The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1866-10-13 00:00:00

TRADE SOCIETIES AND LOCK-OUTS.

The Deport of the Conference of Trades Delegates
of the United Kingdom, recently held at Sheffield,
has just been published, and in some respects it may
be termed a very remarkable document. Here we
have published for the first time the collected opinions
of the working men on the subject of strikes and
lock-outs put forth in • calm, deliberate, and discus-
sional form, and some of the points in dispute are
reasoned out with considerable force, if not with
logical precision. The working man of to-day, as
reflected in the Sheffield report, Is a very different
being intellectually, and, we may say socially, to what
he was some thirty yews ago, for during the past
generation he has done a good deal to improve his
mind and to better his condition, to comprehend the
questions in dispute between himself and his em-
ployer, and the result is that he stands on the social
ladder fully a round higher than he formerly did.
The discussion was conducted throughout with the
utmost order and propriety, and some few societies
that we could name, of much higher pretensions than
the Sheffield delegates, would not do amiss to take a
leaf out of its book. There were 138 delegates
present, representing in the aggregate nearly 200,000
members. Mr. Bagshaw, President of the Association
of the Organised Trades of Sheffield. was appointed
chairman of the conference; Mr. M. Lawrence, of the
London Protective Tailors' Association, vice-chair-
man; Mr. Dronfield, secretary of the Organised
Trades of Sheffield, secretary; Mr. Wood, of the
Manchester Typographical Society, a.ssistarit-secre-
tary ; and Mr. Broadhead, of the Sheffield Saw
Grinders' Society, treasurer.
Mr. G. Newton, the Glasgow delegate, moved the
following resolution on the subject of lock-outs, which
elicited opinions of singular variety, and provoked a
debate, which was of a highly spirited and intellectual
character :

Whereas, within the Last fesr years, great and disastrons
lock-oats have beeti frequently resorted to by the em-
ployers of labour as a means to compel the workmen to
obey their wishes, and whereas these lock outs
are alarmingly on the increase, and are, therefore, likely to
produce ur.paralleled ii.jury to the trade and commerce of
the country, and consequent suffering and misery on the
Children of labour, it is desirable to enquire Into the MUNIs
which give rise to these lock-outs, with the view of pro-
viding a remedy for so serious an evil.
• • - - -

After alluding briefly to the great lock-out in Lon-
don, the lockout last year in the iron trade in
Staffordshire, and the immense disturbances in
Sheffield, the lock-out on the Clyde, and the lock-out
in the Staffordshire Potteriee, which showed that lock-
outs were not only frequent but disastrous, and that
they are alarmingly on the increase—fur scarcely is
there a movement by workmen but the opposing
weapon of lock-out is resorted to—Mr. Newton said
it becomes us (working men) to consider whether we
can arrive at the correct cause, and make a proper
ding-noshs of the disease, and then, probably, the cure
will follow. Let us examine ourselves, and see if
there be any wicked way in us that contributes to
this unsatisfactory state of things, and if we discover
that we are not blameless, then we ought, first of all,
to set our house in order, and to avoid, SA far as we
are concerned, any such contingency arising in the
future. Then let us examine the opposite side of the
camp, and see how they stand, and if we find
that they have not done all that they ought
to have done with a view to prevent these serious
evils, let us undisguisedly and in plain language,
point out where we consider they have erred,
and, by increasing public opinion' in a healthy
way, against—tyranny some people call it, but, per.
haps, a milder word would be better—the unwise
policy used, it will do much to repress it in future.
A great many strikes, and perhaps lock.outs too,
have arisen from a stubborn refusal on the part of both
sides to look the question honestly and fairly in the
face. The habit has been to look only on their own
side of the question, the proneness of human nature to
be selfish has shown itself in a very remarkable
manner, and we have found out that we are all selfish
more or less, and very apt to be blinded by that selfish-
ness. If we approach this question with improved
feelings of selfishness, I do not ray that the men are
always wrong, but it will be found that we have not
acted in all cases with that wisdom which was best
calculated to secure the objects we have had in view.
The misery and sufferings which accrue from vast
strikes and lock-outs, I think, warrant any body of
men in taking serious steps with a view to prevent
their recurrence. There can be many justifications
advanced on behalf of strikes; and a strike is a simple
matter, easily understood and easily defined. A strike
is a resolution of men only to work on certain c,ondl.
tions, and does not affect those who are not pledged
to that resolution. A lock-out, on the other hand, is
a resolution that amounts to this—that if Tom Jones
does not do this or that, Harry Robinson shall have
no bread to eat. I cannot, on any pretext whatever,
justify a lock-out, because it compels men to suffer
who have no hand in the affair. In conclusion, Mr.
Newton said that he hoped they would divest them-
selves of every feeling but that of sound justice. Do
not indulge in sentimental nonsense. It is a matter of
business, and not of sentiment. Discuss it in a busi-
ness-like spirit, and I have no doubt great good will
result from the deliberations of this day. (Cheers)
Mr. T. Smith (Sheffield) said: There are various
ways of locking out. It is a lock-out to give the men
a month's notice, and to drive the trade away. I ,
think, myself, that the men are themselves the cause I
of lock outs in many cases. My honest conviction is
this, that if there was a proper understanding between
master and man many emitters might be settled that
are not settled. I think there ought to be mutual
arrangements. The masters have the capital and the
men the labour, and their interests are inseperable.
There ought not to be any collision whatever between
capital and labour; and I have no doubt that if the
file trade dispute had come before the organised
trades in the first instance, it would not have been •
strike or a lock-out.
Mr. Austin (Sheffield) said: Mr. Smith has not
properly defined the question of lock-outs. My
opinion is this, that if, in consequence of a dispute ,
arieing between the masters and men in a given depart-
ment, the masters deprive the other branches of the
trade in the factory of employment—that is • lock-
out.
Mr. 11I'Donfrall (Sheffield) said : The simplest way
of answering the question, "What ie a lock-out?"
is to give an illustration. A short time ago the iron.
workers of the Clyde asked that the hours of labour
should be reduced from sixty to fifty-seven hours per
week. The employers stated that compliance with
the request would involve them in a loos of 300,000/.
a year in machinery alone, and they asked how that
money was to be made up to them. Several of the
delegates endeavoured to answer the question, but
failed to do so satisfactorily. The employers were
willing to comply on these terms :—that the wages be
reduced in the same proportion as the hours; but that
the workmen refused, and the employers then said,
'We will lock you out for three months." They
closed their doors against all the men in their employ,
refusing the services of those who were ready to sell
their labour on their own terms • and that, I think,
meets the question of" what is a lock-out ?" E in ph yere
have the power legally to close their doors, and in the
case of what they regard to be an unreasonable de.
mewl, they immediately put into practice what by
law they had power toils.
Mr. Joynson (Potteries) said: I feel a deep interest
in the question, and I hope its discussion will tend to
do good throughout the whole of the kingdom. If we
enquire into the canes of lork.onte and turn-oets, I
think we shall find they are tracoable to a great variety
of circumstances. The principal reason, I am curry
to Ray, so far as I have seen, is that the workmen gene- '
rally have been too ready to resort to turn-mute. I feel
sure there has not been that readiness to argue and
reason the question in dispute, and to refer it to arbi-
tration, that there ought to have been; and until we
have a better feeling amongst workmen generally, and
until It is felt that reeoarge to strike' ought nog to be

