The Express.
London, England, 1852-04-12 00:00:00

THE ENGINEERS' STRIKE.

lED CONDITION OF TIIE OPERA-

TIVBB.

It now appears that the effort mare during
the past week to put an end to this unfortunate dispute,
which hen now lasted exactly a quarter of a year, calcu-
lating from the day on which the shope were closed, has
proved unsuccessful. The executive council of the Amal
panted Society have addressed the following circular to
the carious employers to whom their original circular was
addressed in December last :

PROM TOR Et ECUTINR POCNCII. OF TIIR AMALUAMATED
SOCIETY TO TOE EMPLOYER* OP OPERATIVE ENUIRRIEM.A.
°O.EIMIPITICO,—The executive council of the Amalga-
mated Society beg respectfully to withdraw the circular
issued by them to the employers of operative Engineers,
dated the 21th December, 1•61, which circular stated that
' they had come to a resolution to abolish piece-work and
overtime after the 31st December, 1851.* In withdrawing
the above circular, which seems to have given rise to a
serious contest in the trade, it is fully anticipated that such
a MUM will have the t trect of inducing the employers to
withdraw the ' declaration which workmen arc called upon
to sign be fore resuming employment.-1 am, jjentlemcn,
your obedient 04 event, " W. ALLAN, (lea. Sec.
"2i, Little Alic.street, Whitcchapel, Loudon,
"April 6th, 1852."

The concessions which have been made by the council on
behalf of the society not having been met by a correspond-
ing spirit of conciliation en the part of the employers—
but, on the contrary, the declaration is still continued as a
condition upon which only employment can be resumed, •
conference of delegates from eleven of the principal towns
surrounding Manchester met on Friday lest at Manchester,
and after • full consideration of the question, the following
resolution were carried : _ _

" That no further concessions be offered, but that every
district represented here, and the society generally, be re-
quested to use all possible means to procure the necessary
support for the men out of employment who are determined
to withstand the signing of the declaration.
" That so appeal be issued to the branches and to the
trades generally, setting forth the present condition and
prospect of the workmen, and the duty incumbent on
every Englishman to assist the men at present out of em-
ployment in obtaining the withdrawal of the obnoxious
declaration, and that the appeal be based on the concessions
already made by the executive council in their circular
dated April sth, IS-11 "
It is shown now that many of the operatic a begin to feel
the etreets of the strike severely. That which was at first
mere inconvenience soon become privation, and the long
duration of the contest, together with the reduction made •
month since in the allowsoce to the society men, has at
length involved a large proportion of the strike hands in
positive misery. It is nut improbable, therefore, that many
of them may be induced in despair to accept the " declare-
Lion ;" but the inference is inevitable that a reconciliation
thus effected cannot in its results be perfectly satisfactory to
either of the parties concerned, and it is to be hoped that
the employers will, if only for their own advantage, be
satisfied with the unquestionable triumph which they have
achieved, and devise some method of re-opening their
shops to their former workmen without insisting on their
signing • declaration which, as the men affirm, would in-
volve an utter sacrifice of manly independence upon their
part, and which, we fear, must necessarily keep their minds
an a constant ferment of brooding discontent for the future.
Mr. J. Musto, whose name is familiar to the public as
having been affixed to the various documents issued by the
executive council of the Amalgamated Society of Engineers,
&c., in the capacity of chairman, has retired from office.
Mr. W. Newton's influence is said to be sensibly on the de-
cline with the members of the society.
Although the strike hands, on Saturday, received their
thirteenth weekly strike pay without any further reduc-
tion, at the rate of 10s. per man it is understood that the
amount of assistance contributed by the trades has sensibly
declined, the contributions being fewer in number and
smaller In their items than formerly. The following socie-
ties have contributed dewing the past week, via.:—ltope-
makers of the port of LosAon, 61. fie.; Western Friendly
Society of Co-operative Plasterers, Pine Apple, West-
bourne-street, Pimlico, lel.; Friendly Society of Carina-
ten, George the Fourth, Leicester-square, 161. ; Plesterers'
Friendly Society, Whits Meese, Half Moon-street, Borough
(weekly levy; Painters' Areeintion (weekly) ; Stuff Hat-
ters (weekly); Tin Nate Workers, Bristol; Bricklayers'
and Masons Society, Bristol, 101. ; Poplar Association, 111.
and IN.; Silk Hatters, Lord Nelsen and Black Bull,
(weekly) ; Tin Plate Worker*, Black Jack; Carpenters,
Silver :Cup ; Staffordshire Ware Potters, la Type
founders (weekly) ; Tobacco trade in general (weekly) ;
West End Bootmakeri, 201. : Currier', Coventry; Currier*,
York; Carpenters, Running Ilona, Duke-street, Gros-
venor-square, IN.; Vaned Trade of Silversmiths, 261.;
Jewellers (weekly).
Another conference of trades delegates was held on Wed-
nesday evening at the Bell lon, Old Bailey but no psagrw
was made towards rendering effective and immediate pe-
cuniary assistance to the engineers, who, without such as-
sistance, as it is apparent that their own funds mast have
been nearly, if not entirely, absorbed in the contest, cannot
hope to maintain their present reduced rate of allowance to
strike hands (or even any approach to its amount), involving
as it dons, in addition to other and important society ex-
penses, an outlay of upwards of 2,2001. per week. Under
the fanner rate of allowance, the strata outlay amounted to
the enormous sum of 3,4001.
Promises of support are liberally held out by the trades,
but appear so stow in their realisation that the engineers,
while waiting for &Bantams, arc not unlikely to be starved
nto a surrender at discretion.