SAN FRANCISCO MAIL NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2467, 26 June 1901, Page 13

SAN FRANCISCO MAIL NEWS.

(Per Mariposa at Auckland.)

Approximately 50,000 machinists throughout the United States struck on May 20, and are still idle. The demand was for nine horns a day in place of ten, and a scale of wages equal to the present ten hour per day scale, and other concessions. The strike thus far has not extended to allied trades except in a few instances. No machinists engaged in Government work are implicated owing to the fact that on such work an eight-hour day already prevails. Railroad machinists are not, as a rule, involved, though the machinists on several roads are out on strike. The order does not apply to railroads; it was issued by the National Order of Machinists. Since the beginning oE tho strike a large number of employers have acceded to the demands of the men. The only turmoil is in the breasts of men who see their yards empty of toilers, while contracts are lapsing and cargoes are writing for ships which are not in sea-gomg condition. A number of steamships were undergoing repairs when the metal-workers' strike order went into effect, and these must remain idle along with several uncompleted vessels, which cannot go into commission as soon as was expected. The Oceanic Company is affected by the strike, as the steamer Alameda is at the Risdon iron works, where she was undergoing repairs amounting to 200,000 dollars. The Sonoma, due here on a slow voyage from Sydney, was to have extensive repairs to one of her engines before resuming her run to Australia. Several steamers which were to be put on the Alaska run have been compelled to abandon the plan of making early trips north. The Australian steamer Horda, which put in here in distress a few weeks ago on account of having been damaged by going on to rocks at Hunter's Point will be detained, as work on her machinery has been suspended.

The Bureau of Foreign Commerce of the State department has just made public advance sheets of the " Commercial Relations for 1900," which deal with American trade with Scotland. The tide of American imports into Scotland, it is stated, has steadily risen. This is true, not only of food products, which are in almost universal demand, but of a -variety of manufactured article*. ■The growing preference for American goods is noted everywhere.