[The International Herald, No. 51, March 22, 1873] 

Spain 

The strike of the engineers and stokers on the Northern 
Railway still continues.* The middle class papers state that the 
engineers and stokers, on strike of the Valencia Railway, have 
given in, but this is about the third time this assertion is made by 
them, and we shall not believe it until we see it confirmed in the 
Spanish International papers. 

The demand of the International factory workers of Barcelona 
and neighbourhood for a reduction of the hours of work to ten, 
appears to have been complied with, as the factories keep working, 
and the respectable papers are ominously silent on this point. The 
hours of work, heretofore, were from 12 to 13. It is to be observed 
that this point has been carried principally by the men of Gracia, the 
manufactory suburb of Barcelona, and that they, as early as 
November last, had unanimously declared for the Hague Resolu- 
tions. 

The letter-press compositors of Madrid have compelled the 
masters, without strike, to agree to the new terms proposed by 
them. 

Germany 

The type-compositors of Germany are engaged in a struggle 
which threatens to become very severe. They have a Trades Union 
which numbers about 4,000, out of 7,000 type-compositors in all 
Germany. On the other hand, the master printers have a society 

also, by the rules of which, the masters bind themselves upon an 
appeal on behalf of the Committee in case of a serious strike, to 
discharge at once any Union men in their employ. Now, the 
type-compositors of Leipzig, a short time ago, went on strike for 
higher wages, and the masters’ committee finding themselves 
beaten in Leipzig, have called upon the masters all over Germany 
to give notice to all Union men. This has been done in Leipzig, 
Berlin, Breslau,’ Frankfort, Munich and most other large towns of 
Germany, so that unless an agreement is come to within a few 
days, the great mass of the compositors will be locked out by next 
Sunday week, and the whole German press and book trade 
completely disorganised. While thus the printing offices of the 
masters are completely paralyzed, the co-operative printing 
establishment of Leipzig is flourishing to such a degree that the 
orders on hand cannot be executed. 

Dresden— A Co-operative Carpenters and Joiners Association 
has been started. 

Switzerland 

The strike of the jewellers of Geneva for the nine hours’ 
working day still continues; at the same time the great majority of 
the masters have given in, and reopened their shops on the nine 
hours’ system, so that with a little continued assistance to the men, 
the final victory cannot be doubtful. 

This is the second great strike in Geneva which has been won 
through the intercession of the International.?%” 

[The International Herald, No. 52, March 29, 1873] 

Spain 

The strike of the engineers and stokers on the railway from 
Valencia to Tarragona and Almansa has ended by the complete 
triumph of the men who have obtained all their demands. That on 
the Northern Railway of Spain, on the other hand, appears to 
have broken down for want of a proper organization. 

At Barcelona, the coalheavers of the port have gained, in 
consequence of a short and successful strike, an advance of wages 
averaging 10d. a day—instead of 3s. 9d. they now get 4s. 7d. for 
every working day of eight hours. 

Switzerland 

There will be held shortly a Swiss Working Men’s Congress at 
Olten; the date has not yet been fixed.” A Swiss Shoemaker’s 
Congress is preparing. 

Germany 

The type-compositors’ strike, alluded to in our last, appears to 
take a very favourable turn for the men. The masters had played 
out their great trump card, by calling upon all members of their 
society all over Germany to give notice to all members of the 
men’s union that might be in their employ. But this appeal, 
though perfectly justified by the rules of the masters’ society, does 
not appear to have been met everywhere with the necessary 
alacrity; indeed the Hamburg master printers declared it to be 
uncalled for, and left the society altogether rather than obey. In 
consequence the masters’ committee has been obliged to eat 
humble pie and to apply to the men’s committee—hitherto 
ignored and repudiated by them—to re-open negotiations for an 
amicable settlement of the dispute. 

At Dresden, the International Trades Union of house painters, 
japanners, gilders, etc., has its central seat. This society established 
only a year ago, has not only compelled the masters to do away 
with Sunday obnoxious regulations, but also established a co- 
operative workshop in which numerous members of the associated 
trades find employment. 

At Regensburg (Bavaria) the shoemakers, headed by the 
members of the International Shoemaker’s Union, have gone on 
strike for a rise of wages. 

