The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1871-10-07 00:00:00

THE NEWCASTLE STRIKES.

Sir \V. Armstrong has forwarded fr,r publication the
correspondence between himgelf and Mr. Mundella,
containing the proposal of the League for a cont
promise and the answer (4 the employer,. :
. . .

"Stati.•n Hotel, N.vweastle, Sept. S.

"Dear Sir,—The pr c positions I•f which T sent you a copy
this morning have been sulanitte,l by the chairman it
delegates of the Nine Hours lwaglle to a general meeting of
tie on on strike, with is reo.onneinlat ion on their part that
they should be adontet. The meeting after fell eon-
shlerntion, agrord to the following resolutioii. subject to
its being voted by ballot, and exclusivoly by the men on
strike:—

". The Operative Eneineers of Nowea4le cart Natesheall
flair on strike riispeethiny I,..itiest. Oundella, NI P., on
our behalf, to lay the folloo tug proposal 'afore the AbSU-
ciated Employers.
- -

. .
" • If our mitloyers will concede the three hour per week
which are now in dilotte, pnrt, will 1,11,11 t tot
roluetioo in our wages. The Hornet cl suet, redu:tion to be
set11.•11 by nod nal ligrcont it or by arta, al ion.'
" The men assembled this afti•1110"11 nt the rations meet-
mu places ~f their resp,et ships and voted 'or no'
upon the fo,going proposit hal. I ciii inf.nmed thechnir-
man awl officers 1.1 the Lear, that it was carried in the
affirmative hy a very large nnaji.ei'y.
" In accordance with the desire repressed in the resnlotlon,
I lel; to submit Mk proposal of the men to the Employers'
Association, and to request their decision thereon. I shall
be glad for our (inn COTlVlTiellee to r oleo as early as poi
sible anal-el plat leo themof, or ally counter proposal that they
may feel inclined to make.—l remain, lear Sir, fattlifall
yours A. J. ffi UNUELLA.
" W. Armstrong, U.B.Ac."

Newcnitle-on-Tyne, S,pt. 31.

" Dear Sir,—Tile resolution of tile Nine WOW'S IAWVIII`, con-
veyed yesterday U. me, through you. hav I wen discussed at a
special meeting of employers held todlay.
" We entered upon the discussh on with an earnest desire
In oliscover in the proposal the elements of a compromise
that might lead ti a settlement of the dispute.
" We 11511, however, that upon the vital •piestion of time,
110 concession is offerol, and the proposal to buy a portion of
the Bine by A voluntary retort 101 l f wages moves, on
esa ]]] ill ation. illusory. It ii Tod appsrent whether the
League contemplates 11 reoltirth al If wages:Wesel:do to cover
our hiss 11114.11 plata as well as our lola hat we sup-
pose they do, for otherwise we cannot see how the trans-
action ean he regarded in the light of a purchase as
treated by Str. Burnett. However sincere the Intentions
11l the Lemme may be, it is not difficult to show that it Is
out of their power to give effmt to their proposal. Soil'
folio the strike to be terminated on the basis they have
suggested, our first object Wl.lllll be to get back the best .1
our old hands, most of whonf have gone away and found
work in other places. But how could we accomplish this at
the reduced WageS propmed by the Leave I It is impossible
for us to believe that shorter lows woald he held to com-
pensate bm lower wages, especially if the rellllCllllll bf pay
were greater than the reduction of finis, as would be the cave
if it eovered or loss on bile plant but, at any rate, it it
clear that in order to pnosire and retain the lalsair we
want we must pay at least its inarket value, 111111 any agree-
ment with the League to the contrary would be a pure illu-
sion.

the nine hours movement really means nhot it pnttesses
to mean, its object must be the actual, and not merely the

apparent, reduction of the hours of work. Its tendency
t therefore be to diminish the supply of labour, and so
enhance its prim. Thus the League are proposing incom-
patible things --contmete.l supply and Mountain d price. if,
then, by Our consent the League obtained their full demand
for reduction of hours, they would speedily regain, lmy the
orration of laws beyond tither their or (me control, the
wtezes now tittered to be surrendered and this the nine
Imam ' pure and sMittle ' would I.e earriol.
.• This in the dittkillty which, in the opinion if the eat.
phlox, renders the propoal of the League alt. ;ether
hugaiorY, 4.I.HVS no tin decline it.
- -

ff No patch difficulty would al filly to the Mow, oralse Whieh
meaesteil in a recent letter to The Tiwea, and which, oil
behalf of the employers, 1 now formally repeat.

