Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-05-28

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storms, drought, heat, famine, and
plaques form large part Of the daily
reading. And 10 these must be added
the slaughter OF man by man in Turkey
and Russia II the year continues as It
has commenced, It will become noted In
history for one Of death and destruc-
ton. And It Is by no means impossible
that It win see the beginning OF one OF
the great test conflicts OF the world The
political volcanoes are smoking and
rumhllng in many places, An outbreak
in either Of them might mean gener-
al conhagration.
Another feature Of the present time Is
! the great uneasness prevalent In in
dustrlal and laborlng circles. Were
there ever so many strikes as there are
now. or have been within the last few
months? Aud yet. the times are pros
porous. Last month there was a gen.
eral strike in the building trades OF
New York INVOLVING 10000 men. In
the same city two hundred electricians
copper workers. and laborers employed
In the New York stock exchange build
ing went on strike. AT Orange, N. j.,
Ave hundred plumbers and four hun
dred painters went on strike, demand
ing an increase Of wages and control Of
helpers, At Montclair, n j., about
hundred and afty plumbers and as
many painters and paperhangers left
work, demanding a wage Increase Of
| twenty-five cents a day. At Denver the
union cooks and walters were out from
the restaurants. The grocery employ
| es, the meat cutters and the bakers
were asked to come out In sympathy.
The cigar makers were idle owing to
the tobacco-strippers' strike. At Chi
cage five strikes. involving three
| thousand men, were inaugurated and
were spreading to the tanners and cur
ers, two thousand OF whom had refus-
| ed 10 work. In Connecticut thousand
men employed IN the building trades
struck demanding an increase In wages,
weekend half-holiday, and the ex-
elusive use OF union-made material At
| Shamokin, fifteen hundred men and
boys went on strike at three collieries
because the owners wanted them to go
to work a half-hour later than at pres
ent and take half more time for din
ner. At another coliery three hundred
struck work because the owners would
not add another shift to their two-shlft
set Of firemen on account Of the eight
hour labor day.
The Literary Digest of May 20, sum-
marizes the strike situation as follows
THE strike items have become 50 nu-
merous In the past few weeks that some
Of the newspapers are beginning 10
wonder If the nations business is not
being seriously affected. In Lowell, |
1900 textile workers have been on
strike for six weeks, in Chicago 10000 |
strikers In various trades are idle, in |
New York, 1900 subway workers are |
out, and there Is q fight between two |
carpenters unions that has tied up a |
large proportion OF the building enter |
prises In the city, something like a |
thousand striking Italian track work |
ers have been marching up and down |
the railroad between New York and |
New Haven trying to preoipitate a gem |
eral strike; In Omaha 1900 teamsters |
are striking; there Is strike on the |
Mobile and Ohio Railroad, and a strike |
OF bolermakers on the Union Pacific; |
the Staten Island carpenters are out; |
a strike Of 6S5 employees Of the Ham
mond Ind) Packing company has de- |
termincd that firm to move to Chicago |
in Denver, the butchers. the bakers. the |
cooks, and the walters are striking for |
recognition Of their unions in Toledo |
last week funeral was interrupted by !
the union hackmen because a nom
union man was driving the hearse In |
New Haven last week the union grave
diggers refused to dig grave for
funeral conducted by non-unon I'M
dertaker; and In the same city II has
been found desirable TO request the |
mourners to come TO the funerals in |
union hacks"
OF course the country has had perl
DDS Of depression and strikes, and even |
riots, before now, but all things con-
sIdered, the general unrest both phys
zeal, political and Industrial that pre-
dominates in the world today, is not
calculated to inspire confidence In the
immediate future. over the physical
conditions, man has no control. He
cannot stay the trembling Of the earth,
or command the winds and the waves.
But over the other conditions man
should be the ruler. There should be
no necessity for massacres. strikes
should not be needed. Such abnormal
measures should be impossible in this
age Of light and reason. Men should
adjust all differences by peaceful meth
DDS, and the governments should aid
them to DO so. Before this becomes the
general rule, outbreaks are liable to oc-
cur and render even times Of prosperity
insecure.