Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-12-14
SWEDES END STRIKE
AII-Summer Contention Closes
Without Clash.
ALL TRADES PARALYZED
Defensive and Offensive Movement
Provoked.
NOTHING SETTLED BY CONTEST
Some Misapprehension Over Effect
Of Recent Alabama Election.
Postal Receipts Surprise.
SETTLED BY CONTEST
BY WILLIAM CTRTIS

By WILLIAM r. CTRTIS.
Written for The Star and the Chicago Record
Herald.
A universal strike of all the trades in
Sweden has recently been terminated
without one act Of violence. 1t lasted
all summer. and involved every trade
union and every occupation and industry
in which paid labor was employed. For
several months every wheel was silent
and every furnace was cold: every mine
was shut down; all the street cars and
railway cars in the kingdom stopped
running, and for a while no newspa pers
were published except little handbill is
sued regularly by the leaders Of the
strike to notify their followers of meet
ings, movements and to give them i'll
structions.
Every day the principal events in
Sweden and the rest of the world were
bulletined in front OF the newspaper Of
fees; then the publishers secured the
services of a few woman compositOrs, and
were able to print narrow slips and send
them to their subscribers. Gradually they
were able to enlarge these sheets, and
finally published limited editions of their
papers.
The street car service in Stockholm was
resumed after 1t had f,een suspended for
several days by the business men. who
undertook to run the cars themselves for
the convenience of the public. Wealthy
engineers acted as motormen, merchants
and lawyers took the places of the con-
ductors. and thus allowed the patrons OF
the lines to go back and forth between
their homes and their business houses at
the usual hours. But every hack and
cab. every taxicab and automobile. and
every livery stable, suspended operation
for weeks under the orders OF the leaders
of the labor unions.
How the Trouble Began.
The trouble began last spring in one
or two unimportant factories where there
were differences between the managers
and the men. Sympathetic strikes fol-
lowed the failure to secure satisfac-
tory settlement and several large COM
panies which had nothing to do with the
causes of the trouble and no connection
with the concerns where the strikes oc-
CURED found themselves unable to carry
on their business because their employees
refused tn work until certain firms, who
were entire strangers to them. complied
with the demands of their workmen.
This situation provoked a defensive and
offensive movement among other en-
ployers of labor, who realized that their
property and business were exposed to
continued peril. and the managers Of all
industries throughout the, kingdom or
ganized an association for mutual pro-
lection and cooperation. Hoping to
bring the labor organizations to terms.
they ordered a lockout and a genera!
suspension of operation until their en-
versal open shop in Sweden. BY this
action several hundred thousand laborers,
mechanics, engineers and representatives
Of the various trades were thrown out
Of employment and were notified that
they could not return to their jobs until
they would consent to abandon the
unions and treat with their employers on
an individual rather than an organized
basis.
AS soon as the significance Of the stu
alton was understood by the wage earn
ers Of the kingdom everybody quit work
as a protest-even household servants,
coachmen. gardeners. janitors and char
women and the employees OF the munich
the workmen in the parks, the mechanics
and laborerS on public buildings and
other government works laid down their
tools and went home, and for months not
stroke of work was done by anybody
who was drawing wages.
Strike Extended to Farms.
The strike extended even to the farms.
and throughout the country there was
great difficulty in getting hands for Gull
tivating and harvesting the crops. Even
the grave diggers in the cemeteries
struck and the drivers OF learses. Not
only business but social affairs were par
alyzed. It was difficult for people to OBJ
tain food and fuel. and the restaurants
had to close because the cooks and walt
ers Joined the strike.
It is probable that the suspension OF
business was never equaled in any coun-
try at any time. not even in Paris during
the French revolution.
Labor agitators from England, France.
Germany and other countries went to
Sweden to offer their services to the lead
ers of the workingnen. and their Inter-
ference was undoubtedly the cause or
| the failure of the movement.
Public sympathy was very generally
with the strikers until by the advice of
the foreign visitors the members of the
typographical unions. the employees of the
street and the steam railways and others
who had contracts with their employers
STIMULATING that they would work certain
hours for certain wages for certain peri
DDS: that they would not quit work with
out giving certain notice and would sub
nit all differences to arbitration and
abide by the result. left their tasks and
movement began to fail. No people have
a higher regard for the sanctity of a con-
tract than the Swedes, and public senti-'
ment was shocked by this fragrant disre-
gard Of obligations which had been enter
ed into voluntarily.
The foreign delegates, who did not have
such a fine sense of honor, aggued that
the emergency of the situation justified
the violation of faith They said that the
circumstances were similar to con-
flagration. The printers. the. street car
men and others had agreed that they
would not leave their work. but they GER
tainly would do SO If their houses or the
houses of their nefghbors were on fire, be-
20 use thew would feel II their duty tn As.
sist in saving lives and property The
10 o& oil kix,Sz