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Leader (1850-1860), 20th November 1852, Edition Town of 2, Page 1109, Untitled Article

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      'rh the Amalgamated Working Engineers . It is thug stated , pages 13 and 14 of tHe Report : — " One portion of the labours of the Society which cannot overlooked , has reference to its relations with Trade c VHes Trade Societies , the legal recognition of which a tea from the Act for the Repeal of the Combination T ws and the utility of which is proclaimed by modern litical economists , are the only real organization yet P ininff amongst the working-classes since the downfall r the guilds ' of the middle ages . It had been one of the

      st anxious wishes of many members of the Society , f m the earliest period of its existence , to convert this wanizat ion to the purpose of co-operation , so as to ° i ppress ^ e y possibility of strikes , by leading the trade societies to devote to the employment ' productive 1 bour the sums which are now spent by them , for the jefenco of the class-interest of the worker , in maintaining en in unwilling idleness . Several efforts were made fom time to time by various members of the Society , « npcially by Mr . Lloyd Jones and Mr . Walter ^ Cooper , and Central

      fterwarda by the Uo-operative Agency , to eflect this end in particular cases . The now well-known ' Amalamated Society , '—the most important trade society of the kingdom , was amongst those that were conferred with f and in this instance , by its own seeking ) on the subject , -nor did any other similar body show greater inclination towards Co-operative views . « There were not wanting those amongst us upon this occasion who sought to impress upon the working engineers the need of immediate surrender , as the most useful , the trreatest the most solemn protest against the dictation of

      their emp loyers—that of avowed weakness yielding to brute force . Others tried hard , with small luck , be it confessed , to obtain friendly mediation between the two belligerent parties , and received full gladly , side by side with the working-men , the insults of the newspaper press . One and all , we believe , are fully prepared to justify their conduct and know well that even where accused of stirring up war , they were in reality ' seeking peace and ensuring it by every means in their power . But the Society , we repeat it , as such , did not and could not engage in the conflict . . .......

      "The success of the ' Masters' Strike' has been the triumph of Co-operation . A hundred thousand pounds may have been wasted , or the opportunity of earning them foregone , by the working-men . But we have every reason to hope that it is for the last time that such an expenditure will take place . The Amalgamated Society has declared in favour of co-operative labour , and revised its laws so as to make the reproductive employment of its members the very hinge of its proceedings . The National Association of united Trades has proclaimed that ' the time has come for the entire abandonment of strikes and

      turn-outs as a means of protecting labour / and that ' the only thing left' is , in future , ' to organize and carry out a self-supporting co-operative reproductive system of employment . ' Out of the strike in the engineering trade itself , many associations of working-engineers , including the flourishing ' East London Iron Works' and ' Atlas Company' in London , have sprung up ; and throughout the country many and many a trade society is engaged in discussing the propriety of entering upon co-operative labour , and availing itself of the provisions of the new Act . "

      In the pages of the Report wo notice an exact and circumstantial statement of all the proceedings of the Society , exhibiting the ordinary routine of business in institutions of the kind , such as publication of tracts , commissions in the provinces , delivering of lectures , meetings , i ^ c . &e . The names of the members of the council of the Society aro given for the first time ; the ordinary and extraordinary members making up the number of thirty-four . The Central Co-operativo Agency is mentioned as follows : —

      We cannot close this Report without noticing ono establishment connected with , though not strictly a part of the . Society for promoting Working Men ' s Associations - ^ -the Central Co-operative Agency , established at 70 , Clinrlotto-Htivot , Fitaroy-square . " Tho Central Agency originated in tho desire of enabling the working population of London to obtain ( ho articles <> f their ordinar y consumption , such an groceries , &c , of it qualit y on which reliance could bo placed , and at prices as low iw the necessary expenses of tho business admitted . II noon appeared Hint thin object would bo most mirely ' [ fleeted , and a further valuable object bo attained , by Wining , ; j , | a ( . of | j 1 ( , , »| uii establishments at first con'' ' Hpliitod , a eentre , which should furnish at wholesale licen

