Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-03-27
The Cost of Strikes.


labor troubles since Jan. /, 1912, could
be computed, its stupendous size
would startle the average reader
outside of the murders and other
crimes springing from the fires of
kindled hatred is the hunger of limo
cents and the restitution in millions
of homes.
In the Lawrence mills strike deplor-
able incidents and conditions have de-
veloped, but not for a moment COM
parable with the suffering entailed by
the coal strike in the British Isles. In
three weeks of this contest the tide of
restitution has swept in 100000 idle
human beings Hunger clutches at the
vitais of Britain Terrible distress
arises from the cold and famine. The
cost is estimated, at the lowest ealcu-
lation, 10 cost the United Kingdom
$4,000, 600 weekly. Even should the
strike be settled at once relief would
be tardy.
From the dispatches we learn that
tens of thousands of dependents are
suffering great privations and in
South Wales, where the funds of the
miners unions are exhausted, the con
ditions have reached a terrible pitch
Each day brings with it an increase OF
the suffering and distress. Many of
the chapels and all of the schools in
Cardiff and its vicinity have organized
soup kitchens where the poor can OBJ
tain meagre noufishment. Labor
yards have also been opened by the
authorities and many of the men are
there earning a small amount daily.
Besides this the officials of the NUM-
cipalities are endcavoring to relieve
the women and children. In one dis
trict alone in South Wales 400 nom
union worlSmen have applied to the
parish poor authorities for relief, and
throughout Wales the army of unem-
pioyed continues to increase owing to
the reduction of the work in every
branch of trade.
A similar story comes from Scotland.
Large numbers of the miners of East
Lothian are in such straits that they
art SEdIGitHlE lOi GbdI III tliC hiGdStb
workings along the beach. Terrible
distress also prevails among the wives
and children of non unioniSts, who
have no strike pay coming in. Diff
Guilty has been experienced by the
miners union in many districts in re-
Straining numbers of the men from
returning To the pits In Glasgow
alone 10000 men are idle, apart from
the miners. while all around that city
work has come to standstill III all
the factories.
The Industrial centres of England
are in nearly as bad condition. The
lack of wages and the difficulty of OBJ
tanning coal for domestic purposes are
severely felt in every district where
the miners strike has caused the clos
ing of factories and workshops. For
tunately some of the cotton mills of
Lancashire have been able to reopen
as result of the pooling of the coal
stocks by their owners, while gas and
other companies which had stored
large quantities of coal are selling
some of it to the cotton mills. The
casual laborers in other trades. how
ever, are in pitiable condition, suf-
fering from cold and hunger The
train services on the railroads have
been still further reduced today, while
the steamboat service across the Eng
fish Channel has been again restricted
The seaside resorts, which had made
preparations for big Easter trade,
have had 20 cancel all their arrange
ments for special trains, involving
them in heavy loss.
Professor II. S. Jevons estimates
that the strike is costing the United
Kingdom S50,000000, at the lowest
computation, for every week it lasts.
And right here is the heart breaking
part of these clashes between capital
and labor, regardless of who is to
blame-the granting Of the entire de-
mands of the coal miners would add
only 5oo0o a year to the wage list of
the workers. Yet this strike is allow
ed to go on costing the country $50,
900, 600 a week and untold distress
among millions of people in no wise
connected with the strike, except that
their occupation is cut off for lack of
coal
How long. o Lord, how long, are
greed and the power of dollars to
dominate the lives and happiness of
millions of helpless producers? Every
year hundreds of millions of dollars
are thrown away--lost to the world
in order to maintain the grip of the
few over the many. When the mar
kets of that great center OF civiliza-
ton. New York, become glutted with
fruit or vegetables so that the price
must be reduced to dispose of it before
decay, the surplus is shipped out to
sea and dumped. By this means the
middlemen maintain their price level
and their grasp on the profits between
producer and consumer. Everywhere
we find just such evidence of the mas
ter hand of ayarice.
We ask: What will be the solu-
tom then shudder at the possibility.
Meanwhile technical men are talk