The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1870-06-25 00:00:00

THE STRIKE AT THE COOKLEY TIN.
PLATE WORKS.
CONFERENCE OF THE MANAGER AND
WORKMEN.

Mr. J. Saunders, the rammer of Messrs. Knight and
Co.'. iron and tin-plate works. at Cookley. larrtne inti-
mated that he was riding to I.ee the then 05 strike. on
Tuesday lest they waited upon him on the iiebleet of the
aufortuuete dispute. shieh hue no lasted so long Ne-
goti.tone have Row on Infers witu r 515 w to the settle-
nieitt of the dierute. but withoet result Before m• et•
leg Mr. Saunders, on 'lueediu, the wee considered the
matter over, and resolved on the course they would adept
as to any arrangement of the affair. One or two hands
from each department of the mills and wash-houses were
delegated to the conference, and the appointed persons
proceeded to the works on their mission. When they
reached the works, Mr. Saunders sent out to say that
he would not are the men in a body, but that he would
receive one or two men from every branch of the severed
departments, separately. The men accordingly went in
detachments, and saw Mr. Saunders; Mr. Brown and
Mr. Joseph Piper being also present. The men stated
that they were willing to go into work under the follow-
ing arrangements :—They asked Sr. Saunders to with-
draw his proposition for the full reduction originally
propose; and they mount withdraw their proposals. which
were suggested ass compromise some time after the dio-
rite arose. In lien of the terms formerly proposed,
they offered, as the forgemen were working at a reduc-
tion of 10 per cent. on their wages, to go to work at the
same reduction. vie., of 10 per rent. on the rates they
originally received; and they considered they would thus
be workiug on the same Opting es the other ouployee at
the works. When the regnetion was first broached, the
men considered it wonht be equal to a discount of from
20 to 30 per cent. on their weekly earnings. The state.
meat was published in the newspapers at the time, nod •
day or two after Mr. Saunders and the men talked ever
the rates, and he said from his calculations he made the
reduction one varying from 33 to 193 per cent„ accord-
ing to the nature of ths work. The men accepting this
calculation as a basis of their last negotiation, struck
upon 10 per cent. as the average amount of reduction,
and offered to accept 10 per rent, reduction upon all the
branches of the trade, which they thought was stair way
of meeting the terms originally propoee.l to them. Vie
understand, however, that at the conference, on Tneoday
last, Mr. Saunders objected to this arrangement alto-
gether, and the negotiations came to nothing. The firm
do not appear disposed to alter the terms they at Pre
proposed to the men.
The works are still guard,' by the police. There are
about a dozen Welshmen at work in the tin-plate depart.
meat, and others were eaid to he in the neighbourhood,
intending to commence work. The new hands have their
meals in the works, and sleep there too. They have not
been seen outside, and the •• situation is a singular one
for a quiet little village like Cookley: It is a pity that a
dispute of this kind cannot be settled by a Court of
Conciliation. The men who were oat are nearly all per.
son's who have worked under Messrs. Knight and ro.
from their boyhood. and in some instances their fathers
and grandfathers have worked there before them. It
was stated on Tuesday that there Sr.. families who have
worked there from generation to generation for 160
years, and hitherto the relationship between employer
and employed has been one of in unexceptionally friendly
character_ A mediation, originating from some inde-
pendent quarter, might perhaps help to bring about a
,Itkru.nt ~f the dispute, and if id sere desireble that
uo time ehouni be lost in trying to .secure this happy
result.

THE PUBLIC HALL QUESTION
AT BRIERLEY HILL.
A special meeting of the Beard of Health was Ite.d on
Monday, at the Surveyor's Offices, High Street; Mr. A.
Jefferys in the chair.
Mr. Cook said they bad met that day to consider the
question of purchasing the Pnelic Hall. from the direc-
tors. at a rest of £l,OOO . which wee £l,lOO. lees than it
cost. The purchase would be a goo I speculatisu for the
town, and one which to' Board would never repent hav-
ing made. The letter which had appeared in a local
print was so contemptible that he should take no notice
of it. iOrder. If the wraer had anything to say let
him speak out at the meeting, and not write to the pa.
pers. Ebd he desire to attack the writer they would find
that the latter lived in a glass house, which would be at
once shivered; but he would not for a moment stoop to
to such a thing. Mr. Cook then stated that the Public
Hall would would bringin an income of £2OO. per annum.
when finished, and that, after the interest had beer, paid
for the mortgage on the premises, and other expenses,
a small sum would he paid over to the district rates. If
the public had the room, many of the present expenses
would he cot down. There were the rates, for instance,
and the foreman roadworker and his wife could live on
the premiscs. and properly attend Co them. Two shops
might be built in front, and each would let for .£1.5. per
annum. Then. ag tin. the £lll. paid annually for the
rooter in wh.eh they sat would be timed. The circular
room on the basement would do for a library, and then
Brierloy Hill might set en example to the district, by
showing the care it hail for the working classes and their
education. If the Board rejected the proposal of the di-
rectors he believed they would make a great mist eke.
Mt. Eereday said he, as the writer alluded to. should
like to know what part of the letter was contemptible.
The Chairman interposed, and trusted that the letters
written to the newspapers would be kept out of the dis-
cussion.
Mr. Fertday said Mr. Cool; had Risen sob. incorrect
figures. and he wished to correct them. Vie profits
were but £l4B. in two years and a half, and Mr. Cook
had said £2OO. The directors had never paid any divi-
dend, nor the interest on the money; and they as a
Board. would have to lay out £l,OOO. at once, and pro-
bably £lOOO. shortly, to have an income of PO. per an-
emia.
Mr. Detheridge was of opinion that the shops if built
would not be let. inasmuch as there was no premises in
the rear of either. He thought, too, that the ratepayers
wore elready sufficiently taxed.
Mr. Bennett said he had given the subject his most
earnest consideratioa. and lie bad two objections to the
purchase. The first one was that the place would not
pay. 'the second objection Wag that he did not care to
aorrow money.
I Yr. Groves objected to increasing the rates. It was
tar destrable to purchase the building.
A long discussiou ensued. awl Mr. Fletcher moved that
the meeting be adjourned, and that immediate stepa hi
taken to ascertain the (Tilton of the ratepayers ; which
yes seconded by Mr. Carson.
Mt. Detheridge proposed. und Mr. Hiegs seconded, an
amendment That the Hall should not be purchased."
A discussion ensued, and Mr. Casson suggested that
the resolution shon.d be That this Board accepts th•
proposal for the purchase of the building, subject to the
opinion of the ratepayers in public meetings assentbled."
After some farther discussion, the Chairman pat the
resolution, when six voted for it, and seven for the amend-
ment.