The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-12-09 00:00:00

PRESTON STRIKES.

4
FROIII OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.]
PRESTON, THURSDAY.—This afternoon Mr. COWELL ap-
peared before a numerous meeting in the Orchard, and com-
municated the result of his visit to London this week. He
was allowed to speak for a few minutes at the close of a lec-
ture, and between £6 and £7 was collected for Preston.
On Monday evening he addressed an onthnaituatio mooting la
th© National Hall, Holborn, on which occasion he sketched
the history of this movement from its commencement. He
anticipated that in the course of a fortnight or three weeks
there would be, something like £l,OOO per week coming
from London. (Cheers.) The whole of England was up
in arms against the 38 manufacturers of Preston who had
closed their mills. If those gentlemen could fight all Eng-
land they must be very good warriors indeed ; but he thought
they would find themselves incompetent to the task. On
his return from London, he called at Stafford, and addressed
the shoemakers of that place, who promised to send 6d each,
per week, in aid of this cause. (Cheers.) If the hands had
not been badly treated by, their employers, it would be im-
possible for a few delegates, said he, to make them believe
so. He could take them to a mill. iu Blackburn where the
weavers were making 12s per week off a pair of looms ;
whilst at Horrock's and Miller's they had only been able to
earn Bs. 9d. Before the ten per cent. was put on, the self-
acting winders in the employ of Messrs. Pilkington, Park-
place, Blackburn, earned from 17s. to 18s. per week; the
same class of hands at Messrs. Horrock's and Miller's could
only get from I ls. to 12s; (Shame.) He knew this to be
a fact, for he had worked amongst them both in Blackburn
and Preston. Mr. Miller admitted, at the mayor's banquet,
that the workpeople of Preston were the best workpeople in
Lancashire. Why, then, did he not give the same wages
for the same amount of labour as the employers of other
towns ? (Hear, hear.) Mr. Cowell concluded by asking
those who were determined to stand by the committee, and
to have the ten per cent. to hold up their hands. (The
response was unanimous.)
Mr. S. SMITH announced that the Blackburn Burial So-
ciety contemplated presenting the Preston operatives with
£l,OOO in Christmas week. (Cheers.)
Cheers having been given for Mr. Cowell, and for the
ten per cent., the meeting separated.

The New York Journal of Commerce says that the
trade in choice furs in that city has probably doubled within
two or three years, calling into existence several large estab-
lishments, whose aggregate annual sales are about $1,000,009,
exclusive of many other establishments of minor importance.
In the fancy fur line alone there are firms that are now do-
ing a business equal to $150,000 or $200,000 per annum.
The traffis in skins or shipping furs is still greater.
The report from Lyons of the amount of silk "condi-
tioned" for the month of November shows a total of 2,835
bales, weighing 464,7861 b., against 2,718 bales, weighing
1437,7451 b., in the preceding month. That of St. Etienne
(the Covetry of rrahee) was 486 bales, weighing 74,2161 b.