Page:California Inter Pocula.djvu/351



Strikes among  mechanics  began  early  in  California, In July  1853  the  carpenters  of  San  Francisco  com- plained among themselves  of  the  irregularity  of  prices for day's  work,  the  rate  ruling  from  ten  dollars  down to next  to  nothing. No one  knew  what  to  charge  ; each was  fearful  of  asking  too  much  or  not  enough, and so  they  fixed  wages  at  eight  dollars  a  day,  some- what above the  average  of  what  they  had  been  get- ting. On the  18th,  those  determined  to  hold  out  and not work  except  for  the  wages  named,  to  the  number of about  400,  held  a  meeting  on  the  plaza,  and  after- ward formed a  procession  and  marched  through  the town with  banners  streaming  and  music  playing. Had wages been  double,  it  is  likely  they  would  have  been just as  dissatisfied. Laborer's strikes  are  a  melan- choly commentary upon  the  intelligence  of  working men, who  fail  utterly  to  see  that  wages  are  regulated by the  inevitable  law  of  supply  and  demand,  and  that any attempt  to  forestall  this  law  reacts  upon  them- selves.

The 'longshoremen  determined  to  have  six  dollars for nine  hours  work,  instead  of  five  dollars  for  ten hours. Perambulating the  wharves  to  the  number  of about  300,  they  forced  all  who  were  at  work  to  join them, using  threats  and  violence  when  entreaty  failed. The wharves  for  the  time  were  almost  deserted ;  but next day  the  stevedores  having  acceded  to  their  de- mands, the men  went  to  work,  happy  in  the  thought of another  dollar  a  day  to  spend  and  another  hour  to spend  it  in. At the  same  time  the  calkers  and  ship- carpenters demanded  and  received  ten  dollars  a  day. The firemen  and  coal  passers  then  struck,  the  former demanding $100  a  month,  and  the  latter  $75. The masons of  Sacramento  also  demanded  the  same  wages received by  their  fellow-craftsmen  of  the  bay,  which was ten  dollars  a  day. The hod-carriers  of  Stockton, in place  of  five  dollars  a  day,  struck  for  six  dollars. In San  Francisco  the  system  worked  so  well,  that  the masons whose  wages  had  just  been  raised  to