The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1873-11-29 00:00:00

THE STRIKE IN THE RIVET TRADE AT
ROWLEY

At the Old Hill Police Court, on Wedisesday, be.
fore Messrs. F. Barrs and J. Uoleroft, a number of
rivet makers, who are ont on strike for an advance of
wages, were summoned for neglect of work.
The prosecutors, Messrs. James Witn, John Clay,
Joseph Taylor, and Samuel Smith, were represented
by Mr. W. Shakespeare, and the defendants by Mr.
J. Stokes.

Mr. Slim's cases were first heard, and he claimed
14s. each as compensation from Joseph Mole, W"-
liam Rushton, and Eli Mucklow.

Mr. Shakespeare said he was instructed by Mr.
Slim to state that he took these proceedings with
peat regret, and he believed the defendants had been
badly advised by adopting the coarse they had taken.
The masters were placed in a vet/ awkward position,
when after entering Nto ceitain engagements their
men turned round and said, We ill leave your em-
ploy at once once unless you give us an advance of
wages," as was the case in the present instance. He
(Mr. Shakespear) was prepared to pore that a special
contract was entered into between compla,lant and
defendants to give and take 14 days' notice, when
they wanted to make a change. To show that his
client did not want to engender any illfeeling, he was
preparen to withdraw all summonses if the men
would express contrition for thei•• coaduct, return to
their work, and if they were dissatisfied with the wages,
give 14 days' notice to leave. There could be nothieg
fairer than this. Briefly, the evidence agahst the
defendants was theyileft Mr. Slim's employ on the let
of November last, without giving any notice, and had
not since returned. Hearing a ramour that the men
iltended to strike, Mr. Shin told then he should
summon them if they left without notice.
P Mr. Stokes denied that defendants entered into
any special contract with their employer. His in-
structions were that the men had never know.' an in-
stance in the trade of a man giviag or taking 14 days'
rotice and he had 50 or 60 witnesses, all of whom
would swear that they had been discharged at a min-
ute's notice, and had also left their employment at a
minute's notice, and proceedings had never been taken
• the

iu either case, becatimEie it was e custom of the trade.
Mr. Shakespeare : You have been misinstructed.
Men have been summoned at this Court, and they
have been lined for leering their work without notice.
But he aid not rely on the custom of the trade ; there
was a special contract in these cases. Mr. Shakes-
peare renewed his offer to withdraw the summonses
if the men would accept his terms as given above.
After a consultation with the men, Mr. Stokes said
the Case must goon.

Evidence was then given by Mr. Slim and two of
his empioyes in support of the charges, and they swore
that the defendants were told when they were en-
gaged that if they wanted to leave they must &:ve 14
days' notice.
It was urged by Mr. Stokes that Mole had left the
complainant once, and that he was subsequently set
on again, when no contract was entered into. Ho
ought, therefore, to be eischarged, as the original
contract terminated when he first ceased work.

Mr. Shakesp, are remarked that d—ele-n—dat-itTet•nrued
to Mr. Slim and asked to be set on again, and that
upon expessiug his regret for leaving without giving
DJtiee and promising not to do so again, he was
allowed to resume vTrk.uuder the old contract.

The bench suppoited this tiew.
Subsequently Mole was placed in the witness box,
and he admitted in cross-examination that when he
asked Mr. Sliin to set him on the second time he was
sorry he)eft without notice, and promised not to do
so again.
The Magistrates thereupon observed that the case
was proved by one of the defendants, and fined each
i 205., its, compensation, and costs, or a mouth's im-

prisonmeut.
Mr. shakespear Haiti he-shoul I not proceed with the
other cases. The prosecution merely wanted to show
the men that they could not do as they liked without
giving noti.m.

TRESPABB.-At the Brierley Hill Police Conti, on
Monday, Joseph Parkes and Joseph Silvers were
charged with being on laud in the occupation of the
Earl of Stamford, on the 18th bat, in search of