New-York tribune., 1901-07-16
GREAT STRIKE COLLAPSES
MACHINISTS RETURNING TO WORK BY
HUNDREDS, AND LABOR LEADERS
GIVE UP HOPE.

The strike of the machnsts 1t was said yes
terday. has virtually collapsed, and it is only a
question of few days when the strike will be a
thing of the past. The leaders of the strike in
this city admit that their principal effort Is
to gain the nine hour workday for those who are
still on strike. The question of an increase Of
wages is only a secondary consideration.
Henry F. Devens, secretary of the National Metal
Trades Association. in official report yesterday
said that a telegram had been received from Gin
cinnat saying that thousand more striking
machinists had given up and gone back to work
in that city. In all, out of about three thousand
five hundred people who had gone strike In
Cincinnati about three thousand had returned to
work Another dispatch received from New
ark, N j.. saying that the strike ended in
that city. All who remained strike, about three
hundred in number, have returned to work.
The strike of the machinists began on May 20
for the nine-hour workday and 12ls per cent in
crease in wages. OF the machinists, union and
non-union throughout the country sixty thousand
were employed by the members of the National
Metal Trades Association. and ninety thousand by
non-associa tion employers. The National Metal
Trades Association and the International Associa-
tion of Machinists entered into an agreement about
two years ago by which year later the ma
chnists who were then working under the ten
hour system were to be put under the nine and
one-haIf hour workday and on May % of this
ton. The question of wages not considered
in the agreement, the machinsts believing that
the wage question would adjust itself.
J.. When the nine and half hour workday went
INTO eHect, many OF the employers granted an In
crease OF wages, so that the machtnsts were
enabled to much under the ten hour
system. Under the constitution of the Interna-
tional Association of Machinsts union
work alongside of non-union men, long the
latter are paid union wages and work under union
conditions.
Some time before May 20 of this year. when the
nine-hour workday was to go into effect the In
ternationai Association of Machinsts decided TO
make general demand all over the country for
the nine hour workday, to so into effect on that
date, with l21a per cent increase of wages. The
increase of wages was to bring up their earnings
per day to the level of their earnings under the
nine hour and half basis. Contrary to the
pectation of the mlchnists. the National Metal
Trades Association, a body, refused to meet the
demand, with the exception of a number of in
dividual members, who found II eXpedient to grant
ii. A general strike enforce the dema nds was
citation employers throughout the country who
fused them
ordered on behalf of the non-union men well
as the union machinsts and the non-unIon men
went on strike in most cases along with the union
men; There was a general belief that the
chinists had a big strike fund before the strike
was ordered. as they had been preparing for It for
of strike fund and that the union. believing
that the strike would be in short time. de-
pended on assessments and contributions from
The employers. both association and non-asso-
ciation showed more frmness in resisting the de-
began TO collapse when II had been in progress
for two three weeks and no strike funds were
forthcoming. The non-union men began break
ranks at hrst and what little strike money col
lected was doled to the rest OF the non-union
men Within the last two weeks the break UP In
the strike became general. The American Fedora
tion of Labor has levied a small per CAPITA assess
ment for the benefit of the strikers but IL is now
conceded TO be too late. A labor leader said yes
The failure Of tho machinsts strike was due to
neglect IN providing for emergencies. The strike
things" ' eN'