Show CROP OF STRIKES From The Literary Digest Strikes and rumor ot of strikes have played a conspicuous part in the press dispatches ot of the past few weeks These disturbances as the Wall Street Journal points out although In themselves economically eco economically wasteful are the normal ac accompaniment accompaniment of a rising tide of indus industrial industrial trial prosperity They are labors demand de demand mand for a share In the increasing profits of Industry Thus in the north northwest northwest west the union of North America recently asked for a wage in increase increase crease of 60 cents a day and failing to get it called a strike which for a time testifies the St Paul Dispatch brought the tho freight movement of that section to a standstill and caused the temporary closing of many Industries This was followed by rumors of a gen general general eral strIke for higher wages among the railroad or of th the whole country and by newspaper predictions that the coal mIners of Pennsylvania would soon enforce their demands for better re remuneration In the same way For some t months a strike has been heen In progress among the tinplate workers In ono one ot of the western works o of the United States State Steel corporation and last week the th leaders ot of organized labor In conver conven convention tion In Pittsburg formally declared declare war on that great corporation as a whole because ot of 1 its refusal to nIze the unions Many other strikes strike I are now under way but the majority ot c them are of little effect or Interest out outsIde outside f sIde their own Immediate localities A Astrike strike of stone workers In certain In Indiana diana limestone quarries at the end ot c last month however seriously building operations In New York and an another other eastern cities and the present presen strike of the girl in t New York has features of national interest In Interest terest No other labor disturbance Is so far reaching In Its effects as a railroad strike which ties up transportation Thus during the first week ot of the west western western ern strike although the th Strikers numbered only 2300 and manufacturing Industries In a large larg part ot of the west were crIppled by lack lac i ot of material workmen were thrown ou out I ot of work and a number ot of the prairie towns were threatened with a coal and ani food famine These facts together wits with the knowledge that the trainmen gener generally generally ally throughout the country are formu formulating lating their demands for tor higher wages wage have emphasized the tho need ot of somo som cheaper method than the strike for sot set settling tUng differences between employer and am Thus the Philadelphia Public Ledger remarks remark that there Is something lacking In a system which throws Into confusion the social and Industrial ma machinery chinery of the country merely he because cause a particular group ot of and then their employers have a disagreement Some Somi Someday day says the Portland Oregonian the great American public which lies lles be between between tween the upper millstone or of capital capita and the nether millstone ot of labor wit make a protest against the grinding process to which It Is now being sub subjected It ought not to be difficult thInks the same pa paper er to devise some plan for compulsory arbitration while would provide for a continuation of o service pending the settlement of a dispute dis dispute SInce the public pays the bills as well as filling the role of the innocent inno cent bystander It is deserving urges urge the tho Oregonian of some measure ot of pro protection protection The Deseret News of Salt Lake Lak City and the Washington Post are an anamong among the many other papers which advocate compulsory arbitration In the tho thoc c e of railroad strIkes All immediate fear ot of a general strike on the eastern railroads was was allayed by bl President Lee or of the Brotherhood o ot Railway Trainmen who said In a re recent recent cent telegram to President Taft The demands ot of the train u In Intrain train and ond yard service east ot of cannot take proper form even for deliberate de liberate consideration between the rail railway railway way officials officIal and their employee before the early part ot of 1910 AU All this talk about a strike ot of the Brotherhood of Railway Trainmen and affiliated organizations Is absurd and the membership ot of the organization fully realize It Almost simultaneously however VIce President Murdock of the same organ organization organIzation said In a public statement It Is no secret that we have long felt we are entitled to higher wages A de demand demand mand for them was deferred two years ears ago when the financial panic caused a pause The New York Sun interviewed a number ot of eastern railroad presidents and other officials on the probability of strikes among their men at a near date and It reports as follows A few railroad officials were Inclined to be pessimistic out but the great ma majority majority believed that there will be no strike The following Is the general vIew of the matter gathered recently fr from m the companies That the granting of a demand for higher wages at the present time tImo would be Impracticable for many reasons As Asto Asto to the contention of Vice President Murdock ot of the tho Brotherhood ot of Railroad TraInmen that the switchmen here should be paid as high wages as in Chicago Chi Chicago cago It Is pointed out that the freIght rates In the west are re moro more th than n double what they are on the eastern roads West of at Chicago the rates are higher averaging In some commodities 1 cent per ton per mile while In the east the railroads would be glad to get het half a cent per ton per mile mUe The rate received o 0 Is sometimes even less than this With regard to the wage question generally and the expected demands all around for Increases in wages It Is pointed out that the wages ot of 1907 were raised after a reduction was made during the two preceding years when there was waa a great slump In railroad business the revIval In business beginning In the lat latter latter ter end ot of 1906 Wages were not cut during the late business depression and they remain and are now at the same point as during the boom year ot of 1907 1107 One railroad the Boston Maine suc succeeded