Page:The Economic Journal Volume 1.djvu/187

 Rh and follow, an unsuccessful strike, or it may be wielded against an employer having no dispute with his employés, simply because they do not belong to any trade union. It is chiefly, however, as an accessory to the labour conflict that the boycott is called into requisition, and in this way its application as a branch of industrial warfare has, in the United States, been brought to a pitch of perfection not attained, or, indeed, attempted elsewhere. Sometimes it is directed to stop the supplies of a manufacturer's raw material—the stoppage of his supplies of labour can hardly strictly be termed a result of the boycott, as it is simply an incident of the ordinary strike. But it is most deadly in its ordinary form when it puts a complete stop to the sale of a manufacturer's goods.

In some branches of production the boycott is of little effect, such for instance, as in engineering, iron manufacture, or in those trades which work chiefly to contract, and not for a general or retail market. But, in respect to the commoner necessaries or luxuries of life, such as are consumed by the masses of the people, the case is different, and articles produced for the popular market by some offending manufacturer may have their sale entirely stopped.

Some of the American trade unions define boycotting as 'simply leaving an employer alone.' 'When,' they say, 'we boycott a thing, we leave it alone—we won't have it.' It will, however, be seen presently that in some of the most extreme cases this neutral line has been much exceeded.

Under the powers conferred upon it by statute the New York Bureau held a special court to inquire into this new industrial development in 1885, and a few of the typical examples of its working may be quoted from the report of that year, which is the first dealing with the subject.

A peculiar case is that stated by a cigar manufacturer employing as many as 2,500 people. Amongst this number, according to the employer, were a considerable proportion of German socialists. A dispute had arisen between the firm and its employés about an equalization of prices, and the new arrangements were accepted as satisfactory by a majority of the workpeople. The socialistic element, however, about one-third of the whole number, refused to enter into the new arrangement, and even refused to arbitrate on the matters in dispute. The remaining two-thirds, who belonged to another trade union, remained at work. Those who had gone out applied the 'boycott.' After a struggle of two months the strike was abandoned, and many of the strikers