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to paternal supervuaon to the extent of settling \ h&tmi ** t * um ^ SEhfi Spitalfielda ' . weavers liad for a tong tkae a sUMunum rate fixed b y Act of Paruaqotent * , b $ ne « $ b "which , no condition of trade or labora <^«| i r ^ gaUj force theirprioes ; and in the 3 am poth oiipBur . Kit and Mr . FercivaL the notion afgna ^ raocg ; 8 iiQuar privileges to lie cotton -weavers wsptjfi ^ rlained' by tnose statesmen . During tfte M £ i&itt ^ ef the iordie * , the Bolton weavers , comjjiiflhit % bitterly of the lcnraate of wages , petitioned tdlnvfer a ' tttnntsm rate assigned ; and it ia a euxi- » ous Illustration of the value of these legislative interferences , that the only reason why a minimum
rate was not fixect was a difference of opinion as to what Hi »^ vraA 0 Gft 9 iild ^ be : the € rovoaunent offered eighteen shillings pet piece f ^ r a certain sorb of cotton cambric , but . thesWeavers wanted twentyfour ; xadt it is a fact that , the same febric is bow ^< p » eatly aold ^ mate ^ ial , labour , profit , tud altrrT | bT , < bne ^ sd « ifinji » j } er ^ £ ecei / . . , |^ i £ ^ 'IS ^ J $ tt ^ &- ^ 1 aHUied the Appointment (^ akGOiBmittee ^ the House of Commons tainaa ^ intQ' th « Ltm » Jbr preventing combinational fyStoJMj jh&wi ^^
% TMt fliiMtifty < yf * yv * 4 ft t vf » ^ f td ^ g ^ a ^^ t ^** ^ ttee > ^ mtojijrgLfotl ininatJce ? , ef denying to those fk » 1 ia 41 « boagfor togjg ; stoek the same liberty ^ hk ± L tad ; feoia tirnftnTMnemorMbegn conceded to those Wh ^ h » d capital for ; $ eii * « rtoek ,, a bill f « the aba Ctu > l ^; of ; titbe . Go « binatkfli li » w » aros ^ infrodneeck hy ^ $ flb& t 99 ! Pi 9 » reforme * " himself , ; i * n& speedily ] pe » ftd , int » ftlaw . There i » little need for digre » - fiq ^ jnto apy argoinent t <» . establish the justice « l t ^ nwaawt ^ . > it iff eleaar tb * t if one man has * ^ g | fc&dN ^ l # I ^ . Ju » labour , a thonflwad Haeahaye the aame righk It % fe vain toiiuMie that tMa riaht m * r be misused ,
tb « t the wOEtaoAn may ««« biae t » force up ? the « ie ^ of waj ^ BBnatu « tHy » , that they may av » tt ^ pgniistf ^ thesweLve ittofce ^ , nn 4 <^ rt ^ W tl ^ ^ t w ^ fog employtnitfr * i ^ t % ini « Me c > £ ^ ex-»^^ the in ^ enee , © feaaca * k » and « ro »» p& J ^ to . ; « Pm * j » . it * working in . their i &vouii rather ti » 4 ** u » t * bBmt If tta argumentthat ^ hecsuae ]^«; c « # ! of bwg'B | iauacd it ought not * ai ^ o # * . t * V ftoncedted , were ^^ id ^ the franchae TWi ^ d ag- ^ cr h »^«) twea granted ^ , and the negro ¦
W ^ lte ¥ * # «*^^ . &j » t lfe ^ i ^^ if thtfiramerm atf the ^ nfe , feg « lispa $ c ^ entertained : the tPtcy ^ Hp ^ iftlT ^ wthwt ii woaW lave the eflfect ofA « twrti ^ -th « power oi unioa from all duagex oi » « ad > e « nid « uat ehanwsla , th «^ must h « we been gpirfto diaappAintedlv ft > c aeareelj * year / has pMsed , Htoc * I $ 3 % irithaatione aroore frnrimnmr aecunriagwhere tile power of combination has b « e « vimial j a » d lamentably misused . Whatever th * ultimate nitits o £ that kw may he , and sooner oc later the ^ caonot , bat be goodi e its iauvediste
cemmt § m * rtitmem < alacnung in , the extreme * . In 1 ^^; . % Wojvstre strifca o £ spinners occurred thrWighijat the whole of the Manchester , Stockpex ^ i , A « mo % Hyde , and , Stalejibridge District , w 3 ieik thermilih' veererstop | ved ' & )] r thirty-two weeks ,, the- operatives . voluntarily underwent unheard-of pvfria £ ion » Htli < r toasters kapoEted fresh hands into tfcfe ? t £ « de * , aa ( ucL at ; the . conclusion of the disrate the luuulft r « aumed wook at Jive per cent * Zeas than
t&& ratt » tkeif < were receiving ; when they turned , out : this £ tfl Being , main % attributable to the : extra qppjy oC feboux importod into the market . About th « 9 Mncr tkoe the trade of Bradford received a Usmm » ijHam fircan » nu ^ t obstinaite struggle between the raasttiFBi and the woolcambers * wliiah resulted , ibatt inuauedtate abatement in the earnings { xTjh ^ JbCtec , and ia their ultimate displacement ftorn thft tirade by the invention of wool > cscmbiag' nsaebineav *
