The Express.
London, England, 1866-04-19 00:00:00

WORKING MESS CLUB AND INSTITUTE
UNION.

The first of the meetings for the present year in
connection with this institution was held last night in the
lower room of Exeter-hall, when the Earl of Lichfield,
who occupied the chair, explained that the object of these
gatherings was to enable all classes of society to enter into
social intercourse forthediscussion in aquietand temperate
manner of subjects interesting to all. The juestion to be then
introduced had long engaged his sympathies. During the last
half century great improvement had taken place in the
condition of working men. Wages had increased, and the
hours of labour had been reduced, hut at the same time
much still remained to be done, and he should rejoice if
the discussion about to take place should have the
result of pointing out in what way his own clean
could be of assistance. (Cheers.) Mr. John Bain-
bridge then read an elaborate paper to show how
for the disadvantages under which the working classes
labour were attributable to causes within or beyond their
own control. He defined the working classes to be agri-
cultural labourers, artisans, factory hands, and casual
labourers, and traced the depression of the first: of these to
the monopoly of land, and of the second to long
hours of labour, and the undue influence of capital.
—Mr. Layard, M.P., who took part in the discussion
which arose, said he had derived a good deal of informa-
tion front attending these meetings, where the speakers
were listened to with far more attention than he had met
elsewhere. (A laugh.) He should have been glad to hear
from Mr. Bainbridge in what way he thought the labouring
class could of themselves change the present state of
things. An immense deal had been done by the artisan
mechanic class to improve their own position, and be must
say that benefit societies had hada good deal to do with this.
In no other class of society was there anything like the self-
sacrifice made to put small sums aside weekly for the support
of themselves and fellows in sickness, or when permanently
disabled from work. Such a system only existed amongst
working men, and he felt that it gave them a strong claim—
an immense claim upon the other classes above them—
(hear, bear)—because if the benefit society did not exist,
the support of the sick or disabled mechanic would fall
upon them, and the other night he was anxious, had the
opportunity been given him, in the House of Commons, to
urge the importance of ascerta•ning, if it were
possible how far the poor rate had been thus
relieved by the prudence and self-denial of working
men. (Hear, hear.) A great mistake had been made in
giving these bodies the name of benefit societies, for
strictly speaking they were mutual insurance societies,
and no man received relief from them as a favour, but as a
right. (Hear, hear.) Be agreed with a previous speaker
that the Peabody fund was not the best way of providing
for the residential wants of the working class. What
be wanted to see applied to such matters was the legiti-
mate principles upon which commercial speculations were
I based, as had been done in the case of the society to which
Alderman Waterlow belonged. (Hear, hear.) Once solve
this problem by demonstrating that the erection of im-
proved dwellings for the working classes was a paying
speculation, and there would be no lack of capitats
ready to embark in it. On that account the
demolitions now being made by the metropolitan railways
would be ultimately attended with good. He sympathised
with the poor people in their temporary inconvenience,
but he believed it would ultimately have the effect of
bringing into existence a much better description
of buildings in London for the accommodation of the
working class. (Hear, hear.) Adverting to another branch
of the subject embraced in Mr. Bainbridge's paper,
he said he was not prepared to say that combinations
amongst working men, when kept within legitimate
bounds, were improper. No doubt It was the inability of
the agricultural labourers to combine like artisans that
kept down their position, but it should not be forgotten
that to-operation of another kind had done as much for the
working man as combination to uphold wages or regulate
trade. It was estimated that the co-operative principle,
besides benefiting them by ensuring better quality and
lower prices in the article, they required, yielded the
working dames a money profit of 200,0001. a year. The
application of the same principle in another direction
would obviate many of the complaints which had been
urged against capital. For instance, the great house of
Crossley', in Yorkshire, had adopted it by agreeing to
divide a tenth of their profits amongst their hands, and
last year, in addition to their wages, the hands received
ens-tenth of 220,0001. (Hear, hear.)
After some further disciusion thanks were voted to the
noble chairman, and the meeting cloud.