The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-01-15 00:00:00

THE SHORT-TIME MOVEMENT.

The notice issued by the short.time committee of the oroi
tives, calling upon them to stop on Monday evening', jresponded to by but few of the operatives, but it was
reOlcis
unnecessary by a large number of the masters closing `".l,
mills. Previous to the commencement of the mover:l3osi
upwards of thirty mills, besides a large number of mastersl
only tenant rooms, worked long hours. During the latt
0,,i
twelve of the former and four of the latter voluntarily cl_,•l
their premises at six o'clock ; and that number has this `rill
been greatly increased, but the numbers will not be std
known until the next meeting of the committee. The followci
is a copy of the memorial which has been delivered to escil
the masters by a deputation of their workpeople
:
TO THE MANUFACTURERS OF OLDHAM.
Gentlemen,--We most respectfully memorialise yoll Ott
subject of the deepest importance both to you and us. pl
I allude to the observance by the adult operatives of the pilriff
Factory Act. How long, how patiently and constitution, °,O
the operatives of this country have struggled for an effil yl,
Ten Hours Bill, the his'ory of the past will tell; 10"00
though the present Factory Act is not the one we so°,oi
still we think it a duty incumbent of the spinners
manufacture's of Oldham, to adopt this our memorial. oa
are sorry to say that many of the employers in Oldhan2,o
working as ranch as ten or twelve hours per week more 'O,O
many of their neighbours or the large manufacturing 6,0 f
generally are working throughout the country. We keno,
nothing to prevent the manufacturers of Oldham from c'd
peting with their neighbours on equal terms. Our ruacbiiire
id
is as good as any (if not, that is no fault of our perseooot
townsmen, the principal machinists). The forethought 4:44
manufacturers, as well as industry, are equal to that of
ty
number of men similarly situated in any other town ; 'flt'ro itt
the operatives as a body are quite equal to their comPe°ol'
these districts, where sixty hours per week have been arlor, 00
These premises granted, we request that Oldham 0311 of
longer be pointed out as the only place where the rentrolnt
osiO
the evils of the long hour system still lingers with all iteori
of ills ; but that we shall start the new year on what the Fact n o
Act intended—from six to six, with one hour and a hal';io
for meals. If this be done, we think it will be found
production will not decrease in proportion to the nuutbe.tel
hours, because the people will be more vigorous by the 070
hour system, and more work will be done in proportion.
00
gentlemen, has been proved wherever the shorter hour 01%0
has been adopted. Hoping you will comply with our e,
and that the alteration may prove satisfactory to you and „Oaf
and prove beneficial in a commercial point of view to both
families and ours, we remain your obedient servants,
THE OPERATIVES IN YOUR EMrll,OOll
N.B.—To those masters who have adopted the sixtYm tO
per week, we tender our most grateful acknowledgeraeotroi
well as all those who have struggled to improve the rueuP
social condition of the people.

THE PROBATE AND LEGACY DITTY.—In the year -..,1301i
31st March, the probate and legacy duty produced as
as £2,850,873,

M

L%st