Th « atrike o £ theFuatiaa Dyers of Mancfuester , during the present year , haa resulted in the ? importation of lOtOO new ltands into the trade , and tibeir rate of wage * is now below tlxat upon which they * turned , out . In these ,, anxi many other strikes that misht be quoted ^ the workpeople appear to have misused tlie power entrusted to them , and the evil wrought recoiled upon their own heads . Besides the enormous cost of these strikes , in loss of
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* , « m !! i i * lat 8 vlslt to Bnidfopd I saw Donisthorpe ' s « SS ™ I « « ! i ^^ ^ a ^ for woolcombing . tented ! by ? RS ^ Tft ^ , b ^ e worh of ei 0 h * V h <™ l * . At fcho some «» r-t' X i Kll ^ rable , remnants of the old woolcorabora ¥ 2 % ? £ ? $ thonvBclvoH upon tho public avmpaLl . y aa leaving boon thrown out of employment entirely by the injluenee qf tnaoMrtary .
wages , * derangement of business habits ,, and demoralisation , -we see that * , as in the ease of the woolcombers t employers were sometimes prompted to invent machinery for entirel y displacing their unmanageable operatives from the trade . In the cotton manufacture the spinners sire the most veteran' strikers ' , and it is in the department of spinning'that labour has been economised by ma--ehinery t » the greatest extent . Strikes inspired the Mule , ' sub&equent strike * inspired the Self-Actors , and mechanical : ^ enins atxll seems bent upon uapsovin ? this class o £ machineryr so as to dispense with the assistance of skilled labour altogetner . The Block * printers have also great reason to deplore the , effects of former strikes , in the almost entire substitution of machine-printing i for . their once lucrative handicraft . - -
I Another manner m vrhich thi » unreascAfible striking workat ^ thet destruction of the operative | ela » is ^ in , driving capital from ttoae . neaghbomrhoods which have become infamoady celebrated for that description , of warfare . Strikes have driven the stuff trade fronaJSorwich to Bradford ; strikes have almost * entire ^ destroyed the once : valuable silk trade of Dublin . With all due deference tot tM lately-expressed opinfon of a distinguished' practical maa , I di » not think tl » at a » y efxtesslye ^ i ? rersi € W at English enterprise or yjrg lif ^ cagitaLtowards the ^ shores : oC the Bhine is ta tte ^ fleEHMulir at » rehendedb Before Gterntaav
or |* rasa % ^ o £ -im % other , country can preset ^ s ver ^ - tempting , prospect to-. the lBngUsh Capitalist ^ they mdust hftre some more Brflliaat advantages to offer than " a . patient ; or a slavish population . The supply of coaf and bufteang- material , the system of internal transport , her unequalled cem ^ imerciat machinery , her con ^ eniettce of geograpkic « i poflitiun .: ar- regard * , the Gotboni CountrieSy the < mexhaaaatUalft resouic ** of ! h&e marine ^ and * ^ bove ^ alL thej Broad ^ solWSty . of hex : kaat ^ utiojia ,
must , ever ^ ve ; tp ^ , 0 reajL Britain ao _ incalcula 6 te > advantage ) ' ove * all ^ other Counibiep Tn ^ the attraction and presearvataon of Capital / Alt these ' advantages mast He , destroyed , and ! alt' must be found to / ex » i elsewnere r before tfie Co € ten Manvfaetixre will take to itself wings and Hy iway to ether sftoiesi ; . . It b a -wer » ikvountei maxim witk those who take m . partial , ^ nd-master ' s view ; of these c ^ uesV tcons ^ that str&ea , never d < t any good to the operatives ^ r but hece . they attempt , to prove too , much * Strikes aye generally hurtful , because , the . nattnal ' operation of c&mmercialv 1 ' awat- gener a ll y corapels »? VlL _ _ " . ¦ . . ml . . r . ' + * i * m - _ j **'—i lr •* ?¦_ ^ _ > " if . » , in to nis laoour