At Mayence, a shoemakers’ strike has been going on for a full. 
month, without a prospect of being brought soon to a close; most 
of the unmarried men have left. 

The Berlin coopers published an appeal to their colleagues in 
the north of Germany to form a Trades Union; they state that 
they have just carried a strike to a victorious end and wish to 
expand the organisation which has so far been locally successful. 

In Hamburg the 350 workmen of a large piano-factory are on 
strike for an advance of wages. 

In Gorlitz (Silesia) the tailors have struck, on the 17th of March, 
for an advance of wages of 30 per cent; the masters offered 10 
per cent which was refused. 

The Berlin joiners and cabinet-makers are asking an advance of 
33 per cent, and are determined to go on strike if not successful 
by peaceable means. 

United States 

In New York, a German Working Men’s paper has been started 
under the auspices of the International. It exposes the shameful 
tricks by which the American manufactories coin money out of the 
sweat and the starvation of their workpeople. The Singer Sewing 
Machine Co., is chosen for a first example. Thus, the company’s 
manager gives out the work, to the overlookers in every room in 
the shape of contracts; they again employ sub-contractors, these 
parcel out their jobs to other sub-sub-contractors, until finally the 
last understrapping contractor makes his own contract with the 
workpeople that have to do the real work. It is impossible to drive 
the ‘“‘sweating system” any further; here we see it in its perfection. 
Not only the capitalist, but a whole hierarchy of understrappers 
are here directly interested in sweating a profit out of the 
workman’s labour—no wonder that he, the workman, scarcely 
receives the pittance without which life and work become an 
impossibility. 

[The International Herald, No. 54, April 12, 1873] 

Germany 

The letter-press printers’ and compositors’ strike continues. The 
masters’ proposals, being unacceptable, have been refused by the 
men. In the meantime one master after another, especially in the 
smaller towns, have to give in, so that the prospects are very 
favourable for the men. 

At Hanover, the bookbinders’ strike has ended in the complete 
victory of the men. Their demands, a ten hours’ working day and 
an advance of wages of 25 per cent, have been accorded to in full 
by the masters. The bookbinders of Germany will hold a General 
Congress at Nuremberg on Easter Sunday. 

At Chemnitz, the tailors demanded from their employers an 
advance of wages of 33 per cent, and the complete cessation of 
Sunday labour. These demands having been refused, the men 
went on strike on the 30th of March. 

The shoemakers’ strike at Mayence continues. Another strike in 
the same trade has broken out at Pforzheim; at Wurzburg and at 
Erfurt strikes of that trade appear impending, the men asking an 
advance of wages. 

The German Bricklayers Union announces a strike of brick- 
layers and masons at Flensburg for shorter hours of work. The 
basket makers at Hamburg are on strike for the same reason, as 
also the workpeople of a large cotton mill near Hanover. 

Austria 

The Vienna tailors having demanded from their employers an 
advance of wages and a reduction of the hours of work, which was 
refused, the men of more than forty shops, including the principal 
ones, went on strike. 

The same has occurred with the tailors at Graz. 

Belgium 

A General European Tailors’ Congress has just taken place at 
Brussels, at which the provisional Rules of a European Tailors’ 
Union were adopted, to which all democratic socialist . tailors’ 
societies are invited to accede; all societies wishing to go on strike, 
to obtain, before striking, the approval of the rest, if they intend 
to claim the support of the European Union. An annual Congress 
of the Union is to take place. 

Switzerland 

The Geneva Jewellers’ strike is now finally brought to a close. 
The nine hours’ working day has been victoriously carried. 

At Zurich the carpenters and joiners, at Winterthur the tailors, 
are on strike for the usual reasons, shorter hours and higher 
wages. 

At Neuchatel, the shoemakers have gained an advance without 
resorting to a strike. 

America 

The servant girls of Ottawa (Canada) have formed a Trades 
Union. 

[The International Herald, No. 56, April 26, 1873] 

Germany 

Berlin—The gardeners’ journeymen are on strike for ten hours 
and an advance of wages.—A strike of the pianoforte makers for 
33'/. per cent advance of wages and 8 hours a day is impending. 

Munich—The working class movement here is very active. 
Almost all trades have their unions; a central Trades’ Council is 
being formed. The jewellers have carried an advance of wages of 
25 per cent; the tailors, without a strike, 15 per cent. 

