The Express.
London, England, 1853-11-21 00:00:00

THE STRIKES IN THE NORTH.

(room OCR LOCAL COILILESPONosee..,
At Manchester the employers have had a proposi-
tion under consideration for partly taking from the opera-
tives the advances of wages conceded a few months ago,
when trio!' was in a better condition then at present, but
the result of their deliberation are not knows. It was
rumoured, however, on Saturday that the notices had been
given, and that unless the reduction were consented to the
mills will all be eland on the 9rd protium. Whilst the
operatives have an exaggerated notion of the profits making
by factory owners, a curious history is current, and it is
said can be well authenticated, showing how precarious
some branches of the trade have been during the last fifteen
years. A district of Manchester is pointed out about a mile
square, in which thirty-seven mills have existed in that
period for spinning and weaving—two of them built
within the time--of which eighteen are no longer li
in being. Five of the eighteen have been destroyed
by fire, of which three are still in ruins, whilst the others
have either been taken down, turned into warehouses, let
I u other purpose., or are standing idle. Nineteen are still
seed as factories, sod are in work; but of these the owners
of four have been insolvent, whilst five have changed
lands, the original holders having gone out of business. Of
the whole 37 only 10 remain intact. And this does nut in-
clude a number of small concerns thst have had existence
daring the time, and have wholly disappeared. There were
mills spinning, and manufacturing from, low numbers,
mostly 40's and under. This, it be true, has been going on
whilst men in other districts sod in other branches of the
trade have been very successful, and some of them have
made fortunes, but there is sufficient in 'hese facts to show
how unattainable are the results which the operatives have
been chiefly aiming at by their repent combination and
strikes for obtaining an advance in all cases of ten per cent.
on their wages.
A meeting of operatives was held at the Corn Exchange,
on Friday evening, to elicit sympathy for the operatives os
1 strike at Preston, but was not so numerously attended as
had been expected.
Mentzmn, who was one of the leaders in the memorable
strike of amalgamated engineers which proved so unsue-
oessful, took the chair, and said that, to the best of his
Information, there might be 20,000 or 30,000 individuals,
who, up to the last six months, had been busily employed in
the factories of Preston ; these had not turned out, but had
been lucked out, and their families deprived of the means of
subsistence. Ile had been long of opinion, that " turn-
outs " were of uo good, either to the workmen or to their
employers; and as the employers had expensed the seam
opinion, he was astonished that they had caused, at Pres-
ton, cue of the largest " turn-onts" ever kaowa. The em.
loycrs had expressed an opinion agaiast trades unions, sad
he was therefore astonished that the employers had
joined in a large trades union and combination them-
'elves. He believed that trades unions were not only of
great use in sustaining the position of the working men,
but in supporting these who were out of employment, and
doing all that could he done by a benefit society. Having
read the platerd convening the meeting, which stated that
it would be addressed by Mr. George Cowell and " other
talented gent:emen," he called upon
Mr. DANIEL DONovAN, who hips by observing that
this meeting would doubtless have been as well attended to-
sight as the meeting held there on Wednesday night, to
sympathise with people a great distance off, but there had
I only been three days notice; and, besides, the people of
Manchester liked to have admirals and generals at a public
meeting, and those were not often to be got. He then
moved the following resolution:—" That we, the citizens of
Manchester, deeply lament the unhappy dispute b tween
the employers and employed in the town of Preston and its
nei4hhoia'hood, as such disputes led to a mutual system of
coercion, highly injurious to our social system." Mr. Do-
-114,30 said that the working
,people were always very re-
luctant to begin a " turn-out, ' for they knew the evils of
such a state of things, which he described in very affecting
and too truthful language. He spoke of the degradation
objets they suffered in being obliged to live oa the wages of
their fellow workmen, and even to ask charity, almost from
house to house, of persons who were not of their own class.
He spoke of some who were obliged to seek their bread in
the streets, by means which put shame on their manhood ;
and of young girls who were obliged to sell ballads in the
public-houses and liquor-vaults, and there had, perhaps, to
endure, from men who were incapable of feeling for their
position, language that was disgusting and disgraceful for
biuman mouths to utter. lie then discussed the causes of
strikes, ascribing them to the conduct of masters, in gee
oriel. He admitted that he had been engaged in a
strike himself. With regard to the present dispute at
Preston, he complained that the employers had practised
an unwarrantable coercion and interference, in shutting
out their people from work, to prevent them from giving
their sixpence a week each, or whatever they chose, out of
the money which each man earned, towards the support of
the 2,000 who had "turned out" previously.
Mt. THOMAS M•CDSLEY seconded the resolution, saying,
he had been sent over to Preston as a delegate of 6,000
factory operatives, to see about this matter. He said the
working men wished to settle all the differences by arbitra.
tion, and to have ao coercion on either side.