eraasxer pajrwjusr price xor ; mn injustice- doe * somef iinte £ detenr , t&e market-pmce ^ that b to satjrf the pxiee generaUv paid ) . isczefosed throughotitr certain districts ) by the common consent of the exa ^ lofjferar there ,, and then ii , would seem thct < a sinke ia the only remedy which the workman has fit Bis > power to obtain what is justly due to him . Much mignt be said ! upon theabstcact adraatages of resistance ,, npon tile stagnation , the taissez Jaire wBfelr would mevitably ensue without it , and . df how far a better ' feeling and a mutual respect is createde between , the pasties to the laboTBT-contuact by the : knowledget that both sides
ple ^ wlqr should it not be equally so wuong the employers ? . This question ia sometimes met by an assertion that the masters only combine in sel £ . defence ; that they acknowledge union , to be an evil , but are driven to adopt it by the conduct of their -work-peopEei atnd in oreferto save themselves from ram ; others have gone so far ft&to hazard the opinion that the masters here a better right to combine ^ beeause they ar « wiser met thaax the operatives , and are more to be trusted with the dangerous weapon of combination . In a pamphlet recently pubUflh « d by " A . Lancashire Man" ( a
considerable employee of labour ) , thtsr Argument is put forward with great distinctness . After stating that he " can Sardlj admit a strike- or m eom&mation , as pfactisedy ixy be ottetwise thandishonesV ^ Mwia&er soundly abusing the Operatwe * Union , this writer proceeds : , tB Nowc « im * r « t&i ^ Trithamast / rft ' assacu ^ ivn t ; nothkg but ae « dssity t » riDg& them , together V there ia m&axteW more jealousy among them : than among tW operatives ; they are more ccostomed t <^ manage { hair o ^ tn aflRurs , and vtry OurtvnouK abo ^ t delegating their ri g hts . It is ; often ftqva motives o £ humanity towards thdr hands that they do
combine , ffiey do not call m foreign tad . Ybtrwili find fcbeir c « fiumftee managed by tie-best and most ttottgutfol tAta amongst them . —nob- the aoiay and perhaps th& Imcdest tas ^ krmaster ^ , but by those who have been the workman ' s best friends ;; and they succeed , becanse tneir connseW are gnided by SrtwwledgWf they f eel that paMic opinion ia npoathem , aiid ^ tb ^ . tkiej ' are ms £ on 8 ibleNfioF tb » advice thaj give . " "Wo xtee ^ go no farther than the Association of Masters at , Pxeston to test the accuracy of this statement . It may be true that there & great jealousy among them ,, but ia the object for which they , appear to fee bound together theirInterest is at tie
nfent ^ cat f—prodfufction smallest ^ st . They haVe ; de ^ egaifcexl ^ theiBr righti ^ tot ot&erB with ' stich a degrte ^ of ' eau ^ on that buaice ^ secv which are splendkt : fdrtnne * in tbjemaelvcsj axe now brought to ari utter , aiandstill , and are suffering the « perils of tod active competition . Upon die hnvianity evidenced by thfiir acts , it ia better ta be silent ., 1 ! heir sue cess or failure » yet undeteianined , but that their eounasfe have beemguidei ^ y knowledgfe-fe a positron Tvhrch feV , even of t&eir par * Sa « si wffi he bold enough 1 to assert . Whether they feet thai pablie opinioiQ » upon tltenv I cunnot tell ? bat
tost apanon htttcnot been oa their sideband ifc secma to » have had Bttld ia 4 uen © R . pveE them . 1 dxy net wish to institute an inwidioua , comparison ^ but it certainly mnst be admitted that the , Operatjvesf Combination has been , at teiai as wisely managed as tie masters . TBer trutfr is that a combination is A very good thing in itself , but it fa susceptible of grossmisuse ? $ so- is * v strike * which » one of the modtes . in which a combination operates - * what ,, however , is . thft aatuxe ; of oil / oeh-& » t r the otbeKwaymwbicha
combination , asserts itself ? ; Ia . considering thia phemdmenonjire are- under the disadvantage of all who deal witn anew tninj ? > exparfence upon the subject is not extended . ' We caii understand strikes' , smdl reason abont tftem upon something like safe ground ; bat irpon fockonts we are utterly at sea . Thieve hWe beea stnker m abundance—good siadicer anwi bacl atrikes ,, well-managed , and iU-manag ^ dy calamitous , and beneficial ; , but o £ lock-outs , there has hitherto been but one . It was reserved for the
