The Sun.
London, England, 1865-03-22 00:00:00

The Lock-out in the Iron Trade.

WOLVERHAMPTON, Tuesday, March 21.
There are about 2,000 puddling furnaces in South
Staffordshire:and East Worcestershire, belonging to
about 112 firms ; and in North Staffordshire there
are about 220 puddling furnaces, owned by five
firms. The calculation is that in getting the coal
used in a puddling furnace four men and boys are
employed ; in the production of the pig-iron, from
the taking of the ore from the earth to the delivery
of the iron at the works of the finished iron maker,
eight men and boys ; and in the converting of the
pig-iron to the finished article, including its removal
from the works, ten persons find regular occupation.
Thus every one of the, say, 2,200 furnaces in Staf-
fordshire represents the labour of 22 persons, or a
total of 48,400. If from the total furnaces we make
a deduction of 15 per cent. for furnaces out of use
or undergoing repair at the time when the lock-out
commenced, we have a working total of 1,870
puddling furnaces, affording employment for 41,140
persons. If upon each of these persons we make
the living four human beings to depend, we find that
if these are unable to labour the subsistence of
164,560 persons is cut off. To ascertain the num-
ber of persons who in Staffordshire and East Wor-
cestershire alone depend upon the industry of those
employed about the ironworks and pits there, we
deduct three persons from the eight who produce
the pig-iron used in every puddling-furnace. We
make this deduction as a set-off for the pigs that
are imported into Staffordshire from other dis-
tzl3l3lin42g,l2o men, women, of the puddling
dis-
tricts. We then find that in Staffordshire and East
Wfurnoraceeesstetrshehrireien
wouldalone deprivethe
and children of their usual means of support. At
the present time, however, there are 120 furnaces
belonging to six firms, that are being kept at work
in the district named. Deducting the people who
are supported by the operations of these furnaces,
we have a total of 133,000 persons living around
the Staffordshire masters who, if these six firms
only should resume, will, as long as the lock-
out lasts, be deprived of maintenance in immediate
connexion with the ironworks so soon as the makers
of pig-iron for puddling purposes decline any longer
to make for stock.

Taking the number of furnaces out of the North
of England at 778, and applying the same calcula-
tions to them as we have employed upon competent
authority to the Staffordshire and East Worcester-
shire district, we find that the hands thrown out
there will number 14,782, representing 59,128 men,
women, and children, all immediately dependent
upon the ironworks. We have reason to know that
the richer masters are employing their influence to
prevent those who have less capital from being com-
pelled to open their gates. Arrangements are in
progress whereby the banks will, we are assured,
be able to arrange among themselves for the pro-
tracted currency of .the " paper " on one or two no-
toriously weak firms. These bills should be met
early next month. The banks will experience less
difficulty respecting them, because, as the proba-
bilities are, no new paper will be " put on "by such
firms in April.

The insincerity of the delegates in Staffordshire,
in relation to their expressed desire that the men in
the northern division of that county should return
to work, is being referred to by the masters as fur-
ther manifested by their allowing the London trade
societies to determine to support North Staffordshire
without any protest being raised by the Brierley-hill
Executive, notwithstanding they professed to have
been aggrieved by the course which North Stafford-
shire was and still is pursuing.
The delegate meeting terminated on Monday night
at a late hour. There were 20 districts. represented.
Those districts were Brierley-hill, Wolverhampton,
West Bromwich, Wednesbury, Great. Bridge, Tip-
ton, Tividale, Smethwielc.Walsall, Pelsall, Kinver,
Bilston, Moxley, Derby, Shropshire, Liverpool,
Manchester, Warrington, Openshaw, and Pendleton.
They reported that the number of members locked
out and entitled to receive relief were—Brierley-hill,
1,054 ; Wolverhampton, 370 ; West Bromwich, 430;
Wednesbury, 260 ; Tipton, 460 ; Tividale, 85 ; Man-
chester, 110 ; Walsall, 87 ; Pelsall, 83 ; Kinver, 64;
Moxley, 87 ; Bilston, 28.
It was explained that in Bilston the men belonged
partly to the Gateshead and partly to the Brierley-
hill Executive, the members under the latter being
those employed at the Regent Works of Messrs.
Beard. Altogether, relief would be claimed by 3,749
members on the Brierley-hill Executive. In all, the
number of members who would be able to contribute
to the support of the rest locked out was 874. The
opinions of these 874 having been canvassed, the
delegates reported that they were willing to pay a
levy of ss. per member per week in behalf of their
brethren throughout the executive's jurisdiction, in

addition to any funds they might contribute to the
men out in their own districts severally.

