The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1887-02-05 00:00:00

THB AMALGAMATED SOCIETY OF
ENGINEERS!

On Caturday night the annual meeting of the
council of the Amalgamated Society of Engineers was
held at the London Tavern, Fenchurch-stteet, City;
Mr. W. G. Fishi/r (chairman of the council) presided.
and amongst those present ware—Mr. Abrahams
M.P., Mr. James Rowlands, M.P., Mr. George
Howell, M.P., Mr. John Burnett, Mr. John Wilson,
Mr. Ander3on, &c. Replying to the toast of "Our
National Institutions,' Mr. George Howell, M.P.,
said he agreed with the chairman that our institutions,
with all their faults, were such as an Englishman
ought to be proud of. But every one of them was
not perfect. (Hear, hear.) The constitution was
very elastic because it had survived the admission
of the working classes to the franchise and to
seats in the House of Commons. He did not feel par-
ticularly proud of that part of the constitution which
included the connection of Church and State—(hear,
hear)—because he believed the Church ought to de-.
vote itself to its own special work, without being
bothered with the trammels of State. As to the
army and navy, he believed the time had gone by
when it could be truly said, "England can beat the
world ; " but, at any rite, he felt that if England were
beaten in the field, it would not be through the fault
of her men. (Cheers.) With regard to the navy, it
was, he thought, a very stupid habit of people saying
that we had no ships fit to go to war, and no guns fit
to fire. If the navy was not as effective as it ought
to be, then the Lords of the Admiralty and other
public servants of various Administrations ought to
be hung up to the yardarms of vessels. (Cheers
and laughter.) He did not think our municipal
institutions were what they ought to be; and in
this direction very great reforms were required.
These were especialty required in London, so that the
working men of this great metropolis might be able to
take their proper share in the administration of the
affairs of London; and more, when those great en-
dowments, which the people were well.aware were not
put to their legitimate uses were concerned. (Loud
cheers.) He advocated such a reform in the passing
of private bills as would save the disgrace of the
amount of £130,000 being expended on the Man-
chester Ship Canal Bill. He hoped that out of the
large amount of money spent upon education, a really
good and valuable system of primary education would
result, because it was not in the future the physically
strong man who would win, but it was
the ekillAd man who would win the race
in human life. (Cheers.) Above au things
he advocated the adoption of technical
education, which he had advocated all his life. The
House of Parliament to which he had the honour to
belong, was not as perfect as it ought to be, but if the
working classes willed it, the House would be as per-
fect and as full of fruit as its best friends could wish
it to be—the reflection and the representation of the
feelings of the people of this great empire. (Cheers.)
Mr. John Wilson (general secretary pro. tern.), reply-
ing to the toast of "The Society,' said it was satis-
factory to know that the Royal Commission on the
depression of trade did not cast any blame on
anything connected with trades unionism.
(Cheers.) The work in the general office of the
society was carried on without a ripple of discon-
tent. Respecting the expenditure of the society,
he might say that that had been devoted to what
might be called the benefits which trades unions
give to their members. (Cheers.) During 1886 the
society expended upon out-of-work benefit £79,160;
on sick benefit, £29,457; on superannuation, £33,914;
on funeral benefits, £8612; on accidents, £1350; and
on benevolent grants to relieve cases of special dis-
tress, £3lsl—(cheers)—so that there had been ac-
tually expended upon all the "ills that flesh is iieir
to " no less than a sum of £155,644, while they had
a balance at the end of the year—a reserved balance
—of no less than £112,487. (Loud and prolonged
cheers.) Mr. John Burnett replied for " Our
National Industries," and Mr. Abrahams and Mr.
James Rowlands also spoke.