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

THE I:NC:INT:I:1H' STRIKE.

r the Enginters' Strike

~' , 11 I the •ontro-
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Stull is the i.tate of the stz lent afine,tli.n
f It in entint ly ti..h.ten mine v.-I.ether the
Numeastle k nun, .teiol f ten
Inn ins inlay. If tine AV.-R.1;111*AI
it will create a i.artial r,v”lnt tin.'
of line:lt f..r it is nearly e..ntain that
..tier locality. an.l in es ery other ti ;vie, wm•lannen
wi I demand an equal diminnti..tint tine I ..urn ..f
Let tr: next examine tine , in • n t. I. pity
for their respeett‘ e ilemann! 4. tit I 'I allki.m
that durinc... ten liar- 1., . t 1..•

it. 11,101,1 the cnni,,,,cr .
.•zuci; is the Vfi, for the n t con-
,d,ler that of the .".npl.v r.. Sin\ A rn,trong
every one ,10, his wl.itt. iii. the s,,me side frankly
;,,Intit that they • TIN,' hi. Li!, 1, .111 S Inst
dy in accsaud 4.1 its ls-ing Crrt"in, if voice led. to
cause a 11). 14 irntits. The masters W. 111141 not Oh j4,Ct
to an inerease of wages, 1,,r this conld be to anauged
sulrannently by a change of circumstances. lint won
giant a diminution 4,f the lo urs ef lal,our rind that,
according to the master,, beconws inexorable. The
losi in pt. fib. wcuid ari,e In this way according to the
masters. The machinery or plant a: they call it 4.,,,t3
them an enornmus outlay, awl in order that sufficient
be mdised to pay the interest 4.1 thi, outlay and the
required profit it hi necessary that tie machinery be
kept in full woik during at least ten hours ef the day.
Taking for granted, as stated by The that
additional workmen were brought into employment,
and that the rate of wages were minced in proportion
to the one h4•tir's diminution of labour, even this wonl,l
not C. Inipensate the masters; for in outer to, employ
the additional bawl, they w. till be conq wiled to erect
additional machinery, which, like the old machinery,
would be obliged to work only nine hours a day instead
of ten. _

Such are exactly the reasons assigned by the masters
for their resistance to the demand ttf the workmen. I
tit, not I dame them for this. I have not the slightest
thinbt that Sir William Armstrong anti those who act
with him are men of the highest respectability, whohave
110 desire to oppress their {v. clintn. But, as it is in.
evitable where personal interest comes into play, they
must more or less take a partial view of the dispute
between them anti their workmen. The masters assert,
and I have no doubt most conscientiously believe it,
that ten hours' lal tour does no in jury to their men Is slily
and mentally as long as they receive good wages, and
that they are therefom determined 1114 to yield to the
dictation of the Trade Unions. But we outsiders,
who have no interest in the contegtion -the general
public, in oh it are now entitled to come forward and
pronounce an opinion.
The quextion resolves itself into one single point—are
ten le sirs of daily work injurious to the workman?
Does this amount of labunrinjurehis mental and bodily
health, by exeiting to intemperance, and preventing,
reading and otherwise improving, his mini?
Does ten litters' daily toil, ill Omit, bring on pre-
mature decreidtmle of lmtly end mind ? In my opinion
it does, and if a reference Was made to the most
eminent medical men of England, I am convinced they
woul,l agree with inc. If such all °pinion be once
adopted by the general public, the master engineers
!mist give In, for it instal never do to sacrifice for the
profits bd.° derived from steam anti iron that 1115111
Which all our wealth depends—the powerful. vigorous,
111111 intelligent skilled workmen of reat Britian.