manufacturers will only pay 75 cents.

As the manufacturers' prices went down, the contractors had less money
to pay their hands with, and they were obliged in turn to reduce the
wages of the workers.

When the wages were as low as the contractors dared make them, they
increased the day's task, and forced the workers to make more coats in
their day's work.

For the first time in six years all the branches of the tailors' trade
have joined in the strike.

The leaders from all the various organizations have had meetings, and
consulted as to the scale of wages to be demanded from the contractors,
and the terms on which the strikers will return to work.

It is hoped that they will be able to hold out until the end of June,
when the busy season for making winter clothes begins, and when the
wholesale houses will be obliged to consent to pay higher prices for the
garments or lose their winter business.

A great deal of sympathy is felt for the strikers. The President of the
Police Board actually went to one of their meetings and addressed them.

He told them that he believed their cause was a proper one, but warned
them that they would ruin themselves if they used any violence.

He said that he had been told that some of their number had begun to get
restless and grumble, so he had dropped in on them in a friendly way, to
ask them to be careful, and not do anything to bring them in contact
with the police.

So far there has been no rioting or violence.

The contractors have offered to take the men back and pay them the wages
they ask, on the "piece" system, which means that they will give a
certain sum for each garment they make.

The leaders of the strike will not consent to this. They think that
paying by the piece will make it possible for the sweating system to
come into use again, and this they say is a much worse evil than the one
they are now trying to cure.

* * * * *

A surprising discovery was made at West Point the other day.

The quartermaster suddenly discovered that four of the cannon captured
in the Mexican war by General Scott's army had been stolen.

These guns had been lying for years in Fort Clinton, which is an
earthwork overlooking the Hudson River, and only about four hundred feet
from the row of brick houses occupied by the officers of the post.

One of these guns was particularly valued by the War Department, as it
had been captured at Monterey.

Th