To an emigration scheme the views of the districts
were represented as favourable. The delegates were
in favour of emigration to the British colonies, to
Australia and New Zealand in particular, and not
to the United States. It was designed that young
men, puddlers, should be sent out, who desired
to leave the business of ironmaking altogether.
The districts were to vote ss. per member from their
lepal funds towards establishing an emigration fund;
and the subject was to be brought before the dis-
tricts at meetings to be held on the following day.
From the metropolitan societies, and also from
provincial associations, the council continues to re-
ceive promises of substantial help. The men in
workshops in different parts of the country have
begun to send contributions, which they promise
shall be continued weekly as long as the lock-out
lasts. The societies in the Birmingham district have
called a meeting for Friday next, to which they
invite delegates from the executive to state the case
of the ironworkers.

The authorities of the " National Association for
the Prevention and Settlement of Strikes rnd Lock-
outs " have forwarded communications to South
Staffordshire offering their services towards bring-
ing about a restoration of peace—a state of things
which they express themselves confident of secur-
ing ; bui we have not yet heard that the offer has
any chance of being accepted.
To-day nearly 100 able-bodied men who had been
thrown out of work by the lock-out applied for
relief at the special meeting of the Board of
Guardians of the Wolverhampton Union. Most of
them were Irishmen, and those whose cases were
urgent were turned into the stone-yard at once,
where on Saturday there were 35 men, but on Mon-
day only 27. All the 35 were married, and between
them had 135 children.

To-day also there was a meeting of puddlers in
Wolverhampton, at which between 250 and 300 men
of that class were present. Mr. Councillor Sidney
presided, and " deeply sympathised " with the men
in their trouble. The speakers all condemned the
conduct of the masters, who, they maintained, were
attempting to crush the Union, and to bring about
a state of things similar to that which had been
effected in Leeds. For this purpose the Ironiriasters'
Association had been remodelled. Ultimately it
was resolved—.

" That this meeting pledges itself to be true, and
to refuse any offer on the part of the masters to
begin to work on any other terms £han those which
the men left off at. At the same time they are
willing to commence work at once, and desire that a
security be given for the future, either by arbitration
or by some other honourable means."

By this it is meant that they require standing wages
not less in amount than 9s. 6d. a ton, and that they
must have a guarantee from the masters that there
shall never again be a lock-out.
MARCH 21, Evening.

Two firms have discontinued the lock-out, and
resumed work to-night. These are Messrs. E.
Cresswell and Sons, of Tipton, and Mr. Thomas
Wells, of Moxley.

NEWCASTLE-ON-TYNE, Tuesday Afternoon.

The Mayor of the borough, Lieut.-Col. Perkins,
and Mr. L. L. Bell, both largely connected with the
iron trade as manufacturers, but not involved in the
lock-out, have appeared as mediators •this morning.
Mr. Bell, addressing the employers and workmen
connected with the present strike and lock-out in
• the iron trade, says :
,4 I have read with some care the observations of
both sides in the conferences which have taken place
between the ironmasters and delegates, and if, on
the whole, I have been impressed with the forbear-
ance of the former, I have not been the less so by the
temperate and sensible remarks which fell from some
of the latter. Encouraged by this, my motive in
now addressing you is to suggest whether the time
has not arrived when the mediation of some one or
more persons possessing the necessary acknowledged
intelligence, honesty, and independence, might not
advantageously to both sides be called in. It may
be urged that you are perfectly competent to bring
your dispute to a practical issue without any such
intervention, and that ultimately those natural
laws which regulate commercial questions will
adjust this one for you. I venture to take the
liberty of submitting this question for your earnest
consideration, because I am in no way personally
or otherwise connected with your dispute.
Without being longer a bar iron maker, I have
the advantage of former experience to guide me in
any opinions I may have on the subject, while my
position now as a mine owner and smelter binds
me with you in the closest bonds of interest
and sympathy. I look with apprehension to the re-
sult of continued inactivity in your mills and forges,
on our collieries, iron mines, and blast furnaces; and
lam not without fear that you may afford other
countries an opportunity of acquiring a footing in
our own and other markets, to regain which a second
struggle to meet increased competition may add to
the perplexities which at present beset the iron
trade."