had on any account except as a last resource, and un-
less the odds are a hundred to one in our favour, they
will continue to recur. The amicable settlement of
disputes has, in my opinion, been too much neglected
by workmen generally.
Mr. Roberts (Manchester) said: I wish the preceding
speaker had confined his attention to lockdouta, and
not given a dissertation on strikes. In the business
which I represent lock-onte are invariably resorted to
by the ma.ters whenever the men ask for an advance
of wages. If the legal notice be given to the men, I
cannot conceive that it can strictly be called a lock.° ;
but I cannot conceive that the doing of what they arc
compelled by law to do at all really affects the
Rom

Mr. Broadhead (Sheffield) said that lock-outs fre-
quently arose out of strikes, and it should not be
their object to promote strikes, or to Mid assistance
beyond what is seen to be necessary ; but our great
point should be to resist lock-outs whenever they are
had recourse to.

M. Burns (London) said: There are some men pre-
sent who have been concerned in some of the greatest
strikes and lock-outs that have taken place, and I
appeal to them to say whether the uttumt efforts have
Lot invariably, in the first place, been resorted to for
the purpose of bringing shoot an amicable settlement.
We don't want to strike if we can help it. but what
we want is a fair remuneraticn for our labour, so that
we may live as hard working, honest men ought to
live. The best way to prevent strikes and lock-outs is
to have a fund of 50,000/. or 100.000/. if we had
such a fund our differences would be readily settled by
arbitration.

- Mr. Memmott (Sheffield) said : Prevention is hatter
than cure, and I eve nothing so well calculated to
prevent strikee and lockouts as a combination of all
the tales LT mutual wsistat cc. A great lock-out is
impending in the north because the toasters want td
take ten per cent. ~ft the wages of the men. Mr.
Stevens, in the American Bose of Repremntativee,
said 'that the reason why England could send her
iron over there to cheaply as she did was because the
rate of mtg. in England was one-third what it was
in the United States." It is said that food and clothing
are very dear in the States; but if the workmen get
three times as much wages as they do in England they
can afford to pay high prices.
Mr. Banks (Preston) said: I believe the term lock-
out orginated in 1822, in consequence of a step taken
by the Preston manufacturers. In 1836 another lock-
out took place. The cause of it was this :—ltolton,
Chorley, and Preston are rival places in the cotton
trade for fine counts—fine and middling. At Bolton
the spinners were receiving 10a., 12a., and 15a, and in
some cases 20s. a week more than the spinners of Pren-
ton, and an effort was made to obtain more equal
terms for the Preston operatives. A strike was
threatened, and the masters offered an advance of 10
per cent. The leaders urged us to stand for the Bolton
prices, and to accept nothing less. A lock-out took
place. We were out seventeen weeks, and at the end
of that time we were obliged to succumb for want of
funds. On that occasion I consider we acted wrongly.
In the year 183.3, 25,000 of us were locked out. That
lasted thirty-six weeke, and on that occasion we were
right. The whole country responded to the call,
London alone sending no lees than 4,000/. During
that thirty-six weeks not less than 100,000/. came to
Preston for our relief; and that shows what trades can
do when they are united.
Mr. Rosa Glasgow; Mr. Dronfield, Sheffield; Mr.
Leigh, Hyde • and M sim
ilar
speeches, Odger, London, made simar
speeches, and, after four days' lengthened discuesion,
the proceedings terminated as satiate:tally as could
probably have been desired.