Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-13
Socialists Get in Their Work.

Prince Arthur was mere the Otner Gay
to review the Boys Brigade of the Church
Of Scotland and tho socialists took adj
vantage of that occasion to make a vio-
lent demonstration. Three Or four reei-
ments of troops and the police kept them
i'll check. but the significance of the cpl
sode was realized by every thoughtful
man in the city. and it is feared the agi-
tators will provoke a general riot or some
thing worse before the winter is over or
the period of depression is past. Some
of them are already advising their hear
ers TO loot the banks. the business houses
and the homes and secure the wealth they
have produced by their labor and which
belongs to them and not to the people
who are now enjoying il.
In the meantime the distress committee
is finding employment for as many peo-
pie as possible, offering wages of two
shillngs 4 day to married men to Dig Il
large pond at the northern end of the
city. which is to be added to the park
system. Unmarried men in limited num-
bers are given employment at shilling
a day. Several hundred avail themselves
regularly of the opportunity to earn this
pittance: but the socialists are decia1ming
against it and actually provoked Il strike
among the ''unemplOyed' the other day.
It was an extraordinary episode and
would have been amusing II 1t had not
been SO serious Tney called Il right
to-work demonstration, when those who
had been given employment by the relief
committee dropped their shovels and
picks. and led by three or four notorious
agitators. marched to headquarters and
demanded shorter hours and more money
for their work. The gentleman in charge
explained that the enterprise WAS purely
benevolent and the funds limited, and it
was 'desira BILE to distribute Them among
as many people as possible. The more
thai participated the smaller the pittance.
and he begged the strikers to be conSid-
crate and patient and assist the commit
tee i'm their efforts TO do the greatest
amount of good to the largest number
possible.
The agitators followed up these con-
ciliatory speeches by asserting that the
banks of Glasgow were full of money
and the warehouses full OF food and cloth
ing, and advised the men TO help them
selves; but no violence was attempted and
tthe majority of the strikers drifted
back to their work and accepted the two
shillings d day. But the outlook is criti-
cal.
What Caused the Trouble.
Mr.. Lugton. who was with John v.
Farwelr & Co. of Chicago for many
years, and is now superintendent of the
Peoples Palace here. comes closely in
contact with the wage earners of Glas-
Cow for whose education and entertain
ment that institution was erected. Mr.
Lugton tells me that the trouble is
traced directly to the depression follow
ing the panic in New York; that large
fleets of ships We're laid up because there
was no demand for transportation. and
thousands of sailors were discharged. AS
there was no work on the docks. between
four and five thousand roustabauts were
discharged. As no more ships were need
ed, and the merchant marine of England
and Scotland was already oversupplied
building ceased. and more than ten thou
sand men were thrown-out of employ
ment for that is the great industry of
Glasgow. There being no demand for ma
terials. the iron and steel works were
compelled to close down and there was
no need for timber or lumber or cabinet
makers This cessation of industry was
felt by the merchants of the city whose
trade fell off and that closed the fac
tories that produced their goods. Build
ing ceased in Glasgow and between fif-
teen hundred and two Thousand masons.
bricklayers and other members of the
building trades lost their Jobs Every line
OF employment, every branch of trade.