The Sun.
London, England, 1852-01-24 00:00:00

THE ENGINEERS' STRIKE

During the controversy that has now been so
ninny weeks pending between the machine manufac-
turers and their employes, the ieterests of one class
of men, though terribly implicated in the result of
the straggle, appear to have been totally overlooked.
Nothing has been sail, and little seems to have
been tkough!-, by either peaty of the "nor-society
men." Yec the fate that was to overtake these work-
men ougnt surely to hare found piece is the discus-
sion. In number they were greater—it is said in the
proportion of more than two to one—than the mem-
bers of the Amalgamated Society- ; in skill they were
not inferior ; and their desdoics were equally bound
up with the general prosperity and continuance of
empleyment, or rather, indeed, fir more se, since they
could not in time of destitution fall back upon the
supplies contained in that military cites`, whose stored
treasure so much encouraged the pertinacity of Mr.
Newton's disciples.
The Amalgamated Society having personal objects
to gain ; having vanity and consistency at stake ; and
having, who known? some dazzling prospect in view
of securing to themselves the masters' share of profit
in addition to their own, by some to-be-invented
device for newly " organising labour,"—naturally
enough ignored the claim and looked very un-
feelingly on the sufferings of their fellow-workmen.
There has, in fact, for a long time been something
more than coldness, between the two classes. The
members of the society were piped at the refusal of
their companions to cast in their lot with them ; and
the "unattached" workmen vtewed the proceedings
of the society with the natural fear and dislike which
all must feel when men in all respects their equals
assume the possession of exclusive rights and inter-
ests. We were consequently in no way surprised to
find that neither Mr. Newton in his speeches, nor the
Amalgamated Society by their acts, testified the
slightest regard for the companions whose very sub-
sistence they were compromising.
We were, however, :both surprised and grieved to
find that the employers testified an equal unconcern.
The non-society men were void of offence towards
them. Nay, by declining to become member!, by ab-
senting themselves from the meetings, and with-
holding their signatures from the manifestoes of
the executive council, they had decidedly deserved
well
ot Of the master manufacturers. Yet, though
not associated with the crime of the Amalga-
mated Sual%ty, they have borne more than their
share of
visited with trnishment. The employers have
of retribution the
guilty and thee • same measure
friends. '
vvo
then,
their eueinies and their
at last shown ' some can wonder that the latter have
jutetice to which theyn dtenree of resentment at the:. -
; agttinstave been suleieeted ? Ate n -
their interest
syeretathiee, we find them as we believe,
coy:fame cause with their-b their eret
.now beginning tr. make
a .meeting numerously atrtethrn at the society. At
Lambeth, a • resolution en' Tea, recently held in
men to use every effort in jt(hineithg the non-society
amicable settlement of the
an amendment, pledging t, accept
rejected, and
nuestriepower to favour an
them
Society, " nothing
less than the Amalgamated
dc,". was carried
unanimously.
Prudence as well as kindness might have impelled
found the
the employers to make some distinction between
members and non-.m-mbers when they
controversy with the Amalgamated Society comingto extremities. The fact that a good two-thirds of
the hands had given no adhesion to the pronuncie-
rnento against piece-wort: and overtime, was at once
most gratifying in itself, andafforded the masters a
ready means of keeping all he
operations fully going, or nearly so, while proving
their perfect independence of all dictation from the
ler harsh feelings
men. Misled, as
principals have forgone this wise and still available
we fear, _
~
the
course. Closing their workshops. inexorably and
indefinitely, they have involved in suffering vast
multitudes who have never deservedmat e it,
S and have,
besides, afforded to the Amalgad an
immediate triuratk in the consciousness of having
caused all the mischief they threatened and hoped to
inflict.
Even now, we hope, it is not too late for the em-
ployers to rescind their determination. Why should
not (be firms whose vast forges in London and Man-
chester are now cold and silent, re-open their doors
to the hands who have never belonged to, or will
abjure, the Amalgamated Society ? Work is to re-
commence, they promise, as soon as the " notices"
are -withdrawn by the men. ;
What .01 to prevent
their beginning at once with such men as have not
signed the notices or s worn allegiance to the Executive
Council on whose authority they were issued? Prac-
tical difficulties tray perl3l e sand somewhat in the
1/3Y• It may not be easy, or even possible, to work
successfully with a skeleton corps of men. But the
experiment, is at all events worth trying. The
damage will probably be less ; and the chances of a
speedy and satisfactory termination to the dispute
will bis
--much enhanced by such a proceeding.
only will the Not
masters thereby perform an act of
justice to thou
deprive the Amalgamated
of innocent men,. but they will
in obstinacy, its great stimulus
aegameted Society of
production is °y
showing that its power to stop
not so great as it expected. With
the workshops onitea will be offered c
e
more opeu, moreover, a locus
whom want, _ ered to all members of the so-
cietymay usatisfaction, or a returning sense
of propriety inspireet with a wish to resume their
labours. Before the
it matter of certainty that has lasted long we think
such desertions will be
numerous. the masterts
care to keep Ilepces open whore the
wise, they will take
the deserters may fir.d
refuge ; nor, under the env_u
that the terms upon whiellstances, does it seem
they are to be allowed
to resume their duties need be made too severe.—
Daily News.

FRENCH ASPECT OF THE
"STRIKE."
The Dibets pu'olishes the following letter from
IL J. D• Coninck, an eminent liavre merchant, and

recommends it to the serious attention of the Govern-
ment :—" Havre, Jan. 17, 1852.—Y0u have already
informed your readers of the serious conflict that
has arisen in England between the operative
engineers, founders, and boiler-makers, and ma-
chine manufacturers. It is very probable that
the important branch of industry in England
which consists in the construction of machines
is about to undergo extensive perturbations. Why
should not France endeavour to succeed to a large
slice of this rich inheritance ? Nothing would be
easier. It only requires a simple decree authorising
our manufacturers to make use of brass, iron, and pit
coal in bond, that is to say free of duty, for all machi-
nery destined for exportation. We should at once see
all those countries which now send their orders for
machines to England come to France for them, for
they have had an opportunity of seeing in the London
Exhibition what our makers are capable of doing.
The former Government authorised the use of cast
metal in bond for the construction of machinery des-
tined for exportation ; but this timid concession was
altogether insufficient. Boilers, which play so large
a part in machinery, are not made with cast metal,
but with thin plates, and iron to rivet them, and
this causes a waste, which must be taken in consi-
deration in the duty. Now that we have a Govern.
ment which has only to will to be able to perform,
to call its attention to the fact that I have pointed
out, will doubtless be all that can be necessary to
turn the circumstances to the profit of France. The
subject is urgent, and very urgent ; for if our fac-
tories do not at once resume all the activity which it
would be so easy to bring back to them, it is evi-
dent that the English manufacturers, tired of lying
idle, will take away our workmen, and thus bring
ourindustry to a lower state than it is at present."