Mystery Surrounding Carpenters'
Action: Intimidation or a Spree?
Many curious things happen in) the Far East and one of the most curious is the carpenters' strike which is now on in Shanghai. It has for the time being paralysed the joinery works of four of the biggest furniture manufacturing firms in the Settlement—Weeks Ca., Arts & Crafts, Hall & Holtz and Tai Chong—yct they have not the slightest idea what the strike is all' about. There is an old-standing agreement between these, fins and their workpeople. It is recognized that the men are of a superior class and they are paid as such. They do good work and they are counted as_ valuable, therefore it has been made clear to wem that if on any occasion they consider they have a grievance, if they will only state it, they wilh be fairly met.
Twice previously in the last; three years have the men gone out on strike, but then it was for higher pay and they got it.
Now Gr they have downed tools for no state ed reason and only two suggestions can be made. One is that the men are getting too much money. They earn more than other workers of their class—up to $30 and more a month—yet with each rise they have had it has been noted that thei manner of life does not change, for they live in the same places, oat the same style of food an wear no better clothes. Therefore!
is presumed that they amass' money and all of a sudden decide on general jollification. his is strengthened by the fact that, when "Chinese Easter" arrived a short; while ago, the local carpenters went off for a spree, though it is a holiday they have never take before.
The second suggestion is that the strike is simply a Communistic move to harass employers and show that the workers are a superior force, Beyond the fact that no demon has been made, it is noteworthy that there has been no rowdyism! whatever. Whatever the original cause, the strike is petering out for on Tuesday a large number of the men voluntarily returned to; work and the firms concerned are convinced that the whole situation will adjust itself if only there is no interference. They say they know their men thoroughly and how to handle them and they are convinced they can bring about a satisfactory adjustment once they seam what the trouble i So serious has the depreciation of China's copper coinage become that the exchange men of Shanghai have taken to holding meet! to consider the position. All edicts prohibiting the importation of these coifs into the province have proved ineffective, so that now a dollar is worth 170 coppers.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.