The Express.
London, England, 1850-08-22 00:00:00

EXPRESS, THURSDAY

gime-drisers ate, from their deficient simalier, a
Monopolist please Home the importeme of
=les being the one hand jast mid fair in.
dealings with them; and. on the other, being
flan and resolved spinet Any manifestation of into.
imams and dictation. Like all English, ski led
artisans, they have pride and self-coildeam pro-
portioned to their merits; and under, a lax adminis-
tration mob men very naturally 'memo moreinde-
pendence than is compatible with the discipline and
good conduct of • vast concern.
The last year, however, and especially the events
of it, connected with railways, called forth all the
anxiety of shareholders, and led to the appoint-
ment of a sew and more vigilant direction. The atten-
tioa of those appointedon the EasternCountAs line was
of coarse at first directed to the locomotive depart-
ment, irregularities and delays open the line having
become a proverb and • jest. Ths head of the de
pa:tweet was requested and warned to look to more
economy and regularity, and to draw tighter the
bonds of diectpline. It was found, however, that the
mechanics would not brook control. They were
linked one with the other by means of a com-
plete organisation, consisting of delegates, officers,
and a central committee. A severity to one,
however merited, w A instantly followed by the
discontent and resentment of all. And this combi-
nation was found to extend to almost all the railways
of the kingdom, and to a vast portion of the me-
chanics employed upon them.
The efforts of the then head of the locomotive die
postai:eat of the E astern Counties Railway failed utterly
in producing any good effect. The engine drivers me-
naced a strik4rather than yield, and Mr. HUNTER, the
head of the department, felt himself unable to accom-
plish the reforms, which the directorsdeemed indispen-
able. They according) y advertised Cr an officer to fill
the post vacated, and found one in Mr. doom, who had
been tenyears employed on the South Western Railway.
In appointing Mr. Gooch, and explaining to him
their views, the direc'ors stated that it was neither
their wish nor their intention to reduce the wages of
enginemen or firemen. Bat they thought the repairs
of engines, the consumption of coke, and the contin-
gent expenses of all kinds were excessive, and open to
very great economy. Having entered upon his task
with this view, Mr. Goocu was three weeks in the
exercise of his functions, when, without any previous
complaint, the malcontent drivers and firemen
signified in a body their determination to withdraw,
if Mr. Goocn was not dismissid.
In no service is sub wffination more imperative than
on great works such as railways; and the engine-
drivers in making Mr. Goocn's dismissal an indis-
pensable condition to their remaining on the line, were
guilty of a piece of impertinent intolerance which the
directors were by every rule of service bound to re-
sent and to refuse submission to. It was impossible
for the directors to yield to any such tyrannical
and unjust demand; if they had, their servants
and not they or their superintendent, would have
been masters of the railway. 83 encoui &gel by
assent to their request', the engine-drivers might
have next required a voice in the choice and
appointment or the superintendent ; nay, pach-
ic; their principle to its full erect, in the election of
directors themselves. They have, of course, and are en-
titled to the full exercise of the power of serving under
any superintendent; if they dislike the head of their
department, they can leave; but in striking on such
ground, they must not expect public sympathy er
support. On the contrary their employers are en-
titled to every assistance the pubic can give the com-
pany so placed in this dilemma.
But whilst thus censuring the conduct of the men,
we cannot say whether Mr. Goocn's conduct was in I
all things as tempera's and wise as could be desired.
He certainly explains the eels cial ewes of over-
severity laid to his charge. But it is to be regretted
that the directors did not at once themselves examine
into their complaints And perhaps, when the men,
withdrawing and abandoning their demand for Mr.
Goocu's dismissal, came to terms with Mr. ABU-
WORTH, &nosh* r of the company's officials, it might
have been possible to avoid making the breach wider
and more irreparable.
Disputes and strikes such as this ought, however, to
teach rail way directors the imp mtance and necessity
of increasing by every means in their power the supply
of engine drivers: for it will never do to have corn-
paniee and the public dependent on the whims and
caprices of • particular class of railway
servants, however earrllent their general character. or
however skilful and laborious they may be. The
North Western, the Yorkshire and Lancashire, and
the Eastern Counties, have all of late been subjected
to strikes of engite-drivers ; and so railways
will continue to be subjected until the supply be
equal to or in excess of the demand. And,
sooner or later, the engine-drivers of railways
will find that strikes in their trade will have pro-
dueed the same effect as strikes in all other trades
have done, viz., reduction of wages, arising from
companies taking proper precautions to guard against
the mischief and the lose of such interruptions of
their traffic.