      » ' tlm { roods required to establishments set up either by working men or others , for tho purpose of supplying " > cir own consumption . tSeoren of establishments of this "iitiiro existed , us it appeared , already , under the-name of I " -operiitivo . Stores , ' in the north . A disposition to form ¦'" '"i existed everywhere . A central house of business , provided with Hufliciont funds , conducted by persons well " " <| i < nin | , ed with the business they undertook ; carried on "'"'" r such supervision as should guarantee the honeHty of . " '"' aiingeinent , would , it seemed , be of great value , both " ^ uunlin ^ r t | ,,, existing Stores against the frauds often I'NwtiHed up ,,,, U , em , and in making it easy to form new j -j-- ~ . « « 'BB ^ iai 4 > tldBB ^ R A A ft Illltll III f - * ' ^ - - - — ' - f 'i

      > -cs . Tim Central Agency was established to discharge , function , mid we ore gliul to say that it has hitherto '""' no to the satisfaction of its founders . Its business 1 '" iHiictioMH with tho Stores of Kngland and . Scotland are read y very considerable , and are ( steadily increasing . ¦ < w stores have sprung into oxistonoo in various places ^ " " ' igh its means . At tho Hnme- time it is quietly bo-^ ' "' " K the instrument of a yot more valuable end the tj . '" k '" g the widely scattered elements of co-opora-« "Hion mi ,, dimet connexion with each other . " « W 1 < " I ) ort ' ° i >< : hidcs as follows : --" 8 must caution nil our readers who aro unacquainted

      with the subject , not to think that they know the extent to which Co-operation has gone in England when they have read this Report . We are only a very small stream of the great flood ; there are , as we have just said , hundreds of Co-operative Stores already working , and hundreds of others springing up through the length and breadth of the land , and Working Associations also , although the growth of these in England is more slow . There are in London itself many bodies of working men either in association already or preparing for it , who are in no connexion with us—such as plumbers , weavers , carpenters , and hardware-men . Some of these are on the eve of starting , others have enrolled members , and opened subscription lists , while others again are as yet inorganic , having an

      existence in talk only . But we need say no more , for any one who has been living at all with working men during the last three years , must have been astonished at the wonderful spread of this idea of fellow-work—by people in general called Socialism—amongst them within that time , and above all at the progress it has made within the last nine months . He will be as sure as we are , that great results of one kind or another must soon follow this steady gathering together of the forces of labour , for mutual help in productive and distributive industry . We hope he will also agree with us , that the part of every honest man just now is to throw himself heart and soul into the movement , and to teach

      by words and deeds , that men do not come together in associations to divide profits individually , and heap up capital , but to learn to live and work together like brothers , to see justice done to the weak , and to preach the trade gospel of the duty to labour and the right to live thereby . There is indeed much need at this moment that educated men should come forward , to guide the movement if possible , at any rate to share in it ; for the number of thesenever enough to do the work which they had to do , well—¦ has of late fallen off , several of the most active members of the Society having gone abroad , and others having left London . Meantime the number of working men become larger every day . "

      The last " balance-sheet" ( as we find it called ) , which seems to be a mere statement of the transactions of the Society , shows that they have received as donations , loans , re-payments of loans , deposits from working men , sale of tracts , &c . &c , 1695 J . 16 s . 10 ^ ., and have employed in advances to the Associations , reimbursement of deposits , expenses of central office , the same amount , leaving a nett sum of cash in hand , of 22 Z . 6 s . 2 , \ d . The total sum of deposits contributed by the working

      men amounts to—15 Z . in . three years ? The present financial condition of the Associations , conducted under the patronage of the Society , is exhibited in a tabular statement , from which it appears that , of 13 , 827 £ . 6 s . capital employed by the " Associations of Working Men , " the working men have supplied only 4611 . 9 s . 1 \ d . In consequence of such a state of things , the Society has come to a resolution which we cannot but consider of the simplest

