The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-11-15 00:00:00

MASTER SHOEMAKERS.

A general meeting of the master shoemakers was held pd.
terday evening at the Crows and Anchor Tavern, to conindeg.
the propriety of forming a agilits for their mutual advantage PR
protection.
• Mr. SKINNER. having bail eafiei to the chair, stated, HIP the
object of the intended Society wan to counteract the combinations.
of the journeymen shoemakers who hod lately, in many instances,
pro •euled to a direct violation of their meters' rights. There was
Parcel, as employer in London who had not experienced the'
111 effects of such violence, and who was not compelled to sub-
mit to the arbltrery dicta and the unreasonable demands of his
men. By the formation of' an Union or Society amongst the
masters, they would necessarily take into their hands the control
and direction of their own trade ; and if tbey followed up their
present resolution, avid acted on it with honour, honesty, and inde-
pendence, he was persuaded that good must result. At present
the men were perfect despots. It was usual for them to make
such lame us pleated themselves, afterwards to bring them to their
masters, not to request their concurrence, but to demand their
acquiescence in than; and woe betide antic who had the boldness
to say "no" to this insolent request—leis shop was closed, his
house beset, his trade gone, and 'veto:any he was compelled to
give in. A great anathy had hitherto prevailed amongst the
mestere. Of this their men were aware. They saw that the
masters were not united, and they made their disunion a stepping_
stone to the attainment of their unjustifiable exactions. They
also took advantage of particular seasoos, when work was most
required; and it has not unusually happened that he who gave
the highest wages was made the victim of combination, and so
cruelly treated as to terrify others into submission to measures
however ruinous to themselves and their families. Nay, the men
even dictated to the masters whom they should employ; and a
itanding order of theirs was, to punish any person who gave
work but to those of the Union, or the " legitimates," as they
styled themselves. it was not the wish of those who conducted
thetpresent meeting that the new Society should arrogate to itself
power and authority for the purpose of oppression; their only de-
sire tru, that they should protect themselves and prevent their being
dragooned into obedience.
Mr. Hlc Katt"; proposed the first and second Resolutions, which
were to the effect, that as the men might, and did comtine together,
and pass laws for the regulation of their trade, it wu highly expe-
dient and necessary that the masters should unite to consider the
propriety of any proceedings the men might adopt, and to counter-
act whatever might appear unjust and improper, and that a society
be now formed, called the " London Master Shoemakers' Society,"
for the purposes of mutual protection and advantage, upon the
powerful principle of co.operetiote and that the said ;meaty meet
on the second NVedneaday of every month. He said he had fre-
quently heard objections made to the formation of such societies as
the present, it was said by many to be impossible to form a per-
manent union of the master shoemakers, fur that experience had
proved that it was.no sooner formed than broken up—that they hail
hitherto been filthiest to themselves, and that their societies were
mate abortions. The fact was otherwise; up to the present moment
no such attempt as the present was ever mode; it would have been
illegal in them to do so ; it would base been a violation of the law
to reenter* the amount of wages ; it would have been as illegal in
the masters as it was in the men. If they had ever met for such a
purpose, the real object was always kept in the back ground out of
view, as they had no right to meet for the avowed object of coun.
teraeting the combination ofehe men. Now, however, the masters
might assemble, now they might make laws to regulate their trade.
In answer to some who still had doubts on that head, it must be
enough to say that thmlate act repeals all the former ones, and em-
bodies them; indeed all the existing laws, with regard to combina-
tions, were contained in threerlauseri of that act, and were in them.