succeeded In inducing the men to accept a reduction during the business depres depression slon sion Now that business Is simply sim simply ply back to the stage of l 1907 07 and the i railroads have not had time to recuperate 1 ate the men demand higher wages than were paid In boom times An advance In railroad rates the companies regard as a dream at present which would take some time to bring to reality Even if agreed to it would have to receive the assent ot of the Interstate commerce commission com commission mission The expected demands there therefore therefore fore the raIlroads do not see their way at present to grant So far they have not been made The Brooklyn Eagle agrees agree with the railroad officials that increased wages would mean higher freight rates then hIgher prices and thus we follow the theUne theline line Une to find that the expense of Increased wages to the railroad employee will be borne hy by the consumers Turning to the ot of war by bythe bythe the American Federation of Labor against the steel trust we find that Its prImary object Is to make the trust reverse re reverse verse Its policy The dec declaration declaration reads in part as follows A crisis In the affairs of labor has arisen The gigantic United limited States Steel using Its great wealth and pow power r In an effort to rob the toilers of their rIght of Ameri American American can manhood and of the opportunity to resist Its further encroachments The United States Steel corporation has declared war on labor In Its secret councils this corporation has decreed that the only obstacle to Its complete be crushed The labor organizations consist of Its the workers their wives and little ones human flesh and blood It ItIs Itis Is by their labor that they live they have no purpose other than safeguard safeguardIng Ing their lives their character their tu fu future ture the safety of the republic and hu manity These factors now confront each oth other other er By their purposes attitude and ac actions actions must they be judged On June 1 1909 the United States Steel corpora corporation tion proclaimed its decree ot of hostility toward labor The right of the workers to associate for their common protection protection tion was no longer to he be recognized or tolerated Accompanying that decree was a notice ot of a further reduction In Inthe inthe the already scant wages ot of the tho workers The Tho decree went into effect on July 1 l 1909 09 After calling upon all labor organizations organizations to assist In organizing the em of the steel trust the document continues In view ot of the great wrongs perpetrated perpetrated by the United States Steel cor corporation corporation not only against the tho workers but the whole public generally we rec recommend recommend that a committee be appoInt appoInted ed by thIs conference to walt wait upon the President ot of the United States the president ot of the United States Senate and the speaker of the House of Representatives Representatives and such members of either house houra ot of Congress as may be deemed advisable for the purpose of laying be before before fore them the tho grievances from which labor suffers at the hands of thIs corporation cor corporation and that the committee herein provIded demand a thorough Investigation tion as to the legality of the actions and the existence under th the law of the United States Steel cOrPoration The officers of the steel trust are re reported reported ported to be little disturbed by this threat Says a Pittsburg Pitts burg dispatch to the New York Sun The workmen ot of the cOrPora cOrPoration corporation tion who hold stock and draw divIdends from the profits ot of the corporation ar are looked to stand fast no matter what action ac action tion may be taken by the labor unions n It has been decided to Issue to the stockholding workmen a statement now being prepared In which It will wUl be set forth just what profits have been paid to them since their purchase of stock what the stock Is now worth In cash etc This It Is expected will rouse the fighting blood of the stockholding work workmen workmen men and will prepare them to battle against the of the cor corporation corporation who have never taken advantage advantage tage of the opportunity to buy the stock stockwith stockwith with theIr earnings It Is expected that at least more workmen will take advantage of another er Issue of stock to be offered soon Boon and with of Its best workmen In the mills each a stockholder the corpora corporation corporation tion hopes to bid defiance to any move to close Its mills The strike In New York City has also resolved itself into a right i ifor for the recognition ot of the union Al AI Although though more than halt half of the orIginal strikers have gone back to work In response to various concessions by theIr employers the remainder at the time ot of writing are still holding out Says the New York Evening Post The present strike has a local significance sig significance quite beyond the questions immediately Im Immediately mediately at Issue It Is our first gre great t womans strike and as such Buch it signalizes sIgnal sIgnalIzes Izes In n a dramatic fashion womans in invasion Invasion Into the field ot of Industry Women of wealth and social prominence prominence nence have championed the girls In this struggle Miss Iss Anne Morgan the daugh daughter daughter ter of J PIerPont Morgan even joining the Womans Trade Union league to emphasize her Interest In the cause Says the New York World Not the least notable feature of the strike a labor quarrel In other respects remarkable Is the degree ot of moral and financial support secured by the strikers in quarters to whIch ag aggrieved grieved labor does not ordinarily look for recognition When male em so go on strike they do not expect assistance from Fifth avenue or Wall Wallstreet Wallstreet street The strike In aU all Its the energy with which It has been conduct conducted ed under feminine leadership Its general gen eral orderliness and decorum and thee the support given it by women ot of social destined to become note noteworthy noteworthy worthy In the annals ot of labor disputes Far beyond any question ot of wages or hours of work It will have accomplished accomplished something It if it helps enlist workingwomen and women of wealth In a common s sympathy |