The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-11-23 00:00:00

4D4e tottri2ll4g 4/45crinc.

SATURDAY, NOyEMBER 23, 1872.

AGRICULTURAL LABOURERS
AND THE LONDON TRADES.

The agitation among the agricultural labour.
era for an increase of wages has to a great ex-
tent conaumniee the sympathy of the public,
because it lass gem:rail been felt that on the
whole farm labour has been inadequately paid.
hut throughout this agitation there Lea been a
good deal of spurious syuipathy and class de-
nunciation, mainly owiag to what we may call
professional traess uuiouistu king brought to
bear on the dispute. Not only have clever
writ ' s:re as commissioner"' or specials for leading
! journals. excited the passions of the farm lab-
omen" against their employers, but trades-union
ai4itatura have gone out of their way to inter-
fere between employer and employed, and eni.
oitter a contest which was already sufficiently
bitter. Now we venture to deprecate this sort
of thing, as unjust to farmers, who, as a body,
'rave not had a very wofitable time of it of late;
and the matter is ail the more important as we
are to have a great deal more of the same sort.
Tee other day there was a conference of the
Loudon Consultative Committee of the National
Agricultural Labourers' Union, with Mr. George
Potter in the chair. The object was to Make
arrangements for holding a "mass meeting" in
Exeter Hall, to enlist the sympathies of the
working classes of London on behalf of the
agricultural labourers. The aforesaid Consulta-
tive Committee at present appear to have suc-
ceeded fully up to their expectations. It has
been decided that the meeting shall take place
on the 10th of next mouth, and it was announced
that is deputation having waited on the Lord
Mayor, lns lordship, after some conversation,
had consented to tako the chair. Archbishop
Manning, Canon Girellestone, Mr. Samuel Mor-
ley, and Mr. Arch, President of the Agricultural
Labourers' Union, aro also to be present. We
almost think that this is carrying labour agita-
tion beyond legitimate boundaries. The ',agri-
cultural labourers, notwithstanding their alleged
downtrodden and helpless condition, of which
we have heard so much, have had sufficient
atrength ta organise themselves into a National
agrimattiral Labourers' Union, :ad have suc-
ceeded already in obtaining higher pay. Now
that they have this union and all the benefits,
real or imaginary, of organization, wo submit
tat they might fairly be left to fight their own
battles with the farmers. We would venture to
ask what moral right have the London trades.
unionists to interfere between master and men ?
The right of the agricultural labourers to coal-
bine and demand their own terms for their lab-
our, none will dispute. They have done this;
they have gained increase of pay by it; and the
public at large appear to agree that this increased
pay is well nes-rved. Why not then allow them
tu go on fighting their own battle 2 That they
have already gained so much is a sufficient proof
01 their strength, and it must be remembered
that this advanced pay, enabling them to sub-
scribe to the funds of their union, places them
in a better position than before for securing
farther advantages. We believe that the agri-
cultural labourers on the whole would, were they
left to themselves, be satisfied with this for the
present, and would be content to wait for another
favourable opportunity of improving their posi-
tion. In Ilia town movement in favour of coun-
try agitation we.see evidence of the existence of
ea organised antagonism hetwcen labour and

ital. Nor does this evidence appear now for
ie first tioie. We have seen the satue thing in
the subscriptions received by one trade on strike
Coat members of other trades. But in the case
of the London Trades Union and the agricultu-
ral labourers, this sympathy and help are carried
,ven beyond snob hounds. There is a "consul-
tive committee," with a well-known and leading
trades•union agitator in the chair, and a mass
,fleeting of London mechanics and artisans is to
be held to frighten the farmers and embolden