Augsburg.— A portion of the carpenters—those employed by the 
seven largest masters of the town, about 90 in all—are locked out, 
because they will not accept the new tariff of wages offered by the 
masters. 

Leipzig— The great struggle between the master printers and 
the type-compositors, which from here spread all over Germany, 
has ended in the complete victory of the men. The haughty 
masters have had to accept all the conditions imposed by the 
latter, namely, withdrawal of the general notice given to all union 
men, and settlement of a new scale of wages by a mixed committee 
of men and masters. These conditions being agreed to, the men’s 
committee declared the strike at an end. 

Danzig.2—The ships’ carpenters’ strike has ended in a defeat, 
owing to the direct interference of the government in favour of 
the masters, by threatening with dismissal every man employed in 

the navy yards who should support the strike, and other similar 
measures. 

Hamburg.—A strike of the shoemakers of Hamburg, Altona, 
and neighbourhood is impending, as the masters seem determined 
to resist the demands of the men. 

Of smaller strikes we noticed those of the ships’ carpenters at Kiel 
(Holstein); the moulders at Itzehoe (Holstein); the cork cutters at 
Delmenhorst, about 900; the joiners and cabinet-makers at 
Bremerhaven, etc., principally caused by insufficient wages. All 
over Germany the organization of Trades Unions, local and 
national, and even international (comprising the workmen of each 
trade in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland) is progressing very 
actively, and wages are more and more approaching the English 
level. 

Austria 

Vienna— The tailors’ strike continues. That of the engineers in 
a large machine shop, begun inconsiderately, has broken down 
completely. On the other hand, that of the file cutters has been 
triumphant; the whole of the masters have agreed to the 20 per 
cent advance asked by the men. 

Graz.— The cabinet-makers and joiners went on strike on the 21st 
April for shorter hours and 20 per cent advance of wages. The 
shoemakers in a large shoe shop have struck for 11 hours a day, 
which is now the usual time in Vienna. 

Hungary 

Pesth— The Hungarian Working Men’s Organization suppressed 
after the defeat of the Paris Commune, has now been re- 
established at a large meeting held on the 23rd March.” The 
Organization possesses two newspapers, one in the Hungarian, the 
other in the German language.* The committee is composed of old 
Internationals, amongst whom we find the name of C. Farkas,° 
delegate at the Hague Congress as treasurer. 

Switzerland 

The Geneva jewellers’ strike is now completely ended; the nine 
hours have been completely carried by the men. At Zurich the 
carpenters are out; six masters, so far, have given in. The tailors’ 
strike at Winterthur continues. The tailors’ demands at Lausanne 
have been acceded to by the employers to avoid a strike. 

Belgium 

At Ecaussinnes 200 quarrymen turned out, but the strike 
appears to have come to an end very soon. Particulars are 
wanting. 

[The International Herald, No. 57, May 3, 1873] 

Switzerland 

The tailors’ strike at Winterthur has been successful. All 
employers but one have acceded to the demands of the men. 

The shoemakers of Zurich intend striking for higher wages and 
request the men of the trade to refrain from seeking work there. 

Roumania 

The workpeople on the railway workshop at the Bucharest 
Station are on the point of striking unless the directors accede to 
their demands. 

Germany 

The International Metal Workers’ Union (Germany, Austria, 
and Switzerland) has convoked its annual Congress at Dresden for 
Whit-Sunday, June Ist. 

Hamburg.— The Saddlers are on strike since the 19th April, the 
masters having declined acceding to the men’s demands. The 
shoemakers’ strike, of which we spoke as impending in our last 

week’s issue, has now broken out. The men are asking an advance 
of wages of 25 per cent. The ships’ carpenters’ strikes in various 
places of the North of Germany, of which we have already spoken, 
are principally caused by the masters’ resistance to the newly 
formed German ships’ carpenters’ union which it is intended to 
nip in the bud; but the men stood out valiantly. As a matter of 
course, the Imperial German Navy Yard authorities at Kiel and 
elsewhere give all the support in their power to the masters. 

Munich.—The shoemakers are on strike for 30 per cent advance 
of wages and 12 hours maximum daily labour. Masters employing 
250 men have given in; 150 unmarried men have left the place, so 
that victory appears certain. 

