The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-09-19 00:00:00

STRIKE AT BOLTON.

Thesperative cotton spinners at Bolton on Saturday
enter& upon one of the greatest strikes which has
ever occurred in the trade of that district. It is a
matter of common notoriety that many of the masters
have for a considerable time been storing instead of
selling their yarns and that, in some instances, the
stocks so accumulated in the warehouses are greatly
in excess of what they were ever known to be at
any former time. This is due to the fact of the
Bolton cotton-spinners suffering from a greatly
lessened demand for the mixed dress fabrics which
absorb so much of their yarns in what are known
as Bradford goods. Whether the decline in the con-
sumption of this class of piece goods on the Continent
and in the United States be due to a change of fashion
to the recent financial disturbances in Germany and
America, or to a more effective competition in those
countries on the part of their own manufacturers does
notrat present appear to be very clear. It is certain,
however, that in the United States the production of
those fabrics has of late years grown very rapidly. A
month ago, the master cotton-spinners of Bolton gave
notice of a reduction of fiveyer cent, in wages; the men
intimated their determination not to submit to the re
duction, but they at the same time expressed their wil-
lingness to arbitrate on the matter in dispute, or to
accept the present rate of wages until January, 1878.
These proposals the masters rejected. First, because
they did not think that arbitration would afford a satis-
factory baifis of settlement; and, secondly, because it
was unfair, they contended, to expect the present high
rate of wages for so long a term as three years. The
men thereupon met, and, with exceptional unanimity,
resolved to strike. In Bolton and district there are
129 mills, employing some 20,000 persons. On Satur-
day 74 of these mills, employing some 13,000 persons,
were closed. In seven mills, in which 1,000 hands are
engaged, the notices have been withdrawn; while
there are 48 other mills employing 7,000 persons, in
which no reduction has been attempted to be enforced.
It is feared that the struggle will be a very protracted
one.

The Handmule Spinners' Association, which consists
of some 1,300 members, has a fond of 1:10,000, and is
capable, it is said, of maintaining a strike for six
months. Upon those of its members who may con-
tinue working levies of 7s. 64. a week are to be made.
The Self-acter Minders' Association has 800 members,
and though its local funds are not large, yet it is
affiliated to a very powerful organisation, embracing
the counties of Lancaster and Chester, and also York-
shire and Derbyshire. The levy upon the local mem-
bers is to be 2s. esl. a week, in addition to the ordinary
contribution. The first strike pay will be made next
Friday. Each Association is paying its adult mem-
bers lbs. per week each, the Self-acters making a
further allowance of Is. per week for every child under
ten years of age. The vast majority of the operatives
are unconnected with any trade association. Those
dependant upon the mules of the self-actors are being
supported by the latter, who are paying the side
piecers Is., the cross piecers Os., the creelers be., and
the half-timers 2s. esl. per week each. The hand-
mule spinners have declined to support their piecers
out of.the Union funds, but will hand over to them
and other non-Union members public subscriptions,
which, it is said, are beginning to come in. It is the
opinion of those best competent to judge that the strike
will end, as nearly all the other great conflicts in Lan-
cashire have done, in the defeat of the men. The great
strike of 1810, by which 30,000 cotton operatives were
thrown out of work for four months, entailed a loss in
wages of upwards of 1;300,000, and the men returned
to work without in any case attaining the object they
sought some of them being glad even to accept a re-
duction of 10 per cent, on their wages. The strike
of Manchester fine spinners in 1829, which was ac.
companied by riot and murder, ended as disastrously.
Ten thousand persons were thrown out of employment
, for six months, the estimated loss in wages alone being
1:250,000, and the men had to return to work at a
considerable reduction on the wages they had before
been receiving. In the strike of the Ashton and
Staleybride spinners, which occurred about the same
time, and by which 30,000 persons were rendered idle
for 10 weeks, sacrificing in that time £250,000 in wages,
the men had to go back on the masters' terms. Preston
has suffered incalculable loss from its strikes. In addi-
tion to the pecuniary loss of £107,000 by the strike of
1837, and of £533,000 by the vaster strike of 1853-4, it
lost the greater part of its trade and has never
recovered it to this day. The last great strike in
Bolton was 1861, when 12,000 operatives struck work
against a reduction of 5 per cent. After a struggle
lasting six weeks, and entailing a loss to the town of
£60,000, the men submitted to the reduction.

Regarding the Bolton strike, the Bolton Chron kle
says :—Although the strike has commenced in earnest
(a fact which may easily be seen from the groups of
men loitering at every street corner), it has as yet
assumed nothing worse than a holiday aspect. The
men seem hardly to have realised the fact ; and it will
probably be days before they will be in a mood
sufficiently serious to undertake the work of organizing
their forces, and preparing for the struggle, ehould it
unhappily show symptoms of being prolonged. In
the meantime, there are rumours abroad of a dis-
position on the part of several of the masters to with-
draw from the position they have taken up, and reopen
their mills.