The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1904-07-23
STRIKES

STRIKES. :
Newspaper and other public CO
5 ment upon the packing house strI
suggests the reflection that ideas uDb
this important subject are growS
! more mature sod rational as Z
phenomena Of strikes become md
common. Within the past few yeS
strikes and the rights OF the partt
at interest have begun to be consp
cred 10 a more thoughtful way. al
10 many instances phases of *
question have come within the pR
view OF courts. But In spite OF IL
advance OF thought along this III
popular opinion may still be said :
be chiefly derived ex parte froS
~agitators OF apologists. The radicS
Ideas Of the Debses and the radicS
ideas of the Parrys are the ones whlcs
still are received with the greates
popular interest and applause. Mef
stlll prefer to look upon organized
labor and upon the capltallstic organ,
ization Of Industries the one as CAUSE
and The other as effect, though it Il
very clear to the thoughtful that
each is in turn both cause and effect
Just as lainfall promotes f~orestaUion,
and forestation promotes rainfall.
oome OF the strikes now going on
Illustrate the fundamental problems,
connected with these industrial Dhe-p
nomena' The two principal ques-i
lions at issue between the strikers,
and the packing house companies are,
~ the increase Of wages of unskilledt
aborers from sixteen to twenty cents
per hour and (2) the maintenance OF
he highest scale paid 10 any packing
louse anywhere in the country as the
wage for the same grade in
ILL., The packers objected to the
lfst OF these demands on the ground
nat there had been no corresponding
Increase in the wages Of any other
orm OF unskilled labor in any part of
ne country; and they have particu-
Irly objected to the second demand ,
o the ground that reasonable wages .
re relative, and depend In large !
leaSure upon the cost Of living at
ne place where the work is done. !
as to the first OF these contentious !
is to be noted that upon the order !
President Donnelly of the Anal. !
mated Meat Cutters Association of I
orth America a general walk.out I
place throughout the packing I
uses OF the United States, but IL !
s been the skilled rather than the :
skilled laborers that have main :
med continued obedience TO the !
der. More than sixty per cent, it Z
Of the unskilled laborers have Z
'urned to their work, largelyl*
their places can be easily
and the rather absurd phe- :
nenon is presented Of skilled work of
% maintaining a strike for an In, an
'ase Of wages TO the unskllled. az
As to the second point, the trouble IF
'Se in Chicago where the cost OF 81
ing is higher than Ia smaller cities. EN-
a local strike in Chicago would be tr
lolly ineffective to accomplish the mr.
ult desired and could be expected su
produce no other effect than the laI
sing down Of the works at that tn
zee aud the increase Of the packing IT.,
eratlons 10 the plants under the III
ownership at st Louis, Kansas CO
y, Omaha, Sioux City, TT. Worth, or
chita, Denver, st. Joseph, and m;
places, 1t became necessary in to
: Judgment of the association to f..
Ter a general strike. And since ~
; places Of unskilled laborers could IN
easily supplied, it seemed further an
to extend the order to on
lied labCrers whose places cannot n,
quickly filed, Thus it is that f,
king house workmen at FIT. Worth. m
ere wages are nominally much M
yer than 10 Chicago but really II,
her because Of the difference in 90,
cost of living, who are entirely mn
'sied with their earnings and wish
further increase for themselves.
10 enforced idleness to secure a &,
increase in wages for nj,
lcago workmen and a general mr..
cement about minimum wages Ios
ich would make their own earnings III
OF all proportion with those OF SO,
III fellow workmen in the plants Of on
large cities Of the North. M