The Express.
London, England, 1851-12-31 00:00:00

THE ENGINEERS AND THEIR EMPLOYERS,

TO TUB ZDITOit OP TUB IMPRESS.

tint,-1 admire your article in to-day's paper
on combination laws and strikes, and there can be no
doubt that the letter of your correspondent " on the
same subject is suggestive and in the abetratt judicious.
But I do not see that either touches the real points in
dispute betwe.n the engineers and their employers , and I
am quite sure that " " arrived at his conclusions in re-
gard to this particular case without very well informing
himself as to what those points were.
In this instance the Express, its contemporaries, and
correspondents have taken tor granted with too great readi-
ness that the workmen arc in the wrung and the masters in
the right. It is this foregone condemnation of the press of
which the working classes have always to complain. The
tune of the press towards them is most unreasonable. They
are spoken of and to as though they were a set of helpless
children, necessarily at the mercy of demagogues and agi-
tators and secret societies. Those who know the working
theses know that all this is cant. Thu mechanic class
generally is a highly intelligent and well-in formed class ;
and the engineers are the must intelligent and the best in-
formed of that class. Match the twelve thousand members
of the Amalgamated Society of Engineers against any
' twelve thousand tradesmen, and on all mental qualifications
the engineers will have the superiority. Take the ordivary
test, and they are respectable men. These twelve thousand
engineers arc so frugal and careful that they have in twelve
mouths subscribed a sum of 25,0001. fur their society • and,
as they are men in the midst of competitors, we might trust
tithe usual selfishness that iu their dealings with their em-
ployers they would do nothing very silly or very wrung.
'lbis Amalgamated Society is spoken of as some criminal
miAiveyericitt—as an illegal combination ; and as forcing on
perpetual strikes. Now the fact is that this society is an
amalgamation of sectional societies, many of which had the
support and the co-operation of the masters themselves ;
that its executive is elective and open ; that it can do no-
thing without the concurrence of the body of the members ;
that it directs and advises rules and regulations, not fur
the masters, but for the men, and fur the sake of the men ;
that its funds are funds for the support of the sick,
wounded, and maimed, and for otuer purely benefit society
purposes; and that these funds are in no ease applied to
the maintenance of the members during a striae. Ilan
legal right and moral necessity of such a governing body as
this in every cousiderable trade are obvious. 'there has
been great talk, duricg this business, of " socialism" suet
" disciples of Louis Blanc." This is just as infainons
cry as Louie Napoleon's. Whenever the workmen move
in • body, for their general interest and guidance, they are
socialists ; and apparently it is thought in England as it is
thought in France, that any injustice is justice for socialeds.
Will anybody be good enough to state the grounds on
which the Amalgamated Society of Engineers are to he
eesdemned ns *emanate ? Arethe members of the Reform
Club socialists? Is the Trade Protection Society socialist?
Lot us see how this question stands. Mosses. Hibbert
sad Platt made a special agreement with their workmen,
and out of that agreement they have backed. The men
remonstrated, and Messrs. Itibbert and Platt raised the
cry that there was to be a strike on the 31st. What had
the Amalgamated Society to do with this? The Amal-
gamated Society, it appears, have advised against the sug-
gested strike at Oldham.
Then, there is the circular of the Amalgamated Society
to the employers, dated the 24th December. The em-
ployers, at their meeting the other day, charged upon the
smutty several demands which are certainly nut to be
found in this circular, and which it is fair, therefore, to
suppose r ever have been made. The circular of the 24th
reties to two points—overtime and piecework, and to these
only. The spirit of this circular is decidedly conciliatory.
The whole pith of the matter is in the two con-
cluding paragraphs, and here they are :—" In this
instance, at least, benefit to yourselves and bene-
volence to your workmen go hand in hand ;
and we beg that you will serve at mice your own cause and
that of your workmen by intimating to us that we need not
fear your opposition but rather may reckon on your sup-
port in this effort to deal with the questions of piecework
and overtime. Entertaining these views, and actuated by
these motives, the executive council have decided to advise
the trade generally to discontinue the practices of systema-
tic overtime and piecework after the 31st of December,
1851, and in those eases where overtime is really necessary,
in cases of breakdowns, or other accidents, all time so
worked over to be charged said paid for at the rate of double

time."
The argument justifying these recommendations is ex-
ceedingly simple. When they ask that there be no more
overtime, the workmen do not mean that they will do less
work for the same wages, but that they will not earn all
the wages which the masters would tome upon them. They
find that 68i hours a week is quite enough for the strongest
man, even if lie is only to look to his bodily health; and
they therefore desire that when the yard bell rings at six
in the evening they shall be allowed to go home for rest,
and not he compelled to return again at seven or eight to
the yard to do more work, and earn more wages. The
suggestion as to piecework is quite as plain. Were the
employed to deal direct with the employers they would be
houestly treated; but between the employer and employed
is the foreman and the middle-man. The workmen hod
that, as a rule, the foreman tiles the price and the time for
the piste work ; and the result is an aggregate fraud and
injustice which the workmen would be lunatic to endure.
Now, hiss the working man a right, or has he not a right,
to say how long he will work? lie does not, mark, fix the
wages. to aix he will work willingly for the sum which
is now paid him; but he will not work after six, and he
will not earn more. le this dictation to the master? As
well say that when the master, in consideration of his pocket,
doses his yard fur a week or a month he ie dictating to the
workman. Is it even doing the master an injury ? On the
reentrary, as the circular shows, the master is a loser by the
system of overtime. His remedy is easy. Instead of work-
ing 1,000 men up to ten at night let him work 1,300 men
lap to six. He would pay the same wages, and he would
get more work done. And in this age, when Ashleyism is
rampant, and when the legislature itself has fixed the house
in which a factory operative shall labour, is it decent to
quarrel with the engineers for doing for themselves what
the legislature would not do fur them
The objections to piece-work are palpable. It gives the
capitalist an unfair advantage over the labourer. At all
events the men think that they arc entitled to the abolition
of piece-work. Again the question is to be put, have they or
have they not a right to say that they will not work in that
manner ? Deny this right, and what right remains ?
A general strike of the engineers could nut be a crime.
Their right to refuse to work upon systems which they re-
gard as unjust is clear—as clear as the right of the musters
to compl with their eemands. A general strike, how-
ever, might be a folly. That is what the Erpress says,
sad may be quite true ; but is it not possible that
the masters would be guilty of folly in resisting their de-
mands?
From all I bear, I should think that it is not, and has
not been, in the contemplation of the men to strike. They
will, after the 31st, refuse to work overtime. The masters
may on that close their establishments. Who would then
be responsible for the strike? The masters.
Public opinion ben been deceived on this controversy.
So far the masters have had all the talk to themselves.
The men are to be heard in their own defence, and the
public will, perhaps, see at tut that there are two sides
even to this queetaon.—Your obedient servant,
Dec. 30. NO ENGINEER.

THE PROJECT or A MUSEUM IN BURY has now
assumed &definite shape and an ensouraging aspect. The
site and a good design far the building are obtained. The
necessary sum, about 1,5001., is proposed to be raised by
donations and by 61. shares. The Marquis of Bristol has
smile a donation of 100/., and the Bishop of London has
testified his attschnteut to his birth-place by the gift of 101.
—*mirk lizpress.
BASINGSTOKE AND SALISBURY RAILWAY.—It is
=by this line to complete the corameniciation
ranted by parliament, and partly completed from.
Basingstoke, ens Ocestoa, Whitehurch, and Andover, to
Salisbury.