the company yesterday
morning: and within an hour its reiec-
ton was announced.
10 the ordinary comprehension nf
action on the part of the II. & il. Com
nany is incomprehensihe. The reasons
given for IT. as W. ar Informed Of
them. are not tcnable. They are: First
that the company cannot afford to con
cede the increase of wages involved il
the proposition Second: That to ALLOW
the machinsts what they demand wOul,
prpcipitatc u strike over the whole works
Third: The company refuses TO acknow
edge the authority Of the union in til
ease. and demands that each man sha
come back aud treat with the cnmpan
as IN individual.
We have said that these objection
are not trnahlc. Our reasons for thu
suggest themselves to every thoughtfl
thnt iha /
& II. Company cannot afford to Fay II
same wages that other firms can afoi
to pay for the same class Of work II
simply absurd to think otherwise. Ri
if We allow that claim 10 h. a good on
the plea fails. The local firms viii,
have adopted the nine-hour system s.
that there is no loss incurred IN Il
change The Pussy & Homes Compal
quickly and literally adopted til" min
hour system for its whole works. n
l.obdcll Car Wheel Company have 4
ranged for similar arrangement in t
very near future and from some Of (
principle employers Of laher III this ci
we hear favorable suggestions Of
eight hour labor day. The testimony
experience is that the men do as mn
work III the nine-hour day as they {
III tie en-hour day. So the plea
''cannot afford il" is upon the testmo
Of experience. untenablc. As to the s.
ond objection, we have Il say, and Il
is iii accord with the general thought II
Judgment upon this matter, the object
Of the II. 4 III. Company To the adopt
of the nine-hour system, cannot nv
what is inevitable. The shorter lab
day il coming. Labor. organized
otherwise, is agreed upon that !
popular Judgment has decided the c
tr0yerSy in labor's favor after tive
years discussion. The probabilities
that Il general strike, to bring abou
practical application Of this judgm
iii the establishing Of the ninr-hour
as the work day in all branches OF
chnnical industry, will occur With
very short time. II is not possible
any one company, or any one branch
manufacturers. to prevent the strike,
cept by ncceding to the demand for
short labor day now, and keeping
works ont of the general contest
far more costly than the present
The attempt, therefore, to avert st
for nlnp-hourS that would inynlVp