The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1868-02-08 00:00:00

MR. GLADSTONE it THE TRADES'

UNIOAS.

There are few public men, if nny, whose
opinions command more respect from ell patties
than do those of Mr..Glatlstono. Especially

among working men are his views regadod with
peculiar respect. Ito is looked upon as some-
thing wore than a politician ; it is felt that he
is it statesman. A luau of a philomphieal tarn
. . . . . .

of iniod, and deeply imbued witit classical
studies, he is eminently a man of the present
hour. dhe teachings of the past are with him
_ . .

Samoa to account for the benefit of the present
generation, while Isis policy has proved itself
far seeing sod anticipatory of the future. The
tree.trade theories which he has taken so native
• part in reducing to practice have been found
beneficial to our own country internally and in
its relations with others. It is not surprising,
therefore, that when Mr. Gladstone uttered some
sentiment' which appeared hostile to the system
of trades unions, the champions of those unions
should at once take alarm, and call those state.
sante into question. Correspondence having
ensued, it is arranged that there should be is
public discussion on the working of trades
unions. On the 18th of the present month
eight delegates are to meet the right lion. gen-
tleman, and the whole subject is to be discussed
under five headings, one delegate being appal-

ted to apeak to e _ _
ach point. -
So important is this great subject ; so deeply
are the working classes and the whole country
Interested in it; so very eminent is the gentle-
men who will take the leading part in it; and so
anxious are the trades-unionists for viciory, that

.....
this diseu,iion will perhaps for the time have
even more public iuterestt than the clebates in
Parliament witich Will transpire shaultammusly.
We therefore make no apo:ogy for alluding to
the points which will come under discussion,
with a view rather to prepare our readers for the

great question.; at issne, than with any expecta-
tion of offerims any valuable coulribution towards
their settlement.
The first point to be discnssel will be the
limitation of apprentices. We need scarcely say !
that when any trade union succeeds in carrying
out this object it congratulates itself on a victory
!which is thoroughly one-sided and selfish. The
interest of the musters am! the benefit of par-
ents who wish to get their sous employed are
Ignore!, the one object beiag to eanfine at trade
among its few hands as passibl,, for the benefit
of those who are in it. On tha other hand, a

trade may be flooded a ith apprentices, thim
lowering wages fur a time, reducing the quality
of the work dem, and ultimately over-weighting
the trade with workmen. Whether any limit
min be enforced which would be fair to both par-
ties, or whether it be desirable to leave masters
entirely free in this matter, will be tha difficult
points that will come under examination.
The second point is the minimum standard of
vages, which we confess seeing something like
discussing how ninny ungels can stand on the
top of a needle. The value of money fluctu-
ates ; and the value of labour itself Iffictiuttes,
so we are at a loss tomee what can be the crite-
rion. The value of gold as money cm be flied
by Act of Parliament, but gold is a commodity
aa well as a circulating medium, and as a com-
modity it fluctuates. Despite the Act of Parlia•
want its purchasing power varies at different
timee, and if gold therefore is to he the stand-
ard the very standard itself will be variable which
La a contradiction.

Piece-work and over-time constitute the third
point. Now we boldly assert that wherever
wink can be paid by piece it is fairer to master
and man calerii pyribus, thou time-work. Time
work tends to bring talent to a dead level with
mediocrity, and to raise inferior or idle work-
men to the same average, and so far is iujurims
on the one band to the man, and on the other to
the roaster. One groat argument against trade
unions is this dead level tendency. The trades'
unionists deny that they aim at it, but they can-
not well deny that thsir Procroeteau rules tend
to produce it. Meta's talents, their capacity for
work, their natural industay, their indivinual
mitts, their conscientiousness vary, and the
practice of paying all alike is at least bungling
and indiserinainating. But this uniform system
of payment, irrespective of individual value, is
one of the most vigorously defended principles
of trades-unionism ; and in fact jut it in propor-
tion as the adoption of varied and discrimina-
tive payments would be the weakening of trade
unions. Individual agreement between master
and man, irrespective of what other masters pay
or other men receive, is fundamentally opposed
to trades-unionism ; and it will be specially in-
teresting, therefore, to hear what Mr. Gladstone
and his opponents have to say on this branch of
the subject.
The alleged imam of trades-nnions in driving
trade to foreign conotriee is less a matter for
argument than for feeti. That trades unions
have haut this effect to some extent is undeni-
able, but it will be well to make ample inquiries
before tanning to any hasty conclusion- Tilia
point is one of the utmost importance to the
men themselves. If it is found that Capital
wearied with the constant battle with Labour,
when they ought to have worked harmoniously,
has gone to other labour markets, and this to ,
any great extent, it may become it question how '
far Labour is acting wisely in thus driving Capi-
tal away, perhaps never to return. On the other
land, it will be worth while to enquire how far
Capital has been induced to seek foreign work
wen, rather on account of _their more ceonoini-
cal modes of living and eonsequent decreased
need of wage than for any conflict with our
own workmen.
The last point to be argued is the practical
advantages of trade-unions. That there are
'owe advantages connected with them their
wurat enemies cannot deny. Take any trade-
union separately, and its existence tootle to pro-
mote—oil the whole, be it cautiously remarked
—good feeling among its members, springing
trout community of interest, all working for the
good of each ; it affords opportunies for the die-
cueiion of that branch of political economy
whim-la affects each MAIL'S individual pocket ;it
raises it barrier 'against any unjust encroach-
ment on the part of 11titers; aud it produces
viierganisation by which those in health can
support the Hick, and those emplayed can help
the unemployed to live. The right to form a
trade-oer, b: it understood, no one disputes.
Workmen have no occasion to claim this right;
the difficulty is that workmen too often deity to
their fellows the right not to form one, or, in
other words, the right to refuse to joiu one.
We have Blue briefly sketched an outline of
matters which deeply interest Capital and Labour
alike - the relations between toaster and work-
man, toaster Lod mister, and workman and
workman. We shall give at least a summary of
tIN important discm.sion, and we earneLtly
trust it may tend to harmoniate the frequently
conflictier. but intrinsically identical interests
of employe: tool employed.

TILE lIION TRADE.
wovEniumPToll.ty.

Ttv e tt somewhat !OSS milatisfaotory
lon the niectiug of ironmastora to-
day Mill 11*(le the eeo 1:44 Wrek, t hoih thou
wore a tow firma who could report any hiercnse
In the 'lumber of orders received during that
time. The improved tune resulted more from
an expectation that the trade, as such, will, on
In early day, come to some determination be
which the coot of production will be decreased
la the reduction of wa,geo, lir. Isaac JetOis,
she proprietur of the Aliuorva Stool Works, is