The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-10-18 00:00:00

THE NORTHERN DAILY TIMES.

of wages has increased also, not unfrequently ac-
companied
.by a cliam for larger periods of leisure.
At the present moment, the strikes which are taking
place in almest every dePartment of labour,through-
out the 'Kingdom, are suggestive of consequences
of no less vital interest to the parties concerned in
them, than to their employers, and the community
at large. The evils, then, accruing front' these
strikes, may be regarded' in a threefold vie W—as
affecting those on strike, those. by:whom they had
been employed; and the general interests of society.
As •regaiAs.the first point, With which we would
no* deal, we fear that if the consideration of their
own true interests, and the daily experience each
man must be painfully gathering, of not only the.
inutility) but suicidal tendency of such movements,

have no preventive or certain' effects, argument,
however cogent, will prove of but little avail.
Nevertheless, it is most certain that 'the labouring
classes,- those poSsesSed of the smallest amount of
capital on which to fall back, are and must be the
first to suffer. Let them look, for instance, at the
consequences 'of the strikes of the pitmen in the
coal mines felt . hitherto less in Liverpool
and places : similarly situated,. than in . the
'Metropolis, and other more • remote districts
to which coal is imported. The poor in
Londonare-now payingls. 6d. a sack more for coal
than they had to pay in the corresponding period
of the last year. This is- truly a fearful state of
things, now that winter is approaching, with more
than'a common call for such a necessary article of
existence as fuel. Here, then, the evil falls pri-
marily and principally on those, and their fellows,
with whom it 'originated. 'The increase in price
May, indeed—for vre will deal fairly with the ques
tion—be partly attributable to the increase 0:
tonnage, but only to a comparatively small extent
and, at any rate, the price of coal in . Liverpool
and other places in the close vicinity of coal mines
would be but slightly effected thereby.
But strikes are followed by other consequences
of as injuriouS'a tendency to the. labourer. It is
on record, that pitmen, whose demands for higher
wages have been complied with finding, that they
can now earn as much money in Six hours as they
previously earned in eight, refuse to work any
longer, and. too generally spend . their. extra time
and their' money in drunkenness and dissipation,
as utterly regardless of their employers' as of their
own Teal-interests.
Again, the confidence which should subsist be-
tween Mater and servant is altogether destroyed
by these strikes, and a reflex, or double evil, is
thereby effected.. The late proceedings in Man-
chester afford a curious exemplification of this
fact. It seems,- that certain operatives there, by
whom a second demand for an additional 10 per
cent. on their wages had been made, expreSsed
.themselves willing to resume their work, after
having thrownit up in consequence of the rejection
of their demand; but they were met by their em-
ployers with the intimation, 'that they could not
be received again into their service, unless the 10
per cent. granted to their first demands was sur-
rendered. " To, such complexion"
:it is not im-
probable that strikes generally will collie at last,
and in this way things may again find their level.
But in the meantime, how may the character. of
the labouring class deteriorate ; what sufferings
and privations—not the less grievous for being
self-inflicted—may they, not have to undergo—
what fearful consequences may ensue to capitalists-
-what annoyance to the generalpublic ?
That the operatives themselves are awakening to
a sense 'of such evils, is probable ; and a document
lately published in the NonTidnx DAlrx TIMES,
seems to countenance such a supposition. It was
subthitted by the Committee 'appointed to prepare
it to a large Meeting of delegates, held at the Tem-
perance Hall, Preston, and is entitled "A. Protec-
tion. .
of Co-operative. Self employment." , After
alleging, with what degree of truth we will not
pauSe to enqUire, that -(in the 'Cotton trade) " the
employers -of labour have reaped princely fortunes,
while the labourer has not enjoyed his fair share
of prosperity;". that " the small advantages which
the toilers have obtained, have been wrung from the
grasp of the employers ;" that "the operatives will
have to. wrench from unwilling hands, their share
of the blessings flowing from prosperity ;"—after
asserting the. deSire. of the operative "to put an
end .to an unceasing warfare," and expressing a
belief that the elements of a better order of things
exists in their own ranks; after giving also various

statistical detailS, among which the enormous ex-
pense incurred in the support of the strikes at
Southport and other places, stands out conspicu7
ously, the document proceeds to urge, or rather to
announce, the establishment of " co-operative mills
as the onlypermanent plan of elevating the laborer
in the social scale." According to the Utopian
ideas of the parties from whom this document
emanates, a sum would, after the lapse of a few
years; be realized, " which would build mills and
workshops in every town and village, which would
give the co-operative labourer a .position in the
markets of the world that would ultimately raise
him from, the degradation and wages of serfdom
which have too long been his lot." These vast re- '
sults, it appears, are, according to the delegates at
Preston, to be effected by funds to be raised in' £lO
shares, by _weekly contributions of 6d."
Now, whatever we may think of the probabilities
of the realization of such anticipations ; whatever
may
.be our opinion as to the present relative
status of the operative and his employer, we feel
well assured that this Preston manifestation, as
compared with the strikes now so general, is inno-
... . . .
eence, nay, excellence itself. If the operatives will
but persevere in doing their duty in that station of
.life to which it has pleased Providence to call them,
without following up, at the bidding of every
caprice, a, word with a blow, or rather a. strike,
there can be no objection to weekly contributions
of sixpence, until such a sum has accumulated as
will, erect co-operative mills all the world over.
However visionary and castle-in-the-air like such a
project maybe; the evils resulting from Strikes,
are 'only too real—too truly. injurious to the vital
interests of the operative, and, too clearly produc-
tive of annoyance. to society in general. .

HEALTH OF THE TOWN.—Last evening, a general
meeting of the Medical Relief Committee o the Select
Vestry, was held at the Parochial Offices, Brownlow-hill.
Mr. Bradley, the chairman of the committee presided, and
there were also present Mr. Churchwarden Hutchinson, and
Messrs. Hand, Shaw, Kitchen, and Troughton. The report
of the medical officers was highly satisfactory, as to the
health of the town. It appeared that there had only been
eleven simple eases of diarrhoea since the evening of Satur-
day last, and no case of cholera. Of the emigrants received
into the Workhouse during the past fortnight, eighteen only
remained under medical treatment yesterday. From another
account, made up to nine o'clock last evening, and which we
received after writing the above, it will be perceived that
there is a slight discrepancy in the two 'reports, though not
tcl any material extent.. It appears that one case of cholera
was adniitted to the workhouse hospital on Sunday, from
Denison-street, .and yesterday an Irish labourer, who ar-
rived in town a few days ago as an emirrrant, was removed
to the hospital from Carlton-street. One death only oc-
curred in the hospital during, Sunday and yesterday.
OV:ERtAYING CHlLD.—Yesterday morning, a child
named William Eagan, was found 'dead in its bed, in Wea-
therhall-place, Chapel-lane Bedford-street, Toxteth-park.
It is 'supposed that its mother must have accidentally lain
upon it during the night.
LIVERPOOL DISTRICT COIIRT OF DANKRUPTCY--ht
•re DUQNALL AND FAIRCLOUGH.—The bankrupts in this
case camebefore the court (AI their adirpied last examina',
iffgn. Airs. Dugnall passed' her laAt- examination.' The
bankrupt Fairclough was examined at great length, and his
examination was again adjourned to Friday next.