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The Longest Strike

The Longest Strike image
Parent Issue
Day
25
Month
December
Year
1903
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

THE LONGEST STRIKE

The longest strike in history has just been brought to a close at the little town of Bethesda, in the region of the slate quarries of Wales. The strike has lasted six years and finally ended in victory for Lord Penrhyn, who is the principal proprietor. The strike started in 1897 and did not grow out of a question of wages or organization, but out of an attempt by professional agitators to dictate to the management of the mines. This committee of agitators did not represent fully the quarrymen, but only a part, or a fraction of them. Lord Penrhyn had up to the time of the strike been considered a kindhearted and generous man, but becoming convinced that the committee claiming to represent the men did not actually represent them, he refused to treat with it. The strike is said to have cost him during the six years of its continuance $500,000. A considerable number of people who were unable to get other work and who would not break the strike starved to death. Various others were killed in conflicts with new men and the town of Bethesda with its 2,800 people has been ruined. King Edward and Queen Alexandra, Andrew Carnegie and others in turn tried to bring about a settlement, but all to no purpose. Parliament was appealed to, but could do nothing. Finally enough men were secured to start the quarries and the strike was broken. Five hundred of the old men have now been taken back and hundreds more have appealed for reinstatement, but will not be taken because of the new men who are holding their places. That such wreck and ruin, and starving, and bloodshed are possible, not for the betterment of conditions of labor, but to gratify the ambitions of professional agitators for domination, is a most deplorable fact. But similar conditions and situations crop out from time to time in the United States, but none have gone to such lengths as yet. It would seem that both sides to such a controversy ought to be able to learn a bit of wisdom in less time than six years.