The Express.
London, England, 1867-04-27 00:00:00

THE TAILORS' STRIKE.

TO THE ZDITOIt OP THE rx M.

S:1:,--Thu Master Tailors Association are de-
Ikons of removing some misapprehensions and to give
some explanations as to the causes and n.-ture of the
ittrile among the operative tailors in London, and I have
therefore to ask you to be good enough to give insertion to
the following communication. la order that the present
dispute may be fully uiiiicritood it is in cemiary to explain
the principle on which the journeymen tailors in London
are paid, differing as it does from the general rules which
govern most other trades. For upwards of 30 years peat
the tailors have been paid upon a scale of remuneration
leased upon a calculation of the time that it would
take an ordinary workman to make a particular ger-
meet, not as the time within which the garment must he
made, but merely as the leans 'or talcidatiug the wages,
and the workman is then paid VP much per hour calm,-
kited on that scale. This is what is now called the " time
kg." Under this " time log" every garment bas a certain
slumber of hours appropriated to it. to change has been
made in this " time log." The only change sought for up
to the present time has been ac increase of the rate of
payment per hour, thee in feet giving increased wages.
Xide, this special principle of calculating wages recent
mends itself as a fair and equitable one both to masters
and to men; and I venture to think that the trade has
reason to feel gratified that it has 80 long governed their
mutual raations. The effect is that aoconling to the
degree of skill and industry so is t:ie decree of pay -
meet. It is in effect a priasiple of " piece work." and
the " time log " w nothing more Limn a basis on which
to calculate the money to be paid fur each piece of work ;
and when an increase of wages has been agreed upon it
has simply been necessary to incre.-se the rate per hour.
lip to the spring of 18fie the rate per hour was rid., but an
increase having been demanded by the London operatives,
and anangement was made, the effect of which was to in-
crease the wages about an averge of re. per week.
Matter. so continued until the ea, iy pert of the present
year, when a communication was wade to the Muster Tailors'
Association from the London Operative Association,
which hail become in union with the Amalgamated
Society of Operatives. The object of communication was
to endeavour to obtain a uniform add universal time log
to regulate the trade, not only in Li ndon, but throughout
the ("lilted linglom. SWIM discuseions took place be-
tween the committees of the was' er tailorsand of the opera-
*lves ; but these led to no result beyond confirming the
masters in the opinion they had before entertained that it
would be Impossible to settle any " universal time log "
which would be applicable to London and to every other
part of the United Kingdom.
in Thursday, the Inth April instant, a printed circular,
dated the 111th April, from the Lotion oper..tives and the
amalgamated societies was sent to most of the principal
London firms, inclosing what was called " The Amalga-
mated Society of Journeymen Tailors' Time Log," for
adoption by them, and requiring a reply by 2 o'clock on
Saturday. the 20th inst., the 19th being Good Friday.
This circular stated that the operatives "did not seek an
increase in the rate per hour, but simply the adjustment of
the time necessary to realise that which was but a nominal
advance." The "time log," which was enclosed, was a
closely-printed pamphlet, containing 24 pages of matter,
netting forth in great detail the number of hours to be
acknowledged as the necessary time for making the various
garments, Ice., upon which time the wages should for the
future be calculated ; but it also contained a great number
of items heretofore comprised in the general payment,
but now demanded to be paid for as extras.
This time log seeks to alter for the first time the
generally adopted tints for making garments in London,
and demanding an increase of so many hours, involving of
course a corresponding increased payment for each gar-
ment ; in fact the nominal demand of further time on the
time log appeared to the mestere to be nothing more nor
See thee a demand for increased wages to the extent of at
least Sal a week (in addition to the increase of last year),
under odour of settling a "universal time log." The London
masters destined to adopt the proposed "time log," and
in accordance, we conclude, with orders frouithe "Opera-
tives' Cemmittee," the whole of the men in nearly ninety
of the Principal establishments in London are now out
upon strike.

