The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1868-05-09 00:00:00

THE IRON TRADE.

TIIE STRI I:F,

WOLVERHAMPTON, irCbleSday.

The business to-day was only of slight signi-
ficance, so far as is related to the amount of
business done, for the puddlers have not gener-
ally manned work. There is some little more
&maul, however, fur general merchant iron,
and the orders can be iitmdly executed, for the
masters have paddled iron enough at their workit
to enable them to kwp on the mills which have
been resumed; and where is not sufficient, it
can be had by purchase. 'There were offers of
of piddled iron made on 'Change to-day, and
masters of influence have had similar otters
made to them to-day by letter. The effirs are
not, however, being accepted, because the pad-
dlers are gradually resuming. At Colonel Bar-
rows's works, at 'Tipton, the puddlers have re-
sumed at the drop, as well as the milli:ten ; the
Factory and Bloomfield Works are therefore
fully on. In this town the Chillington Com-
pany also have to-day two forges on, as well as
all the mills ; the same firm have also a forge on
at their Caponfields Works, where, too, the
milltuen are at work. Also, in Wolverhampton
there are four puddling furnaces on at the
Shrubbery Works of Messrs. G. B. Thorney-
croft and Co. These are all instances of hut-
diets having resumed on masters' terms, in addi-
tion to those previously mentioned. Certain of
the masters have received information to-day ,
that the greater part of the ',tiddlers will have
resumed on Monday next. This result, they
say, will follow upon the fact that to-day the
men expected to have received money as strike
pay, but did not receive any. The men who
were about the streets—and they were many—
did not appear in the best humcne to-day, from
the answers which many of them gave to us as
to there being no division of money; but the ex-
planation of the most civil was ;that the money
was not ready because, owing to the insufficiency
of the notice, it could not be got out of the
banks in which certain union funds are placed.
They had, however, they said, been assured
that plenty o, cash would be forthcoming. The
Ironmasters regary all these statements as cruel
attempts on the part of Northern unionists to
keep the men out, lint they say, "It will all
come right; the men will be in as soon as they
' are really wanted.

The state of the iron trade of the Birming-
ham district continues most unsatisfactoy. It
is thought that a better enquiry and improved
tone would be experienced but for the unfortu-
nate dispute with the men ; it is true that many
have gone in, but there is also a considerable
number still out, and it is impossible to say
when the matter will be arranged. The warm
weather enables the men who remain out to sub-
sist on a little, and very little indeed it is that
they are able to get together to support them-
selves and their families. The privations they
are enduring must be very great, whilst, on the
other hand, the frequent occurrence of these
wages disputes is the cause of an incalculable
amount of mischief to the trade.
It was mentioned in the Birmiagham Ex-
change, on Thursday, that several makers have
had specifications on account of some foreign
markets. . .

The Hon. Mr. Lyttelton, the candidate for
East Worcestershire, paid a visit to the Ex-
change, and was warmly xcceived.