      expediency : — " The Society has for somo time past determined to discourag-o advances of money to bodies of working men about to start in association , unless they have first shown some sign of preparednoss for the change from their old life , and have subscribed some funds of their own . This has been done , because it has been found very necessary to havo some proof that men have foresight and self-denial before they should be encouraged to associate . Working men in it with

      general are not fit for association . They come into the idea that it is to fill their pockets and lighten their work at once , and that every man in an association is to bo his own master . They find their mistake in tho first month or two , and then ml to quarrelling with everybody connected with tho association , but more especially with their manager , and after much bad blood has been roused , the association breaks up insolvent , or ban to be re-formed under very stringent rules ) , and after the expulsion of the refractory members . "

      As we have stated , tho publication containing the Report gives also a more complete account of the proceedings of the Co-operative Conference , than we have yet obtained . We shall have to notice some facts relating to that Conference before we come to express our own views with respect to what is called this " Cooperative Movement" in England .

      Untitled Article

      ARCTK ! KXPKDITiONS . Tjetler from an Officer of the . Franklin . Discovery schooner , " Isabel" to a Friend in ' bhujlatid . Isabel Discovery Schooner , oil" Capo Wrath , November . Rli , lHf > 2 . Dkaii FiiTKwn , —T can easily imagine to myself that yon , upon rending of tho arrival of tho Hahvil , will be very apt , to rub your nose , and say , "Oh clear me ! what the Isabel arrived ah here is another Aretie expedition failure F Returned , of coin-He , without doing anything . " You will be apt to raise all sorts of conjectures as lo where we reached , and when we found it prudent to come back . Lot your fancy run riot for a abort period , and then return to sober reality .

      Now , you are aware , we left ICnglarid nt . an unusually late period of I he season , the fil . h of July last , proposing to search Wolstenholine , Whale , Smith ' s and Jones'h Hounds , communicate . with . Sir 10 . Holoher ' H squadron in Lancaster Sound , then return by the wost coast of Davis ' Htraits , along the Labrador coas ^ , to Kriglurid . I will now proceed to detail what wo have done , and ( hen I am inclined to think you will alter your opinion of us . We mml « ( ' ape Farewell on file ilOlli of July , after a pleasant run across the Atlantic : immediately upon doing no we wero oscortod for a few diiyn on our ( rip by a deputation of tho largent and mont powerful inhabitants of Uuvia '

      Straits , in the shape of some immense icebergs , who would have gladly hugged us in their fond embrace had we not repelled their advances . On the 8 th of August , we , from stress of weather , put into the Danish settlement of ITis Kencsk , leaving it again on the 9 th , with tho intention of running into Holsteinberg , to obtain Adam Beck as interpreter ; but it blowing a very heavy gale of wind upon our paBsing that place , we ran on to Licvely , where we arrived at six p . m . on the 12 th of August , leaving it again the same evening . On the 17 th , arrived at ITpperhavick , where we obtained dogs-and other supplies : / remaining there twelve hours , we again started . On the evening of tho 19 th approached the entrance of Melville Bay ; on passing , paid our obeisance to his Satanic Majesty , or at least that point of land called the Devil ' s Thumb . On the 21 st made Cape York , where our search commenced in earnest ; and never was one conducted with more unwearied diligence and perseverance than Commander Inglefield bestowed upon this . During the day we picked up

      several articles iloating about , that told us unmistakably of shipwreck . We passed along the celebrated Crimson or Beverley Cliffs of Sir John ltoss ; rounded Capo Dudley Diggs the next day , where we observed several natives . A party landed , headedby the Commander , and comnlunicated with them ; obtained no information from them ; then bore up for Wolstenholme Sound , reaching it on the following morning ; ran along its south side until we came to the bottom of it , where we found the Esquimaux settlement of Omanak , the scene of Adam Beck ' s tale . A party consisting of the Commander , Icemaster , Surgeon , and Engineer , and boat ' s crew , landed , and made a most diligent search in every hut and building , pulling down a very large pile of stones which had been heaped together by the Esquimaux . Every spot was overhauled ; after which the party returned to the vessel , feeling convinced that there was not the least foundation for Adam Beck ' s

