BIG STRIKES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 98, 22 May 1909, Page 3

BIG STRIKES.

The recent strike of ihe .postmen and Lclegraphists „f |'„ r i s gives some idea of the gnat trouble and inconvenience tint might lie caused if the postal employees '.u this country Suddenly ceased work (says a Hume paper). About 7000 nuloyees struck work in the French capiat rendering nearly 3000 more idle, and lisorganising the whole postal service. The daily loss to the Govormnwit has been estimated at 1:3(1,(100. about one quarter of that suffered ,by this country during the cotton strike in September last. One million pounds per week covered the loss in wages and the return upon capital .invested involved bv this dispute. The operators lost .U,200,1)«f> in wages, while the employers had standing idle spindles which represented a capital outlay of U00.0110.01111. EN'GIXEF.RK' STRIKES.

ft may he remembered that the cotton strike commenced just when the northconst engineers, who had Wen mil on strike for eight months. hid decided to return to work. This strike affected 14.1)11(1 men. whose "weekly wa"cs averaged ;1.->s ~<-i- week. Altogelher it eost them in wages and strike pay taken from the funds of their union .C!.()78.ll(IU. They fought against an aggregate reduction of 11:",) a week in their wage-, and the result of the liglit was that thev prevented half „f that reduction.

This was nothing, however, to tin great engineers' strike of 18!)7. when 70,0(10 men struck for an eight hours day. This strike had a stupendous effect on the allied trades. Many businesses throughout the country were ruined, the only people doing good busbies;, in the Xortli being the pawnbrokers. This strike cost the counlrv at least £5,000,000. THE GREAT DUCK STRIKE.

The great dock strike of 1888 also cost the country five millions sterling. Eighty thousand men ceased work in order to obtain, amongst other concessions, an extra penne an hour. The strike did not last one month, but' it was only due to the intervention of' Ordinal Manning, the Jiis'hop of London. Sir ■lolm Lubbock, and others that it was ■brought to n close. It was this strike, it mav lie remembered, which brought the fighting qualities of Mr. John Hill'lis so prominently ibeforc the public.

EIIUITS WITH THE MILITARY. The Featherstone strike of 181)3 was one of the worst which this country has experienced. About 300.0(10 persons employed in Hie coal industry refused to work, mid alVecled about twice a„ many. For sixteen weeks chaos reigned among our coalfields, and before the disputo was satisfactorily settled the military had been culled out and two ipersons shot.

This unlnippv dispute recalls the strike on the North Urilish and Caledonian Railways in ISHIMII, when police aipl military were in conflict for hours together, day after day, with thousands of infuriated men and women, driven to desperation by starvation and threatened loss <if thel|- homes. I!ASIAVAY\IE>: AND tiA/sWORKKHS.

fu the mutter of rioting and lighting, America is far ahead of us in strikes. The railway trouble of 1877, for instance, ended in a resort to cnnnon-ba'l and small arms, the strikers holding Pittsburg against the military. Damage to the est ml of tS.fMKMlWlwas do«?,l and fifteen persons were killed and over Kill wounded. This was' five years after | the eat; strike of London, when the Metropolis wis thrown into confusion by ihe striking of nearly 3000 gasstokers, ('.indies, oil, and nrajtlitlia lamps had to lie used for illumination through tile great citv. and the strike ended in five "of the leaders being sentenced to twelve months' Imprisonment. Ccrni'iin- ton. has suffered much from strips, and the dilute of ISSS in Westphalia formed a -record. Workers numbering llO.illKl came out. and on one occasion the military was forced in fire upon the mob. killing three and wounding many others, ntimatelv forlv leaders were arrested, an.l Ibis brought 111? i strike to nil end.