or proposal is that the gni:Stein 4 time sh,ml.l be Coin-
proinise.l by the acceptance, on the part of the men. of two
hours mut of the tire demanded, and that in lieu of the re-
maining three hours they should take a proportionate In-
crease of wages. The condition of trade justifies as we
have always admitted—an advance of wages, so that the
prep,,ned advance, unlike the proposed reduction, noes tint
colifliet with the laws of supply and demand. This Increase
of pay would amount to 5 per Cent., and weal ripply to
every kiwi of skilled labour. Adding the value If the two
Inure ........runt In Lillie, It Would represent IL total
4,1 s per ernt. on the wages elinclit lthell the strike began.
''lii terms id money mir tiller concedes the while demand
of the men, and fret every reasonable point of view it gives
themmare than half the battle. Surely they might accept
Snell terms no these Ilitinint any Sense of ileft-it, awl We
earnestly hope they may yet he induced to do so, or, at all
events, that they will submit the Illiestion to tile same mode
of decision as they applied to the proposal which you have
11111 l unicated to us.

't If the proposition thus formerly made I.e rejceted, and
the League continue inflexible in their demand for the full
T. 1114,01011 of time, then we say that even if the other objec-
tions which we deelll insuperable were removed, there
would remain this difficulty, that by conceding the de.
mood we shouhl in a great measure Involve all the other
engineering firms in the country in our decision. We cannot
take 1110011 ourselves this responsibility. The question is
said to have become a national one. If so, it should be
treated on a broader basis than that of a teed dispute.
A strike Is but a rode ordeal for deciding even a local
question : mach rare so for settling a national One. Viewed
in this light we van sue but •Me way out of the difficulty,
and that is to convene a Congress composed of delegates
Irian employers of engineering labour, Mid from their work.
men this iuglo int the e.uttitry, not for the Warp.se of debating
the questio at ir that we fear would be fruitless), but for the
punt°oe of getting it decided by an independent Board Of
Arbitrilthln.
•• A local arbitration is not the piper mode of dealing slit hi
a diApate involving widespread interests, although unobjec-
tionable for settling a question of wages.

• "
A+ the proposal .11 the Leaane first appeared in Mr.
Burnett's recruit letter to The Times, we shall forward a copy
of this correspondence for insertion in that journal.- - am,
dear Sir, yours faithfully, " W. G. ARMSTRONG.
"A. J. Mundella, Esq., M.P."

Sir W. Armstrong's letter shsrlining the propmsal of
the men was considered at a committee meeting of the
League at Newcastle on Monday afternoon, and at a
large 111,444 meeting of the men heist at night A resolu-
tion was passed unanimously ansl Mid great enthn-
siami, declaring that, inasmuch as the employers
had rejected the proisssed compromise, the work-
-11101 reverted to their original demand of the nine
hours pure and simple. Another resolution ex.
pressing the entire confidence of the engineers
•,f Newcastle in the President of the League, Mr.
rurnett, and thanking Min for his aisle correspondence
with the Press, was passed amid loud cheering again
and again renewed. Mr. Burnett then moved a vote
of thanks to Mr. Mundella for his great and IEIO
interusted Cervices, and expressed his sleep regret
that the ensphiveres lust lit availed themselves
of iris well-timed and valuable mediation. lie •ex.
pressed himself strongly in favour of Courts of
Conciliation for the settlement of trade disputes,
and hoped that whenever the strike terminated, and
whatever might lie the result, Mr. Mundell:a or re-
visit Newcastle and assist in establishing a Board of
Arbitration in the engineering trade similar to the
one in the neighbouring iron district, the operations
of which were attended with such gratifying results.
Mr. Burnett read a document from Manchester reveal-
ing a great organization of engineering employers to
surri.it the Newcastle masters in resisting the nine
hours movement, and in importing foreign workmen,
each firm agreeing tsr e.altribute Is per man if the
number empls 'yea. The muting of this document pro.
I Incest a great sensation in the meeting. The vote of
thanks to Mr. Mundella was carried amid immense
enthusiasm.

Mr. Allindella ha an interview with the employers
on 51.imlay evening. It i, felt that when this gentle-
man haves Newcastle all lope of mediation is for the
present at an owl.