Associated Masters of Preston to discover this unique strategical move , and they alone deserve the credit , of * ita invention . FrimS ! fixcie > a lock-out is a strike * < ra the part of tike masters . When tlw men strike , they say by implication , ** we wont sell ;? ' anwft waen the mastera . lock out ,, they say , ia the 8 fkme > manner ^ u we wont puuenase . " "Ibis seems f&ur enough - but it requires a very slight examination to di& ~ coverr some very important distinctions between a strike and a lock-out . A strike admits of a
remedy ; becaose , if the ( Jemands of the workpeople are so exorbitant that the state of trade will not enable * the masterarto conM > lj with them , the wcndc-people must inevitably sriye way sooner ov Inter , and , in the mean time , the masters may do T aa they have frequently done , th « y- may avail themselves of imported labour . But for a lockout there iff no remedy . Jtf the masters of a district , or any large proportion of them , lock up their mills and refuse to permit the operatives to work upon any other terms than those which
have the power to . resist an injustice . A strike , if rationally conducted and directed against , a real injustice * is nothing else than the neutral operation of * a Taw of Political . Economy ; that which enables a man to refrain from selling if dissatisfied witlk the offered ! pricev For one manto strike alone wtmW > be « thing mappreciabl < e to the employer ; the gap'woulid be speedily filled up and an end put to the matter ; but when a tkou ^ sand men , each feeling tlie same injustice , strike 4 t
work eonsentaneously and say , we must have our price ; , " the employea , if he Be wise , wilt at once recognise the justice of tne claim by paying a proper price for their labour . f I assume that , m tins case , the demand is a just one : if ft be otherwise , it must be unsuccessful , * and we arrive therefore at this vary simple conclusion , that the fktlure or success ( immediate or remote ) of a strike depends entirely upon the justice or injustice of the demand .
If combination be an evil among the work-peo-* The present strike at Preston Was already coat » bont 2 B 0 , O ( K ) f . in money wages . The' Indirect loss : is incaUjulitble . t Iffr . M'Oulloon puts thin very fairly , even while adopting rather at capitalist ] view . "Few musters , " says ho , " willingly consent to raise "wages ; and . the claim of one or of a . few individuals for an advance of wages ia likely to be disregarded so long as tholr fellows continue to work at the old rates . It is only when tho whole , or tho greater part , of tho workmen belonging to a particular mnstor or department of industry combine together , or when they act in that simultaneous manner which is equivalent to a combination , and refuoe to continue to work witfhont receiving an inureiwie of wagon , that it becomes the immediate interest of tho masters to comply with their demands . "
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• It should , of course , be umlflrstood that in recogniNing strikes as the onl y way of enforcing a Ju » t demand , I do not approve * the LaotLea too commonly resorted to in bhesa commercial wars . Intimidation and opon violence aro offencos punishable by tho common law , and should be condemned , and repressed whensoever and wheresoever they mny h » o committed . Strllcosare not necassarily connected withsuoa ncftwloua proceedings , and the rxiannor in whvlch the Proaton struggle has been conducted ( fives warrant Gor a hope that tlioy wiTT never aarain bo resorted to :
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326 . ? HE LEADER . [ SATtriiBAY ,
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), April 8, 1854, page 326, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2033/page/14/
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