The Mayor of Newcastle (Mr. Perkins) says :
" Much as I have regretted many steps which
have been taken by the workmen's union, I have
always been adverse to the lock-out. The works in
which I am a partner are still in operation, although
the men are under notice ; and it is my intention,
now that my health is somewhat yestored, to me my
best endeavours to effect a reconciliation between
the parties at issue."
It is the general impression in commercial circles,
in this town at least, that at this conjuncture, if some
person of local influence, such as Mr. Joseph Pease,
of Darlington, or his brother, Mr. Henry Pease,
M.P., who, though not even manufacturers, have
as large an interest in the prosperity of the north,
and who have the confidence of both masters and
men, were to offer to mediate, good results might
follow.

The Gateshead executive of the Ironworkers' As-
sociation, now that the lock-out is established, and
there is'-no likelihood of a speedy settlement, have
recommended to their several lodges not to make any
further concessions to the masters, but to abide the
result. In the meantime a scheme of extensive emi-
gration has been put forth, and the executive have
sent the following circular to their lodges:—
"Information having this day come to hand that
provision has been made in New York to pay the
passage of ironworkers desiring to emigrate, and that
in the course of a few days an agent will be in Gates-
head, who will be prepared to make arrangements
for the sending out of some hundreds of ironworkers,
it is earnestly requested that each society, whose
members are locked out, send to the Executive
Council Rooms the names of parties wishing to emi-
grate ; and also whether they are married or single,
and what number of children, so that the necessary
arrangements may be made for the removing of them
and, their families ; and also their occupation, so
that situations may be in readiness on their arrival
at New York."

Meetings of the workmen's lodges were held in
the principal districts of the iron trade yesterday,
but they were private. Mr. Bladen, the manager
of the Jarrow Ironworks, proposed yesterday to the
millmen and finishers that they should go and work
a large quantity of iron which is lying in stock in
the Jarrow yard, but after a meeting between the
millmen and puddlers they resolved that the mill-
men do not resume work until the puddlers go on.
About 130 men and boys were locked out at Messrs.
Tysack, Bell, and Co.'s works at Sunderland on
Saturday. Yesterday morning the Middlesborough
town crier gave notice of a meeting of the iron-
workers to be held in the Odd Fellows Hall at 1
p.m. About 800 workmen were present.
Prior to the meeting Mr. Rowlands, the delegate
who represented the Tee-side workmen at the New-
castle and York meetings, was sent for by Mr. Hop-
kins to the office of the works, and an interview took
place between them with regard to the questions at
issue. It is reported that at that interview Mr.
Hopkins made suggestions or remarks of which the
following may be accepted as the gist :-1. If Mr.
Kane would attend at the trade council, to be held
in London to-morrow (Wednesday), and denounced
the conduct of the North Staffordshire ironworkers,
there might then be discovered means of putting an
end to the lockout. 2. There should, forthwith, be
a severance of the North of England from the Staf-

fordshire Union. At the meeting a document was
approved of, stating that the members of the vari-
ous lodges are determined that the Executive Coun-
cil acknowledged by Gateshead shall entirely sever
their connection with the Brierley-hill committee
from the 17th instant, until the members who are
under the influence of Brierley-hill see it to be their
duty to demand one executive, when they will be
prepared to act in concert with them. Votes of
thanks to and confidence in the delegates were en-
thusiastically accorded. An application was made
by about 200 of the members of the union for assist-
ance from the funds to enable them to emigrate to
America. It was decided that a committee meeting
be held that evening to consider the application.