This association does not desire to intrude upon the
public the details connected with the demands of the ope-
ratives., The above will give the general nature of the
dispute. They abstain from any comment upon the
tonne adopted by the operatives, as they are anxious not
to widen the difference which has already arisen ; indeed
it is due to great numbers of the men in the employ of
firms represented by this association to say that they
frankly:admit that they do not desire any change, nor do
they approve of the proposed strike, as they are satisfied
with the present rate of wages ; and we therefore are led
to the conclusion that this strike is the result of the views
of the headers of the two operative societies rather than
of the men's uninfluenced judgment. We do not call
in quadiou the seal of these leaders ; they may be-
lieve that they are best serving the interests of
their fellow-workmen is advising the Bourse which has
been adopted, but we venture to think that they are not
wise in this, and that the permanent interest of the trade,
both as regards masters and men, will be seriously im-
perilled by what is now being done. I will only add one
further oheenation—viz., that there are numbers of ex-
cellent bands still employed, but we regret to say that
acts of intimidation and obstruction are daily brought
under the notice of this association. Apologising for the
length of this letter.—l am, kc.
_ _

R. LEWIS, Resident of the Master Tailors'
Association of the United Kingdom.
25, fild Bond street.

Yesterday may be considered to have been the
virtual nentruencement of this unfortunate struggle be-'
tweea labour and capital. The whole of the work in hand
for those firms struck against on Monday last was yester-
day finierl and taken in bythe men who had the jobs, and
they positively refused to take out any more work, and
yesterday fully completed the organisation of both
for the struggle. The men have adopted a most ela=
system of picketing, by which they can not only ascertain
what strangers may apply for work at the various shops,
but detect soy work that ma be seat down to what are
called the " sweating establishments" in the east of Lon-
don ; and in many cases already the persons employed to
carry this work to its destination have been followed
by what see termed cross pickets, who have arrived at the
' sweaters " as'soon as the employer's messenger, and in
almost every instance the result is that the work has been
refused, and sent back untouched. In the tailoring trade
at the West-end them are also a large number of • cham-
ber masters," or men who take a large quantity of work
from the shops and get it done by females and the members
of their own family, assisted occasionally by a few journey
men. There are a6e a large body of journeymen working
directly for shops, who take work home to make up, and
these are called out-door workers. 'these are the two
main difficulties the men have to contend with. The latter
has been got over by the almost unanimous resolution of
the out-door workers not to take out work from any shop
on strike. More difficulty has been experienced with the
•• chamber masters," who have felt less inclined as a haft
to till in with the views of the journeymen, end this diffi-
culty has been met by the men having induced nearly the
whole body of tailoreeses working for there masters to
leave their employ, find taking them on to the funds of the
society, and the singular fact may now be seen et the
West-end of female pickets looking after their sisters of
the needle less imbued with unionist feeling than them-
selves. Yesterday two of the pickets above referred t
watching the sweating messengers, were given into the
custody of the police and taken before the magistrate at
Marlboiougb-street. by whom they were discharged, as will
be seen on reference to our police report Letters were
yesterday received by the committee from almost every
town in the kingdom, promising the pecuniary support of
the tailCis in those plates, and stating that meetings of the
men hut been held, at which resolutions had been
pared pledging them not to make up any garment
sent deco to their employers from London nesters.
In the meantime the employers on their part are not idle.
The London Associated Masters have, it is said, sent de-
put diens down to all the large towns in the northern and
midland counties, to induce the meters in those towns
belonging to the association to lock out their men while
the Louden strike lasts. In Manchester yesterday the
deputations wore successful, and a general lack-out of the
journeymen took place, although some time back the em
pleyere pledged themselves not to lock out without giving
the men a week's notice. If, as is likely, the deputations
are equally as successful in the other large towns, in the
course of a few days there will be at least front :10,000 to
40,000 journeymen tailors either on strike or locked out.
Deputations from the men are following the mas-
ters' deputation, to counteract their efforts as much as
possible. In addition to the five employers who have
already been announced as having r.ccepted the terms of
the men, laming half a dozen ugnifie 1 a similar intention
to the committee yesterday, but accompanied with a request
that their names should not be made public, in order to
avoid any pressure being put upon them by the Masters'
Association. Large remittances of money were yesterday
received from the country societies, and the contralti.e
intend paying every man and woman on strike full time
for the present week. The men appear in high spirits, and
confident of sucoess, and the employem igWt• in the same
mese.