The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1919-02-08
CAUSE OF SEATTLE STRIKE.

CAUSE OF SEATTLE STRIKE.
We have beer told by several per-
sons who are defending the Seattle
strikers that the men have grounds for
striking because there are grafters in
Seattle who are charging extortionate
prices for provisions, groceries, rent
and everything the men need to live
in that graft infected city.
We grant there is much truth in the
charges of graft. Seattle has always
been a grating city since it became
great as a result OF the Klondike
boom. The Seattle spirit" is too well
known to need definition here. Seat
tie business men, and men of almost
every type are after the coin of 'the
stranger that is within their gates
and they get a good share Of it.
But that has nothing to do with the
strike. The strike was not called in
protest of extortionate prices for
groceries, vegetables, meat, coal, rent
or other necessities of life. 1t was
called, as expressly stated by the
strikers, for increased wages. The me-
chanic or iron workers were getting,
under the Macy award. fixed by the
Macy committee in conference with
representatives of the fleet
corporation; the %shipyard owners and
contractors and the laboring men,
tho hioh Woooc Of &c QG mar dou ond
they signed a contract to work for
that wage until March II. But on
January 81 they walked out and rel
fused to return to work unless they
were paid So per day, their helpers
were paid 81 per day and common
laborers were paid Sc per day for an
eight-hour day.
Those are the demands made in
writing by the strikers. Nothing is
said about lower prices for groceries,
rent, fuel or anything they must buy.
They simply demand So, 81 and Sc. per
day for skilled workmen, assistants
and common laborers, respectively.
You men who have spent years in
preparing yourselves for some occupa-
tion or profession and have become
an expert or at least very proficient
in your line, what do you think of
Greeks. Bohemians, and for
of many nations, who have
no preparations to fit themselves
work, but merely have to have a
certain amount of muscle and mind
he orders of their boss, getting Sc
,er day? Compare that with what
american citizens, professional men
nd craftsmen who have served years
S apprentices are getting.
Remember, also, that the labor lead /
RS have induced men and women who
we're getting but a small per cent of
yhat these strikers were getting and
we're satisfied with their wages and
heir positions, to leave the jobs that
of them will never get back,
tie up all industry, in order to
clip these strikers, most of them for
igners, get IS, 81 and So per day. Re-
lember that the men and women who
truck, or walked out in sympathy
18th the iron workers and other ship
ard strikers, pay just as much for
rOceries, rent, fuel, lights and other
ecessities as the strikers paid, al
Tough getting much smaller wages
- : . $500
After you have studied these mat
RS carefully see how very flat the
'gument that the strikers are justi-
ed because Of extortionate prices,
There is not and cannot be any
for this strike. 1t is
ndemned by laboring men in almost
centers and by thinking people
erywhere. 1t will only bring honest
under the stigma that these
'ikers have cast pon labor and will
honest labor an ~irreparable injury.
BEING "A HOLY TERROR"
t has seemed sacreligious to speak
the land that has been governed by
Turks for SO many centuries as
e Holy Land" But an exchange
marks that it is "holier than it was"
the past, under Mohamedan rule
been a holy terror" to Christi
Is and civilized people in general,
Ich reminds us of In incident that -
pened here when the Rev. G. e. ~