The Express.
London, England, 1868-02-19 00:00:00

PARIS EXHIBITION, MIST CLASS SILVER MEDAL. Mt 1
GOLD CHAINS.-JOHN BEOODEN
to nll tbe ettostion of the pit a: to the IORY ollii-
VOICE which be darns with Gold (2salria parchand at his
taiumfactory : A a A.
To worionaaship of wwczAttora chat; 541 aches Ices 2 10 0
To (15) cant gad. 2 on, at /12 11Ia 14. par
non, Mot pine b 0 2
---.

L 716 16
ITI•oo this MUNN foam, awl TALI= al
the gold are accurately dideed,aalliversalsettelbsperabews:
Jells Brogden 100 foes lib Tostotereika oh the workman-
ship onl, which la acaddhig tow latzlesei or thlPlS-
cdty of the letter
e.
Itsaufeetcey. l 4 Earissisafted, Orra&prim.

REAKFAST.-EPPS'S COCOA.

TRELOAR'S COCOA NUT FIBRE MATTING,
UNBLZACHID.
Ust of Prices tree by poi'.
Warehouse. 67. LUDOATICI.L.

Wit earPreOL

ADVERTISEMENTS must be forwarded to
.Messrs. J. M. Josnaox and Sows, 3, Castle-
street, Holborn, and 56, Hatton-garden, the
specially appointed Agents.

HAYMARIEHT.
TIM Emma, THE 1310 K EN-REAZTED CLAW—DAVID
3 AMUCK. Morn Soars, Duckstono, Down de. ; and Ma
Robertaon.—BOX •ND COL Mr. Backdons and Mr. Compton.
—And FAMILY JARS. Mr. Compton.

parscasers
Mrs Emirs°, AZRAII NA POOIIR. Mr. sad Win D. Rou-
th:wait, Mr. Vining. Marra Dominick Murray, Neville, d Blare:
Barnett d yrs. Adds.—Mee which MR OCTOROON. Mr.
and Mrs. neuLicault, Mr. J. & Clarke Str. Vlnlog, dMin KM=

InitAND.
THIS EVIINISO, OLD SALT. Mr. Denary and Mho Nay Moore.
...After which THE CALIPH 07 BAODAD. Mean. Thorne
and James ; Mesdames Ada Swanbarough. Johanna% Barlind,
Holt, ac.—And COAL AHD OOK.S.

HOLBORN.
Tits EVT,MtO, THE FLYING 130:1D. Kam Atkins, Prins,
Garden, Arthur, Westland, and Wannott Mesdames Henrade,
Goodall, Lennox, and Bwndera—Cneelada with VALENTIN"
♦N t ORSON. Bale. Montero, Little Bowel* ete.

BRITANNIA.
Two ETzwnre, ALL BUT ONZ. Maas. Reyna:ls and
Ctawf,ril Courtenay, and Coventy. —DON QUIXOTE.
lin. S. [Ana Panceneknlsts Mean. Deane. Loofa.Newham and
the Eamon Family Ndlla C. Mohan sod Was Row Nathan.

HIGH WATIR AT LONDON BRID(11.
Me DA) —llneutos. Ilk. nal......llldnight
To-1103A0W—llornivi& O► —Afternoon, Oh. OR

NOTICES of Emus, MARBIAGEB, and Duane,
are received until 12 o'clock for insertion same
evening. Price, Se. 6d.

LONDON, WEDNESDAY, FEB. 19.

THE TRADMUNIONISTS AND MR.

GLADSTONE.

MR. GLADSTONE'S interview with the Trades ,
Union advocates yesterday was at least interesting,
if it cannot be called exciting. It elucidated also
certain points or maxims on both aides which will I
help to simplify future discussions, and when
they have been a little further examined may
show the way to a basis of agreement. There
was an avoidance on both sides of extreme
views, and a disposition to concede what was
reasonable. The use of violence to enforce rules
was of course disclaimed on the part of the
men, and on the other hand Mr. GLADSTONE con-
ceded the right of strikes, and even acknowledged
that in exceptional cases it might be justifiable
to refuse to work along with men who did
not conform to the system established by their
fellows. Further he admitted that the unions, in
so far as they are benefit societies, ought to have
the power of protecting themselves against fraud '
on the part of their officers, though he reserved his
judgment as to the question how far they deserved '
legal tecognition if in any case they were acting '
"in restraint of trade." Thus narrowed, the field
of inquiry became limited to three main lies-
lions, the restriction of the number of apprentices,
the enforcement of a minimum rate of wages, and
the prohibition of piece-work and overtime. Mr.
Porrea opened the discussion on all these ques-
tions in a general statement of the objects which
the Unionists had in view, and each was subse-
quently illustrated by a member of a trade which
especially adopted the restriction. For it is im-
portant to remark that not one of these principles
is adopted by all the trades, and the strongest
arguments advanced in support of each were
derived from a comparison of the evil effects pro-
duced in some other trade by the failure to
adopt it.
On the first head, the limitation of the number
of apprentices, Mr. Porree. insisted that the restric-
tion was necessary in order to secure skilled work-
men. Where apprenticeship is unlimited, ho
argues that raw lads are brought in to do at a
cheaper rate the work which properly ought to be
done by journeymen, and that the public suffers
as well as the workmen. The only gainers, he
says, are the masters, who make enormous and
unrighteous profits. This theory was supported
by Mr. LAWRENCE, a tailor, in whose trade there
is no restraint respecting the class of workmen or
the rate of pay. He showed, what we all know,
that in that branch of labour there are numbers
who through the " sweating " and the " slop "
systems are ground down to the starvation point
of wages, many receiving only 43d. for 10 hours
work, "while their employers were making
"princelyfortunes and doing no good to the public."
He drew the conclusion that the country would be
no pourer if these poor persons were properly
paid for their labour and the employers had
leas profits. Answering Mr. GLADSTONE'S remark
that the exclusion of female and juvenile labour
would never du in the cotton manufacture of Lan-
cashire, he recalled the fact that the death rate of
infants had been greatly diminished in Coventry
during the period of distress, because the mothers
were able to attend to the duties of their families.
And to a charge brought by Mr. GL►DSroae against
the porcelain painters of not allowing competition
of female artists on equal terms he might fairly
have retorted that they only followed the rule of
the learned professions, of law, medicine, and
divinity. Mr. LEICESTER, a glass-blower, and
Mr. Lewis, a brush-maker, in whose trades the
rule limiting the number of apprentices is
strictly enforced, next showed its favourable ope-
ration. It preserves a surplus of skilled labour,
but this surplus is not allowed to beat down the
market, for it is maintained in idleness out of the
funds of the unions, that is to say out of the
wages of those who have work. The public will
Learn with surprise the extent to which this is
carried out. The glassblowers number but 1,000,
sad in four years they spent 4413001. in paying
their unemployed members. The brushmakers
only count 1,400 members, and in six months,
between March and September last, they
spent no leas than 1,7841. upon their surplus un-
employed hands. it is obvious that this develop-
ment of the principle is closely interlaced with the
next branch of the subject which was discussed,
the question of the establishment of a minimum
rate of wages. Such a rule can only be enforced
when the workmen are able to prohibit com-
petition among themselves, and consequently
to regulate the sapply of labour. Thus there

- - -
is no such system among the tailoring trade,
• • • such as are actually members
;I'2- .d we have recently seen how
,1 1- •••••,n, lo the power the masters
40:
- -
Itit;

snavasi.t.is4