Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-09-01

-IASHINGTON, d. c., Aug. 2S.-One OF the most
NJ important features of the strike problem Is tne
w different causes that trng on strikes and lock
outs These causes are obviously important because
thew are the point be attacked first in any
attempt at a solution: they also worth STUDY De-
cause they are changing with time, and any element
or live nroblem that changes decade to decade
is likely to give key to the forces back OF the "hole
and a hint of the future as we'll
Practically all the early strikes strikes
pure anG simple the strikes of today are
wage strikes the proportion of wage strikes
70 all other strikes is great deal smaller than it
once was and getting smaller steadily. IN other
words while wages still the big issue other points
of difference have up from position OF negllgl-
BILE Importance to one where they cause taxing tnein
all together almost half the strikes II the past Is
any key to future, these other issues will be IN
creasingly important in the future
All the very early strikes in America were wage
strikes except few that might be classed under the
head of STRIKES over working conditions" Most of
these freak strikes and most OF them We're I'M
successful. For example, the workers in New Eng
land ship yard struck with great indignation and I'M
animty when employer discontinued the daily al
lowance whisky. This ration of srog was time
established institution in some trades, and the size
and number drinks which the shop was expected to
serve out would notwithstanding advocate OF
local option open his Cutting off the grog was
a step received stoppage of the supply OF drink
ing water would received in once today Never
theless the high-principed shipbuder carried his
point dehed the strikers and launched vessel into
the laying of whose keel drop of alcohol had en-
tered
When the first employers organization began to be
formed i'm the early of the last century,
cause of industrial warfare In the question OF
unionism 1t was force back of number of lock-
outs a lockout being understood to condition
equivalent a strike except that the employer shuts
down instead being forced shut down by the
ton of The employers organizations used
the lockout as a weapon against the unions which
lust beginning in the aborng class While
stated before the question has been the prn-
cpa strikes the question of unionizatlon has
always been the principal Of lockouts.
The bare figures and statistics show that strikes
have been very frequent than lOckouts
The data federal labor shows
that $1,000 strikes 1900 locouts
for the period under observation The figures they
can often force burden of aggression to his
ployes when he is the real of the tie-up
For example, dispute is he hold
to the old scale, demand for advance with
a reduction. He thus practically force strike,
but so long keeps his shop open and is willing
to his the tie-up not be classed
lockout.
Up to the last quarter of the nneteenth century
wages and unionism thus the most important
causes strikes lockouts. Two-thirds of the
strikes this period strikes. Another
cause was arising however in the issue of hours
of labor change manufacturing conditions the
step the home the small shop to the big fac
tory, naturally brought this dispute. Hours, more
over were very long There records of several
strikes for right stop shutdown; and the
hour day became a issue. Labor did not fare
we'll in the early years this controversy, owing
chiefly to continual influx of cheap immigrant Ia
Dor from Europe The newcomers invaded even the