The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-03-02
6OOCHOW AND ITS
WORKING MEN.

wight, 1909, Dy tIalih VI Ndl PSheSiC
SOOCHOW, China.
oehow has more trades unions than
Eir Of the United States, and its work
rnen are better organized than those
urope. have spent some time study
the labor situation, and | fnd that
people can give us pointers on many
ochow is one of the labor eenters of
-hinese empire, 1t is bigger than Bos-
brcper. and it has ten suburban towns
rye size where Boston has one. There
E.ooo, 900 people living within a radius
irty miles Of it and these are huddled
her in a hundred cities which range in
from a few thousand to hundred
sand. and in about one hundred thou
Villages and hamlets.
le whole country is beehive OF work.
axes all kinds OF silks, satins and cot
ss well as manufactures OF iron,
/, born and glass Within the last FIVE
great cotton and silk mills have
n up about it These are worked by
krn machinery. but the most OF the la
is still engaged in house industry and
tile factories employing about a dozen
s. There are more than 100000 people
Ing embroidery alone, and the Soochow
lers' guild has altogether 1000 looms.
&c is a large fur business, d fan bust
and an enormous establishment in
b The Soochow bath tubs are made. In
Ii is said that every one OF the 900
Is known in China is carried oil here.
nearly every trade has its union.
ley STRIKE on SHORT NOTICE.
he Soochow workingmen are noted
ag the Chinese for their independence.
Mill strike on short notice and on
t provocation. They have already had
OF the most remarkable strikes OF the
re. II was here that the Gold Beaters'
IN bit an employer to death some years
and it was here that one OF the mag
ties who opposed the working men had
Ears bitten off
be gold heaters case is the more re-
tabc in that It arose out OF an order
gold leaf issued by the Emperor of
a His majesty was anxious to have
gold leaf on short notice, and gold
capitalist who had d factory at 500
got leave from the authorities there
Ike on more apprentices than the rules
he union permitted These rules pro-
4 that an employer could engage only
new apprentice at time, hut this man
Dyed large number, whereupon the
struck They gathered at the factory
{ number OF r23, and there waited for
Employer. Before this they had held
INSULATION. during which they had as
l themselves that there was no law ir
a making biting to death 4 capital Of
+ As soon as the employer came in
nen fell upon him, and each took bite
pr bis person. Every one was required
In in the execution. and those who first
we're stationed at the door to see that
man leaving had lips and gums coy
with blood. The employer died in 4
short time. The union men who com
ed the crime were arrested and tried
bnfy the one who took the first bite was
AIDED
LED FOR BREAKING A UNION
RULE.
be above was case in which an en-
tr was punished The members who
k the rules Of their unions are also
rely dealt with Fines are common
manning and killing are not unknown
few weeks ago a man was found
r bundle Of straw at the new docks
site Shanghai. His eyes had beer
led out and laid in basin beside him
bad been thus treated because he had
en- the order OF his union. which had
otted the docks and forbidden all work
them.
d Instance is known Of cooper who
ordered 10 work at lower wages thar
{ required by his guild The order
from the magistrate and 1t could not
be disobeyed, hrt this workman crt
lis right hand and came With the bleed
stump before the magistrate and de-
need him After that the union prob
had no further trouble.
INA AS THE WORKINGMAN'S
COUNTRY.
e are accustomed to look upon China
he hell OF the laboring man There are
act few places where such men have
{ rights and where their unions have
e weight II is true that hours are
and wages are low, but these are con-
ms Drought about by others things than
Impression of capital. AS far as I can
the officials are all afraid OF the work
pan and public sentiment has as much
int here as at home. In building rail-
s and establishing factories the unions
have 10 be fought Even the emperor
frsid Of them, and Ii Hung Chang
I as he was, did NOT dare TO fight
n. A monument OF the power Of the
mems union can be seen in the river
opposite the great city Of Tien Tsin.
consists of number of stone piers
n which the railroad from the seaport
that from the coal mines we're TO cross
the city. The boatmen wanted the
ness Of transferring passengers and
ght across the river; they objected to
bridge and said the station should be