The Express.
London, England, 1868-01-01 00:00:00

R. ULADSTONE AND THE TRADES' UNIONS

We have been requested to publish the following I
correspondence:
" 14, Rochdale-road, Manchester, Dec. 19,1517.
" Dear Sir,— Heading your evening speech at Oldham, I
met with the following isissage:—' In some parts of the
country employers are told that they must not employ
IRMO than so many apprentices—what is the meaning of
that ? It is to limit and hamper the employer in the pay-
ment of wages, by prescribing to the employer the °leas of
workmen he mast employ.' If you would kindly permit
Inc to answer your query, I should say that, when men
employed in a certain trade find that the market for their
special labour isovercrowded, and thatmany oomparot nom
are unable to find employnierit, it is to hunt in some de-
gree, the ' supply' to the • demand,' by p - • sting
misters keeping any number of apprentice' they may
please at a trade that is already flooded. It is, iu short,
to carry out the rule ' Self-preservation is the fii.t law
of nature.' Then, sir, I think it should be remembered
that, though mantels undertake to teach apprentices their
business, this instruction is generally imparted by the
workmen, who have therefore • right to say :—' In view
of the overstocked state of the trade, we will only learn so
many apprentices their business.' Being an apprentice in
a trade where there are thousands of men out of work, the
affects that would follow from throwing the trade open,
I venture to think, would be to lower the present rate a
Tag., to increase the number of unemployed. and to
make it more difficult for apprentices themselves, when
they become journeymen, obtaining emit-poen'. I trust
you will excuse the liberty I have taken in thus writing,
but I felt that it was pecuniary that you should hear' both
sides of the question.'—l remain, respectfully, yours,
Wu. D.viseus.—W. K Gladstone, Lay., M.P."
" Hawarsleu, Dec. t4,.1867.

" Dear Sit,—lt is difficult for tue to correspond nadir'. I
dually with those who may notice anything said by me in
public ; but I fear you might inieunderetand my silence.
I thereto' e write to say my proposition is that all Hint.
tations on the number of apprentices are a direct attack
upon the property of the working clam, by diminishing
the amount paid for their labour. Apprentices world be
employed only when their labour was more efficient ;
the employer getting (relatively to met) more of
labour would employ wore of it, and pay more for it.
If we consider them as paid in instruction, • larger
number of skilled labourers would be reared, and she
labour of adults would be more effective from having
combined with it that amount of apprentice labour which
freedom ..f choice would dictate. I have seen whet I eon.
eider deplorable cases in this country of bad production,
trade kept abroad, and cries of protection at the expense
of the commuuity, all doae4 connected with this system of
limiting, by arbitrary rule, the labour of the young. I
apprehend there are also, in some or many trade*, rules
against piece-work, and rules preventing the hest men
from doing all the work they can in a given time. Such
=lee are utterly fatal as far as they go to the welfare of the
labouring clams, who undoubtedly in these matters sin
much more against themselves than against the rest of the
community.--I am, dear sir, yours obediently, W. R.
GLADNTONV..—Mr. W. DArrah.
" You are at liberty to deal with this letter as you may
think lit."

INVITATION TO MR. GLADSTONE TO VINT SHEF-
FIELD.— The executive of the Organized Trades of Shef-
field and also the executive of the :MetSeld branch of the
Reform League, eat on Monday night, and both unani-
mously passed a resolution inviting the Right Hon. W. E.
Gladstone to visit that town. They also pealed resolu-
tions appointing a sub-committee of three from each bopdei
to op-operate with • similar amber which it is ho
will be appointed by the Chamber of Industry on V. ed.
nasality, to take snob steps as may be needful for conveying
to Mr. Gladstone the invitation, and for carrying out the
necessary art augements in the event of his accepting it.
It is intended to instruct the largo population of
Stratford in the most prominent political questions of the
day, by means of • course of four lectures. The first, on
Jan. 2U, is by Mr. Anthony Trollope on " Politica WI •
study for common people." Fir Powell Ruston, M.P.,
will occupy the chair. The other three intuits, on the
Mondays following, are, by Mr. Mason Jones on " Work
for the New Parliament:" by Mr. Joseph Bormond en the
" Ballot ;" and by Mr. Carrell Williams, on the " Irish
Church."