The Express.
London, England, 1861-09-16 00:00:00

THE METROPOLITAN SILK WEAVERS.

On Friday evening, a numerous meeting of the
operatives in the silk trade took pleas at the Crown and
Anchor Tavern, Cheshire-street, Waterloo-town, Bethnal-
green, to erosive the report of the deputation appointed to
meet the associated masters iu the silk trete, who Inui pro
posed to reduoe the wages of the operatives in the velvet
knock of the trade, and 011 other business.

Yr. WALKER, an'operAtive in the trade, was called to the
chair.

Mr. PERRY—who was the exponent of the matter in
i dispute between the maaters sod workmen of the velvet
breech of the silk trade, the prepeeed reduction apply-
ing to the operatives in that branch—Mated that sheet
twelve mouths ago the velvet hands had agreed to
accept a reduction of wages ; and the marten then ad-
mitted that it was impossible with due regard to fairness,
and to the means of existence of the operatives, that say
further reduction in wages could be maul. , yet these very
masters useciated with other masters to make a further re-
duction of wages lathe velvet branch, to the extent in some
instancee of twenty-five per cent. The consequences of this
was that a deputation of the men met the associated masters,
or at least eight out of the ten of whiai the body was com-
pound, wbeu some of the latter said that they could not
cattaid apnea foreign competition. Others again said
they could not meet the home competition, as some masters
were enabled to get their work done at a cheaper rate than
they could ; while other masters said they could
not cony on business at all at the present rate of
wages, end that they only kept open their workshops
from sympathy with the workless' men. The deputation
of working men, however, showed to the masters
that the velvet silk weavers hi this country were working at
• lower rate of wages than the °MIMI weavers, and that
foreign °empathise could not justify the proposed reduc-
tion ; and as to the home competition, it did not seem that
' the master, who got their work done cheaper were able to
get rid of their stock, while the other nuoster4 were more
successful in this respect. Then as to the question of sym-
pathy with the working men, the deputation void they were
of opinion that it would be better for the 01010 to chew for
the present rather than that a reduction of wages should
take place ; and when the proper time arrived they could
reopen with the old scale of wages. lm the meantime the
persons thrown eat of employment could seek for parochial
' relit In this Mate matters stood at present, as the mas-
ters seemed determined to abide by then proposal to reduce
the
Iles.Tarr= then moved, and Mr. Warm seconded, the
following resolution :—" That, having heard of ii most un-
called-for and unprecedented reduction of wages just made
by some of the masters in the velvet branch of the silk
beds in Spitaltields, this maenad, consisting of workmen
is all brioches of the silk toile, is determined, when the
opportunity arrives, to assist the velvet weavers to drive se
hard a bargain with their employes* as the employers are
now driving with them."
' The readution was unanimously adopted ; and, thanks
having been given to the chairman, the meeting separated.

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