The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-06-20 00:00:00

THE PINCH OF THE QUESTION.

The Times In a leader remarks :

"By regular course, awl nudes fair guidance, the
Amociated Labourers are iertiving at the fetich id the
question. That pinch is not the state of their ex-
chequer, though it is frankly admitted to be low. It is
not that both the working people generally and the agri-
cultural Labourers particularly either cannot or will
not subscribe enough. It certainly is not any
difficulty in the politics or the morality of the
rnions, in their foist sense and honesty. Their open
itebates, carried on from day to day, and by plain
and earnest speakers, guarantee a unanimous
and happy conclusion; such is, at least, the
maxim on which our public representative system
is founded. Even if we find an occasional bit of
ntowenise, childishness, or idle vapouring in the meetings
at Leamingti in and elsewhere— as, for instance, the
undisclosed invention of a Secret t'ommittee for bring-
ing the employers to reason,— we must remember that
our Parliamentary debates are not always equally
wise, and that England feels the safer because every-
thing is duly reported. The real pinch of the ques-
tion, as it appears to us —indeed, as it is confemed
—is that every design to raise the condition of the
Labourer must necessarily aim also at securing his
independence. That necessity has been long before
the public, a portion of whom have urged it rather vio-
lent!), and prematurely. It certainly is stealing A
march ui sin time to tell a labourer in his full strength
and health that he has no right to combine for the an-
crease of his wages or the diminuthm of his wink
unless he is rrovidia• against contingencies which he
is still justified in regarding as more or less remote.
; Of course a prudent man will be always prudent,
in all stages of his existence and under all cireum-
:dances, and while he is endeavouring to get more
! for himself will consider it still more his duty,
! because more in his power, to Imike timely provision
tor his &Alining yrnrs, his wititoW and children.
WI ether a 111,1 Min I alt!t• ti-get:t a week
mere li ,i=itati.Pll 1.1114 ry, la, problematic, however

:rabfe ; but it 6 uh.t certain be Can in mu*
shillinj a we..k towards as..urances,
cluding;lajdeferred annuity for himself. But this

is to reason and talk Rae angels and mathema-
ticians. The great majoriry of even educated men,
with the world before thew, either do this not at
all or • very imperfectly. As we descend the
scale of industry, we come at last to a class
ill' 'which this duty, so axiomatic and universal,
simply disappears from view. With very rare ex-
ceptlons, the Friendly Societies, though they com-
prise, we are told, four million members, though
they indirectly concern four millions more, though
their- capital is estimated at £12,000,000, though
" they meet the most pressing necessities," promote
order, and foster good-fellowship, still leave the
most serious part 1 the Labourer's earthly future
utterly unprovided for. They recognisl that he is
substantially a pauper, the husband .4 a pauper,
the father of paupers, and that as earth to
earth, no to paupensm he will return, if he live
long enough, and leave a pauper widow and
orphans. Now, this is the pinch of the ques-
tiou, null as soon as as the worthy delegates and ex-
preachers otount the stump o-n behalf of the Labourer,
they find this fact staring them in the face. It is h
true that the English Labourer is not an independent
man. He may be independent enough in his spirit,
hut he is not in his condition. Let hint •alk as lint as
he pleases—that is, let his friends talk thus for him—
he knows that if he dies to-morrow his wife will have
to go, if not next day, yet before long, to the Relieving
Officer—that is, to the employers." . . . .