The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-11-03 00:00:00

THE PRESTON STRIKE-ADDRESS OF THE
MASTER SPINNERS' ASSOCIATION.

PRESTON, WEDNESDAY NIGHT.
The following address on the cause of the general
closing of the mills in this town, has this day been
issued by the Master Spinners' Association :

TO THE PUBLIC

" In consequence 'of the numerous misrepresentations that
have been made respecting the cause of the present unfor-
tunate position of the town, the committee of the Master
Spinner's Association beg to state, for the information of the
public, such facts connected therewith as must convince any
unprejudiced mind, that the responsibility rests not with
them, but with the same designing and irresponsible body
who originated, and still continue to be the cause of the
stoppage of the mills.
"In a placard, under the head of Causes of the lock
out,' Mr. Cowell informs the public that at this period
(middle of August,) all the mills but those on strike (six
or seven) were perfectly satisfied with their advance.' The
committee of masters feel sure that the public, on reading
the following statement, (every word of which they are pre-
pared with proof of) will be of opinion that if all the others
were satisfied, these six or seven (the cause of the turn-out
under the dictation of Cowell and others) ought to have
been so too; as in: every instance they were offered the full
wages of the town, and in some instances considerably more.
" Messrs. Swainson Brothers weavers, at their mill in
Water-street, had settled with their masters the terms on
which they were to work, but on the matter being referred
to the Committee,' the arrangement was disallowed, and
they were ordered not to go to work unless the weavers of
the same firm at their mill in Leighton-street, were also
allowed to resume work, and at the latter mill the weavers
refused to work unless an alteration was made in the ar-
rangements of the same, which Messrs. Swainson did not
think proper to concede. The spinners in the same estab-
lishment, who were earning nett wages of 28s. 6d. per
week, were offered an advance of 5 per cent. ; or the option,
after the advance had been given-through the whole town,
of being paid equal to the highest paid Spinners in it ; both
these propositions were refused, and the men struck work.
"At the time the general advance in wages took place,
Messrs. Birley Brothers offered to their Weavers, along with
others, the advance agreed upon ; the sum actually offered
and refused was 81d. per piece, for what they had previously
been paying Bd., and Messrs. Birley Brothers were given to
understand that unless they paid 9d. per piece (or 14 per
cent.) their weavers would turn-out, which they afterwards
did. The weavers in this establishment were allowed to be
best paid in the town, and the only reason
assigned for their conduct was, that when the wages had
been forced up, they were to be made the standard by which
to equalize the wages of the other mills in the town. In
this concern, the wages paid weekly to the the weavers alone,
amounted to about £2OO, and the advance offered on that
sum was only 265. 11d. or three farthings per weaver per
week, under 10 per cent.
" In Messrs

amongst the

BashalPs case—lt was well known that
they were paying a higher rate of wages than many in the
town, but, nevertheless, they offered to pay the additional
price per piece which others did, but this advance was re-
jected, and the parties ultimately left their work. It is
presumed this was a further step preparatory to the threatened
process of equalization,
" In Messrs. Taylors' case, a portion of the weavers were
ofered an advance of ld. per cut upon 11 id., which they
refused, although the same advance had been offered by other
casters upon the same description of c:oth, and accepted;
the only difference being, that previous to the advance, these
masters were.only paying 11d. where Messrs. Taylor were
paying 112 d. The remainder of the weavers in this.estab-
lishment did not object to the advance given, but turned out
in a body and without a minute's notice, because Messrs.
Taylor took the liberty of discharging a weaver, whose ser-
vices they did not require, and of subst.tuting another of
whom the unionists did not approve.
" The case of Mr. Naylor's spinners will further illustrate
the system attempted by the unionists. Mr. Naylor a few
months ago, on application from his spinners, advanced their
w ges 5 per cent., with which they expressed themselves
perfectly satisfied ; but shortly afterwards they demanded a
further advance of 10 per cent. Mr. Naylor offered them 5
per cent., (the two advances making together the full advance
.be paid by others) which the spinners refused; stating
that his case had the special attention of the 'Committee,'
rho had ordered them to say that they must have 10 per
notices, w
earnings of these men, without the proffered advance, was
cent. (in
.adhdicihtionthteoy thafctesrwpraervdisothusdly. giTvhene)
average e give
n weeklythetheir
2Es. lud. per week.

bin John Clayton's case is somewhat similar to the pre-
He some time ago advanced the wages of his
spinners, and on their application for a further advance, at
owe made them an offer which was rather more than 10 per
ceit. upon what he had been previously paying. The offer
was rejected, and full 10 per cent., without reference to the
alvanee he had previously given, was insisted on.
"In all the above cases, it was well understood that the
.peratives were acting under the orders of the committee,'
though Mr. Cowell would now wish the public to think other
wise. He says, khad we been consulted at the first, more
than one firm would now have been working' ; and to con-
vince the public of his sincerity, he has been paying the
parties of whose conduct he professes to disapprove, 6s. each
per week for several weeks.

"Mr. Cowell also omits to inform the public that it was
the openly expressed intention of ' the committee,' (and that
at the very time when he states that the operatives at all the
mills excepting six or seven, were perfectly satisfied,) as soon
as the advance had been obtained generally. to agitate for an
equalization of the wages paid throughout the town, taking
of course the different firms one by one. Independent of
the wages question, many gross cases of insubordination,
and of direct interference with the management of several
establishments in the town might be adduced, consequent
upon the state of things at that time.
" The associated Masters 'had no alternative but t 9 close
their mills,' unless they were prepared to sit tamely down
and see their members ruined one by one; or the
management of their works transferred altogether into the
hands of strangers, or rendered intolerable by their exac-
tions and interference.

" In conclusion, deeply as the committee of masters de-
plore the suffering necessarily entailed upon the town, by the
present unhappy state of things, and sincerely anxious as they
are to obviate it, they cannot hold out the slightest hope of a
resumption of work so long as the operatives submit them-
selves to the guidance of their present leaders ; many of
whom are strangers in the town, others of them, being mere
traders in agitation, and all, having a personal interest in the
continuation of the strike."
November 1, 1853.