Berlin—The shoemakers, about 3,000 in number, have struck 
for an advance of wages of 33 per cent. All unmarried men are 
leaving. The strike of the gardeners’ assistants appears to have 
broken down, for want of a proper organization. This however is 
now being prepared. The men have formed a union with a view to 
speedy action. 

Pforzheim.— The shoemakers’ strike is at an end. The men asked 
for an advance of 20 per cent, and have got 15 per cent. 

Mayence.—The strike in Wolfs’ shoe-factory has been brought to 
a close by the employers withdrawing the notice of 15 per cent 
reduction of wages and paying to the men about £20 towards the 
expenses of the strike. 

At Cologne the joiners, at Trier the tanners, were on the point 
of striking for higher wages. 

Austria 

Workers in wood visiting the Vienna Exhibition are informed 
that the Committee of the Vienna Union of the trade meets at the 
Florian Tavern, Stumpergasse, Mariahilf, Vienna. 

[The International Herald, No. 60, May 24, 1873] 
America 

The Gasmen of the New York Gas Company went on strike on 
April 5th for the restoration of the eight hours working day, 
which had been conceded to them some time ago, but soon 

lengthened again to 12 and 15 hours for night and day work 
respectively. The Republican police of the City of New York took 
at once the part of the Company, and sent strong detachments of 
constables to the different Gas Works: while the Charity Commit- 
tee for Emigrants at once sent thither 200 Italians, just landed at 
Ward’s Island,* to take the places of the men on strike. These 
Italians, marched to the works under a strong escort of police, and 
there compelled by brute force to perform a kind of work they 
were utterly unused to, and incompetent to perform, very soon 
demanded to be brought back to the Island. This was refused 
point blank and they were kept to work by the intervention of the 
police. Two of them tried to escape by climbing over the wall, but 
fell into the East River and were drowned; several others who 
tried the same experiment were recaptured by the police in the 
water; since then the Gas Works are surrounded, both on the 
land-side and on the water-side, by a cordon of police to prevent 
escapes from this new kind of prison. These Italians, moreover, 
are utterly incompetent for the work they are expected to 
perform. 

This is the way in which the Model Republic proceeds, as soon as 
the working class, in demanding its rights, interferes with the 
interests of the comforts of the capitalist class. 

Austria 

Vienna.—The File-cutters’ strike continues. The Tailors’ strike is 
at an end—the men have gained considerable advantages if they 
could not carry all their points; their wages have been raised and 
their hours of labour reduced. 

Graz.—Great agitation among the journeymen Bakers in order 
to reduce the working hours, hitherto from 18 to 20 a day!—The 
Joiners’ strike continues. 

The working men’s agitation in Austria is everywhere proceed- 
ing in a most satisfactory manner. 

Hungary 

A general congress of the Hungarian Shoemakers is going to 
take place on the lst June at Pesth. The Austrian Shoemakers 

intend to send delegates too. Amongst the questions to be 
discussed is the establishment of a normal working day of equal 
length all over the country, the establishment of a Hungarian 
Shoemaker’s Union, and of co-operative workshops, etc. 

Switzerland 

The Jewellers’ strike just closed by the victory of the men, has 
again proved what fools the masters are to themselves when they 
resist the just demands of the workmen. Barely one fourth of the 
strikers have returned to work; the rest have found employment 
elsewhere, and the masters now have the greatest difficulty in 
finding the sufficient number of men. Serves them right. 

Germany 

Halle.—A strike of Miners has been successful, it lasted only a 
few days, when the masters gave in. 

Hamburg.— The Shoemakers’ strike continues. 

Altenburg — The Tailors, after a short strike, obtained an 
advance of 16°/s per cent. 

Numerous strikes are in preparation, among others, those of the 
Brushmakers of Berlin for 25 per cent advance; of the Saddlers of 
Stuttgart for 10 hours a day and 25 per cent advance, together 
with the abolition of compulsory boarding and lodging in the 
master’s house. 

A lock out has taken place among the Stonemasons of Zeitz and 
neighbourhood, but as this trade is internationally united in 
Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, success is pretty safe. The 
same association has a strike on its hands at Hamburg. 

The annual general congress of the German Building Trades, 
will take place at Chemnitz (Saxony) in June.