The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1886-08-21 00:00:00

THE STOURBRIDGE OBSERVER.

FRENCH WORKMEN AND ENGLISH

EXHIBITIONS.

Twenty-one delegates of the French trade societies,
Chambres Syndicales OuvriCres, arrived in London on
Saturday morning. A proposal had been made, some
time ago, to send over a delegation of French work-
men to report technically on the exhibitions of Folke-
stone, London, Liverpool, and Edinburgh. This dele-
gation was to be patronised by the French Govern-
ment and to consist of those few workmen who have
accepted the new law regulating Syndieal Chambers
and placed themselves under the control and patronage
of the Minister of the Interior. This naturally caused
indignation among the greater number of organised
trades who have refused to submit to the Government
supervision established by the new law. The latter
are in the great majority. They at once organised
a rival delegat'.on and naturally had the sympathies
of the Paris Municipal Council on their side. The
Council at once voted them a subsidy of £5OO, while
the official delegation, i: it comes at all, will depend
solely on voluntary support. This is a curious illus-
tration of the antagonism existing between the Paris
Municipality and the French Parliament. Fcrty-
two trade societies, represent;ng the principal indus-
tries of Paris, were federated together- for the pur-
pose of sending delegates to England. Kindred
trades were associated so that one delegate might re-
present two or three industries. The delegates thus
constitute a thoroughly representative body. We
have a worker for Cordele de Paris, an upholsterer,
and plumbers, masons, turners, coopers, saddle
makers, organ manufacturers, tinsmiths, locksmiths,
000tmakers, lithographers, compositors, blacksmiths,
cabinet-makers, stonecutters, joiners, house decorators,
sculptors, boiler-makers, &:c. The departure of dele-
gates from Paris has been so hurried that there is a
great want of proper organisation. Not one of the
delegates can speak English, and only one has been
in England before. Each is supplied with a list of 37
questions to answer, which comprises subjects that
would take a lifetime to study, and yet the
delegates hope to return to France in about
a fortnight. In this brief space they are to
find out the entire history of the co-operative move-
ment, of trades unionism, and of benefit and building
societies. The first question on the list is in itself
enough to appal the ordinary student of public
affairs. The delegates are asked to describe "the
social and political organisation of Groat Britain."
Another question relates to the whole system of local
government, and a third raises the entire problem of
taxation, what classes bear the heaviest burdens, and
what are the averages. Witn such a programme to
fulfil it is quite certain that nothing more thaii a
general impression will be gathered. Neverth, I,,ss
the journey will serve a good educational purpose, and
the delegates seem a very intelligent body of men,
fully capable of profiting by their opportunity.
It may he interesting to note that the first official
visit paid by these representatives of the Paris work-
ine, classes was to the German Workmen's Club in
Tottenham-street. Here a loving cup was drank out
of huge silver-tipped horns after several speeches of
fraternal felicitation. Politically speaking the French
delegation consists of 18 Possibilists, two Anarchists
of a mild type, and one Guesdist; and thus it fairly
represents the various shades of opinion prevailing
auwag the organised workmen of Paris.