Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-12-01

Hatlon of the currency caused by the
introduction of paper money. La
bor" says one writer, assumed an
attitude of hostility toward employers
and took concerted measures for
self-defense." The situation in New
york, he says, was typical of the
period.
Necessities Jumped 100 Per Cent
Eggs jumped from IS cents a
dozen to 25, cheese went from 8 to
lS cents a pound, potatoes advanced
10 S2.25 Il bushel from .50-all
necessities rose in value from 60 to
100 per cent. Wages, on the other
hand, Jagged behind. The average
increase in all trades was about 25
per cent. AS the discrepancy be-
tween wages and values of food and
clothing became greater industrial
unrest tended toward revolution. La
Dor entered into determined effort
to offset the shrinkage of the dollar
by forcing wages up and capital
united to keep them down. The low
pay of women was a special griev-
ance.
The tendency to increase the num-
Der of apprentices and to hire un-
skilled labor for the better paying
positions was another cause of COM
plant. This and the employment of
negroes led to violent protest, blood
shed and murder. Longshoremen
particularly took offense Mt this in
vasion. Along the docks of Chicago,
Detroit, Cleveland, Buffalo, Albany,
New York, Brooklyn and Boston
negro strikebreakers brought on
fierce riots in which many of both
races were killed.
La Dor was eXasperated also by the
attempts of employees to increase the
already enormous inflow of cheap
labor through immigration. The
growing use of labor saving machin-
iery which supplanted many men en-
bittered the industrial strife. Many
strikes were waged and lost on this
,, account. The quality of labor de.
teriorated long hours caused physi@
cal dem oraliZation, idleneSs and
crime. At public meetings the coun-
try was declared to be drifting to
ruin Many localities were placed
under martial law. Military COM
manders forbade strikes and en-
forced their orders by arrests.
a Longshorcmcn's Strike Then
The Reading Railroad, tied up by
striking engineers, was seized by the
Government and run by the military
power of the United States; the strik-
ing 1ongshoremen in New York
stood idle while transports were
/ loaded by deserters under a strong
guard of soldiers. Some of the la
boring men Joined the army, some
went to farms in the West, others
.roVed about seeking work and u
fraction remained in industrial CEN
ters and formed unions
Labor unions were not new. They
had existed before 1887, but were not
numerous or strong.
With the rising prices and drop
ping wages the formation of new
labor unions was the watchword of
the labor leaders. In big industrial
cities like New York and philadel-
phla they multiplied rapidly. From
these. often embracing only a single
shop, have grown the national unions
of the present day. The new socie-
ties did not go into politics, but for
mulated the complaints and de-
mands of labor as to wages and
hours of work. Their slogan was:
Eight hours for work, eight hours
for rest, eight hours for social
recreation"
Strikes kept up, but with less
violence. Whole trades rarely stayed
out till every employer capitulated
! The methods of the strike were the
same as to-day. Capital began to
! make concessions and gradually II
better feeling held sway, but 1T was
"a long time before the country set
tied down to normal conditions