selves most concise and simple. The fifth section applied immedi-
ately to the present society--it provided that masters might meet and
combine to regulate the rate of wages which they would pay—such
regulations being confined to those present at such meeting,
and not intended to bind others. Define the passing of the last Act,
the men constantly fixed the lowest wagesthey were to take, whilst
the masters dared not fix on those which they could give; theformer,
when they committed acrime against the existing laws tnight walk off
andehus escape, whilst the latter, on theotlter hand, were always robe
found—lie thought the principle of combination good—on it society
was formed. It was most reasonable that men should combine for their
mutual advantage—it was meet that they should study their own
interest, *kb, however, this restriction, that they were not to con-
spire to injure other*. (Applause.) Let men agree not-to work
under a certain price, provided they did not force others into the
same determination-a-and let musters resolve not to give more than
a particular mice, if they did Sot compel othem to Iwo a coalition •
with them. (Hear, hear.) They were then about to meet the men
en equal teems; a bode ef poems Comber:l was always powerful
to work either Foal or hares, and potter was dangerous' when not
governed by justice, or directed by prudence. In the present
instance the men bed etitelapped Ale bounds of both. To if-
lostrete the mischiefs of swab combireitiona, he begged to re-
mind them of theteiendutt of the shipwrights, who demanded more
for their taboo" than the Mite Of OS, trade admitted ; the come.'
quenee was, that I:nilhiit vateals,were taken to forego porta sn be.'
repaired. He knee two inspects in which the cements of West
Indenter had take* their iMpw to Russia fot etch * purpose, to
the manifest injury of this country. Indeed examples of the sante
ill effects might be drawn from 0104 ow wade ; for instance, the
women shomUiskeeareeeleAdliiiebee Wages thirty or forty purl back
than they did then. Some tme back they struck for an increase,
which they did not get; they refuted to work, seriously injured
their masters, and were the means of establishing a race of babes-
dashers who have completely ruined the trade; indeed it has never
'since rallied. It was absolutely necessary that the masters
combine, in order to control, the reeoletkins of the men,
which otherwise .would acquire an irresistible Raise. Let,
the men have a fair remuneration; at present he wee sorry to'
say they bad not as tinny of the comforts of life ts men wortillg
go hard might to have (applause), still there was a point beyond
which, if the then pushed, they most Injure themselves and their
trade. Our trade(said Mr. flickaon) must always depend on that
of other countries. At present, South America opened a tine field
for our manufactures ; but Is it possible that if South America has
to give us 20s. for a pair atoms whkh Russia can famish for los.,
that the latter country must not get the preference ? Indeed one of
the Captains of whom I spoke before, told me that he bought in
Russia as malty boots as would last him for two year. for half what
he should give for them in England. If, then, Wallis furnish
boots, and liana shoes, far halt what we can afford to sell them,
how is it to be expected that we can compete with them in foreign
markets ? In fact as long as the present restrictions are placed on
trails, it must droop ; let them be but once removed, and Britith
skill and British industry must triumph all over the worts, (Att.
gigue.) The bee proceedings of` our Government, I think, bold
out the promise and encourage the hope of such a happy consum-
mation—wages must always be measured by other circumatances ;
they must invariably be connected with the circumstances in which
the operative lives ; they must depend in a great degree upon the
mice of provisions. Let us, for instance, take a trunk of shoes to
North or South America, and barter them for a large quantity of
flour or corn, then we could live for lees than we can now, and
consequently less wages will be required. He was happy to in.
form the meeting that a deputation had been to-night sent by
the workman to the Committee, and his sincere wish was
that both might come to a gaud understanding. It was ne-
cessary that the society should have a Conned and Soli-
citor, but he trusted they would never be called on to pro-
secute; and if they had not occasion for harsh measures, he
would feel meat happy in seeing them meet for benevolent purposes,
such as to assist men in distress ; and if there were no (Mice, for
such conicnisemtiun, let then institute rewards for the most me-
ritorious of their men, or employ themselves in the improvement
of their trade. (Applause) One great object of the Society was
to assist and master who +Mould suffer from combination, to sup-
ply him with work and goods, so as to defeat the machinations
of the evil-disposed workmen. Another, and an important object
was, to facilitate the detection of such persons at might be guilty
of purloining their employers' property ; and also to protect each
other from swintliers and bad customers. In conclusion, be
trusted they would support the Society, and become members
before they left the room. He hoped they would feel determined .
to be true to the last : that as they proceeded they would teat
warm, and that the thread of their union would ultimately be ex-
tended through England. (Applause.)
The resolutions were then put and carried ; as were several others
which related to the formation of the Society.
In answer to a question put to bin,
Mr. HICKSON said that if he thought the masters intended to
confine their men to grinding wages, he for one would join the
men. (A pplaese. )
A vote of thanks was then paned to the Chairman, nod the
Meeting separated.