The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-07-14 00:00:00

THE IRONWORKERS' STRIKE.

A special meetin7 of magistrates we held at West
Bromwich on Satca :lay to consider the measures to be
taken f:-T the prottion of life and prope:ty in the
event of a renewal of the lawless rioting' which caused
so much injury on the previous Wednesday and
Thtmday. The mayor and deput -mayor of Wet
Bromwich were among the magistn.tes present. It
being stated that a number of the ironworkers who have
been compelled to come out on strike were willing to
return, and that the masters were anxious for them to
resume work if protection could be afforded them
against aggressive action on the part of the other
men, it was resolved that police protection be afforded
in such cases if application is made for it.

A meeting of the South Staffordshire Mill and Forge
Wages Arbitration Board was held at Wolverhampton
on Saturday, under the presidency of Mr. Kingsley, to
consider what was best to be done in view of the strike
of ironworkers.

The chairman said he regretted that they had to
meet under such unpleasant circumstances. For many
years that board had preserved peace in the iron trade,
and he was surprised, considering the depressed etate
of trade, at the action of the men in refusing to accept
the present small reduction.

Mr. Capper, the men's secretary, condemned the
strike, and disavowed any sympathy with the strikers.
Resolutions were passed calling upon the ironworkers
to adhere honourably to the award of the president
agreeing to reopen the ironworks, any question of
amending the sliding-scale arrangement te be submitted
to the president.

On Monday a mass meeting of the ironworkers was
held at Wolverhampton, to consider the masters' offer
that work should be resumed at the drop. Mr. Bennett
presided.
The meeting was attended by Mr. James Capper,
the operative secretary, who strongly urged upon the
men to adopt a conciliatory attitude, impressing upon
them the misery which a strike would occasion. He
contended that the sliding-scale and wages board com-
bined had been the means of securing to ironworkers
for the last twelve years better remuneration than for
the previous twenty years.
The following resolution had been framed for sub-
mission to the meeting :—" That this meeting recom-
mends all ironworkers connected with the Arbitration
Board to resume work at once, and to show their
loyalty to the decision of the Board • and secondly,
that it be an instruction to the operatives' secretary
to give one month's notice at the end of August for a
revision in the wages basis, with a view to securing an
improvement that shall be satisfactory to the work-
men."

The resolution was moved and seconded, but was
received with loud cries of " No, no," "We'll go on
playing," and "Sit down, sit down." The temper of
the meeting was so decidedly against it that i twas not
put. The several operatives who spoke in support of
it were groaned down.

It was shown that there was not sufficient funds to
maintain any lengthenei strike without appealing to
the outside public, and that the public would certainly
not support them if they violated the sliding•scale
agreement and did not give proper notice. This was
met with cries of " We may as well play for nothing as
work for nothing."
After much confusion, an operative in the meeting
moved the following amendment :—" That we give
notice to•day to terminate the sliding-scale agreement
in two months, and that we play the notice out."

It was received with much acclamation, and
seconded, but owing to the coifoPion wai not put.
Later on another amendment, lessening the term of
notice to a f ,rtnight, was moved and seconded, but
this also was not formally carried.

Mr. Capper and other speakers repeated their ad-
vice against a strike, but without avail, and ultimately
the meeting was brought abruptly to a close by the
Chairman, without anything having been decided.

Large meetings of ironworkers have been held at
Sheffield to consider the proposed reduction of wages,
and several interviews have taken place with the em-
ployers. A large proportion of the men have agreed
to continue on the old terms pending a settlement in
South Staffordshire, the result there to be the rule
here. The men expressed themselves strongly against
the Board of Arbitration, and resolved not again to
recognise it until it is reconstituted.

On Tuesday morning a mass meeting of the men
hailing from Bilstun, Tipton, Smethwick, West Brom-
wich, Dudley, Brierley Hill, and Wednesbury
assembled at Tipton to consider the present position.
It is estimated that 15,000 persons were present.—
Upcn the motion of Mr. Cherrington it was resolved,
amid much cheering, "That from hence Mr. Jas,
Capper shall not be accepted to speak in the welfare
of the working men." Mr. Cherrington also moved
"That the meeting appoint a deputation to consult
with the masters on Thursday in Birmingham."—The
Chairman, in putting it to the vote, aske 1 puddlers
only to vote. Immediately a whole forest of hands
was held up, and the Chairman declared it carried
amid cheers. A second resolution, pledging the meet-
ing to "play on until some definite arrangement was
made with the masters" was also passed.