Mr. Ozoiton Cowitht., from Preston, then spoke, giving
his account of the dispute between the power loom weavers
of that place and their employers. He said, that all the
Preston employers, except six, bad complied with the re-
quest of their hands, after the example of Blackburn; the
hands belonging to those six then gave notice and stopped
work ; and an effort was made for them, and six shillings
a week was subscribed. At one mill, where there were
sane bat women employed, the masters promised to give
theism per cent. advance; but when pay day came, that
am Fir cent. had fallen down to seven and a half ; the
wean, therefore, resolved they would not be trampled
;a
y turned out twelve weeks ago, and had never
• shuttle since. The masters then had a general
thetthlg, and thirty-seven of them resolved that, if the
albs was not over in one month, they would shut up
Wale Lin The committee of the weavers was very anxious
In linnet this, end offered to negotiate and submit to arbi-
trates ; bat te masters refused to recognise the power-
ism weavers' committee at all, their chairman, or
their secretary. Placards were issued, and responded to ;
but the masters kept something back which they bed in
their minds. That something proved to he, when it came
out, that they resolved that when the hands went back to
week, they should receive only the same rate of wages
they were paid in March last. He then described the meet-
ing of the Preston clergy, celled by philanthropic persons,
to see whether so arrangement could be made ; and be ob-
served that Mr. Thomas Ainsworth, the president of the
masters association, would not attend that meeting. lie
believed that Mr. Miller, who employed only women at his
home, and who ;mold even receive a deputation
awn be workpeople oa a wages question, was the sole
Min Wf SW " lock oat." The operatives had been
Asselmel ils Emir expectations that 3,0001. a week would
be eshmehed he them, because the muter, had been
the osoatry, to use their isfluenes to pre-
slisestild2ers eighibuting to the fund. This bed beet dose
MI riedihant, Pe
she
and Bump, where the men
MI bun "lased out" because they dared to send their
marl to Peseles. Nothwithstanding this, the subscription
llMinMbei 2,0001. a week, and he believed, next week,
west be 1001. above that ; the operatives of Blackbaro,
this week, mat them 6201. The present meeting was for
the scam object, and a meeting would be held in Leedom as
Tteedell They had draws up • memorial to Lord Palsies
Nil if le would not listen to it, they would polities
After some other statements, in the course of
tibia he mid that the Preolea kends were new receiving
Ate Maw esch frees ille salmeription, he &sten& they
' mull eamte the muster, eel Wok the " elteddyeareey" of
VA Mem
emistka was palmed •
. Joss Wat.isn next the :—" That
lib sesetiatedesbaelayst the Os Iron worker
1 d toms ail the peen-
Is Is pivot Is main them against the
sajnet palsy et thek egivkiess.
Mr. Jouu Thai seconded this; to do which, he ob-
served, might appose rather impudent in him, after the un-
successful strike efts dyers, dressers, aced finishers of this
town, which he had advised and conducted; but he begot,
slur all these disasters and disappointments, and after the
unsuccessful attempt of the amalgamated engineers, en
which their chairman, Mr. Hemm, was concerned, the
working man would ultimately get his proper position in
society. He spoke some time of the Preston struggle, and
said that the result of it had been, already, that minty fatal-
lies had left the town, as was the case at Stockport, where
whole streets were becoming: tenantless during the strike,
and some were induced to cross the Atlantic. He believed,
if the struggle continued, pineal " proud Preston" would be
depopulated. He urged the meeting to subscribe money ; he
said Manchester ought to provide, not 401. or 501., as it did,
weekly, but 1,0001. He said the feeling in their favour was
so strong in Blackburn that if it were known that a Preston
master showed his face there, he believed lie would lee victi-
mised. (Applause.) But he Atonal have regretted such a
thing being done, and hoped the peace would be kept.
MT.M.CALLAOHER,who spoke ea behalf of the spinners of
Preston, nest made a statement. He said that all the master
spinners, except four, had agreed to give the advance of l 0
per cent. ; the operatives of the other mills then resolved to
contribute to the support of the bands belonging to those
four ; and the masters, to prevent their doing so, after a
mon's notice had locked their mills, and deprived 25,000
persons of earning their daily bread.
Anether delegate from Preston, Mr. John Matthews, and
other persons, afterwards addressed the meeting.
' At Wigan the factories are still idle, and there is no im-
mediate prospect of the operatives complying with the con-
ditions of their late employers, The colliers arc steadily at
work, except at the ply; of Messrs. Brancker, and one or
two other firms. The muter colliers had a meeting on
Thursday, at which it was determined, as we antici,eated in
a previous notice it would be, not to allow any of their
' number to be taken in detail for the peewee of forcing
higher wages from them, but to close the whole of t c
collieries again en the lst of December, unless the colliers
' resumed work as a body.
At Burnley, Bacup. Bury, and Colne, tha strike con-
, tinues. The whole of the operatives at some of the spin.
1 niog mills have offered to resume work, and to give a pledge
I not to aid the combinations against other employers, but in
, all the nulls where the manufacturing of cloth is carried on
the weavers have either been divided or refused to coucede
this point. „uld the mills will remain closed against them.
The overlo k ere have held a number of meetings during
the past furtn4lht, with toe object of bringing about en ai-
-1 rangement beceiven employers and employed, and though
itheir efforts have hitherto proved unsuccessful, it is not loc-
probable they may be able to induce • sufficient number of
the operatives from the combinations to enable Nome of the
.factories to resume , 49th.