The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-10-26 00:00:00

the c*tonehribge Ohserber.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1872.

THE BUILDERS' BALANCE SHEET.

An important and instructive pamphlet has just
made its appearance, being the Balance-sheet of
the Carpenters' and Joiners' Short-time movement
of 3972, together with an elaborate report of the
late central committee vhich has undertaken the
executive department of the movement familiarly
known as the "Nine-hours and Nine-pence." We
shall not go over the details of this protracted
movement, but shall chiefly deal with its cost.
The committee state that at an expenditure, in
round numbers, of .£7,252 "the recent contest has
advanced the short-time movement a ;few steps
further, and done much towards establishing in
the building trade uniformity of time and wages,
the standard working hours being now 521 per
week, at 37s 21., or 81." Of course this is to a
great extent only a theoretical gain, the "stand-
ard working hours" being what the working men
will insist on wherever they they have the power,
but which they must diverge from where ,they
have not the power to enforce them. Nor does
the net result of even this theory-524 hours at
Sid—tally with the original demand of" nine hours
and ninepence." But even admitting ;that they
had practically gained what has been only achieved
practically, theoretically, and on paper—liable to
be upset at any moment on a general slackening
in the demand for building operatives—has the
victory been worth the effort ? is the game worth
the candle? We must bear in mind that the above
sum by no means represents the entire cost of the
protracted strike. The balance sheet makes no
mention of the amount disbursed by the carpenters'
and joiners' societies amongst their members for
"dispute pay" during the strike. This, however,
has been estimated at .21,500, which, added to the
above sum, makes the gross cost to the car-
penters and joiners £8,753. But then to
this must be added .22,250 collected and expended
by masons, bricklayers, plasterers, painters, smiths,
and labourers, thus bringing up the cost of the
builders strike to upwards of .211,000. This is as
far as can be Ascertained in actual figures, but
really a strike cannot thus be totaled up. The
operatives have unmistakeably lost £11,000; they
have expended it in gaining a doubtful victory,
which it is scarcely likely will be permanent, and
during the battle they have crippled andi,ham-
pored capital and enterprise; they have in some
cases driven capital uhroad ; they have brought
cheaper and equally skilled labour from other
countries to compete with themselves; the car-
penters and joiners have especially induced em-
ployers to import ready-made work into this coun-
try ; and above all they have very seriously les-
sened building operations throughout the coun-
try.

A strike, whether successful or not always ins-
jades and deadens production, and the extrava-
gant demands of men in any branch of industry
have the same effect. We are now witnessing this
in the iron and coal trades,which, with the build-
ing trades, form perhaps the three most import-
ant branches of British industry. The enormous
wages of the colliers have not only diminished the
production of coal at a time when it has been pe-
culiarly wanted, but they have curbed and re-
pressed iron-trade operations in
,several parts of
the country; the increased wages paid to iron-
workers have a further effect in the same direc-
tion; and all this, combined with the demands of
the builders and others, has had a serious effect
on numerous branches of industry. We earnestly
hope that the aggressive movement on the part of
such large numbers of the working classes will
not be followed by too violent a reaction. A little
reaction—such as that of which we :now see signs
in many quarters—would be wholesome, but there
are at the time we write ominous indications of
strik..... being possibly followed by locks-out. We
trust and hope this may be obviated. "Nothing,"
said the Duke of Wellington, " is more disastrous
than a victory unless it be a defeat;" and in the
same way it may be said that nothing is more dis-
astrous than a strike except a lock-out. They
both produce the same kind of evils, but a lock-
out usually follows a strike, and is therefore evil
upon evil. In both cases capital and labour suffer,
and the general community suffers with them.
But from the report to which we have referred
there is eonsiderable encouragement to be draw n
by those who believe that strikes in the long run
do the working classes more harm than good. The
central committee of the carpenters and joiners
declare their belief " that strikes and locks-outs
are evils, and after all but clumsy weapons of of-
fence and defence, and they trust that the day
may soon arrive when they will be no longer ne-
cessary, and that courts of conciliation may super-
sede them. Technical knowleilge and skill will at
no diAant period assert their legitimate sway, and
with that knowledge will grow the power that will'
enable the workman to ennoble himself and ele-
vate his trade to its proper position." Working
men would do well to " read, mark, learn and in-
wardly digest" this utterance. On the whole it
is very doubtful whether the building operatives
have improved their position and prospects by
their strike. They have for a time, it is true,
gained an advantage, but after a long and costly
struggle, and mtw that they standon this vantage
ground we would comm n.l to their notice a ques-
tion put some little time since by Lord Derby, at
the meeting of the Lam and-tire Farmers' Club and
Chamber of Agriculture. "Are we not a little
hasty. he asked, "in speaking as if a great per-
manent rise in the cost of English labour had
taken place, or is taking place. An exceptional
development of trade and manufactures has
created an exceptional demand for hands; such

periods of smidenly enhanced prosperity soldom
go on for long without n chedr ; and it is by no
mennleroved tha. when Olaf cheek oeenrs—and
soul people think it :s not far off even now—the
demand for labour may not subside to very nearly
ti former level."