      statement . We then bore away for Whale Sound , which wo reached on the evening of the 25 th . Some natives were observed on the S . E . point of the bay . A party landed , and communicated with them , but returned to the vessel without any information ; found that instead of the Sound being a small one , as laid down in the charts , that it was to all appearance the entrance to a large inland sea of great depth and magnitude , bending away to the N . TZ ., the lateness of the season alono preventing our exploring it . We now bore away for Smith's Sound , which we entered on the next evening , passing Cape Alexander about ten p . m ., and in the course of two hours found ourselves steaming away where no vessel had ever preceded us . Tho entrance of the Sound from Cape Alexander on

      the east and Cape Isabella on the west , is from thirtyfive to forty miles broad , the two sides of it forming a very striking contrast to each other on the cast side . W " e could observe signs of vegetation , particularly near Cape Alexander . On the opposite side , nothing was seen but snow-capped mountains , with huge glaciers running down between them , everything denoting desolation and death to the unfortunate mariner who might be shipwrecked en that coast . We ran up the Sound until we attained tho latitude of 78 ° 28 ' 21 " N . Then , from stress of weather , a strong gale having sprung up from tho N . E . dead in our teeth , we were obliged to retrace our stops , observing nothing but ice ahead , with the exception of a small span of open water running away to the N . E ., everything indicating that a very large unexplored sea was beyond . We

      now ran along the west coast to Jones s Sound , which wo entered on the . 'Slst of August ; ran up us far as the commander deemed prudent , far beyond the route of any otlnr vessel . Open wafer being seen ahead to the IV . W . during the whole of thin period , fhe commander was making a most attentive survey of the whole coast , taking the bearings of every prominent bay , headland , and isltmtl , also conducting the magnetic observations , taking sketches of the coast in every ilireclion , never allowing himself to bo in bed four hours together , and sometimes not at all for thirty-six hours together , every act evincing how absorbed the whole of his iiicultics wero in I he object m view . JOach duty here enumerated ho conducted in his own person , delegating to no other any part of it . The consequence )

      is , lie has added much to our geographical knowledge of all the land to the north of Wolstcnholme Sound , on the east , and of Lancaster Sound on the west . We now ran into . Lancaster Sound , communicated with ( he Aort / t titter at Hecehey Island , found that Sir I'M ward Helchor hud proceeded up the Wellington Channel , Captain Kcllett . to Melville Island , wit bout , up to the lime of leaving tho North Star , obtaining the least , clue lo the whereabouts of iSir . John Franklin . Remaining at Heeehey Island about oixteeii hours , we made for the south side of Lancaster Sound , ran along the west , count of Davis' Straits , pas . sod Pond's bay , found Jio natives there ; ran along the coast , searching it most minutely with glasses , and

      occasionally landing . Kim south until we camo to lltclu and ( iriper Iiu . itIv , where we fell , in with a , very heavy pack of ice , from which cause we were obliged t , i » Hlriko off from ( . he coast on the 1 ( 51 h of September , and got iulo n gnle of wind , and were- driven north ; were afterwards obliged to put into Dog Isbuul for Water and to relit , then made ain > lher attempt to reinh the west coast , by the way of Cape Witlsinghiiui ; imiilo most strenuous ellorls lo reach if , until ( he l . ' illi ( if October ; then the coiinnnnder , acting under the advice o bin two ice-maslors , who represented to him (¦ he extreme ) danger of a furl her attempt a ! , reaching ( be west coast a (< Ho lute a period of the year , felt himself compelled , with ureat regret , lo bear rip for Knglimd .

      1 have now made you acquainted with what we have done , leaving you lo glean from the despatches of Mio ooniinander nil " the delnils , eonfenting myself with givintf a general summary . I ciin assure you that we have lost notinie in imy way since we left l

      Untitled Article

      November 20 , 1852 . ] THE LEADER . 1109

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Nov. 20, 1852, page 1109, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1961/page/9/