The Sun.
London, England, 1854-04-17 00:00:00

TBE PRESTON STRIKE.

PRESTON, APRIL 15.
The proceedings of the Mediation Committee are still
kept strictly private. The number of immigrants who
have arrived by rail during the week is reported at 99,
about 74 of whom were available for working or learning
to work. From 20 to 30 immigrants have been sent
to various localities. The number of old skilled hands
returning to their employments is so variously estimated,
that it is impossible to give anything approaching an
accurate statement. The secretaries to the Master
Spinners' and Manufacturers' Defence Association re-
port that 700 hands were received to work at the dif-
ferent mills in Preston, during the last week. Messrs.
Horrockses, Miller, and Co., the largest employers in
town, have now 1,390 persons at work ; and, it is said,
receive daily accessions. Complaints are made of the
course now being pursued by the associated masters
towards hands who have resumed work, but selected
new employers. It is alleged that no sooner does a
man or woman resume work at a fresh place, than their
former employer, though he has not employed them for
the last six months, insists on their return to his esta-
blishment, and the new master dismisses the new hand,
who is thus compelled to return to his old master, turn
unionist, or starve.

The total number of hands relieved this week by the
operatives' union was 13,813, at a cost of 3,1951. ss. 9d.
Last week the number relieved was 13,875, and the ex-
penditure.3,2l6/. 10s. 3d. Decrease in the number of
hands receiving relief, 62 ; decrease in the amount paid,
211. 4s. 6d. The balance-sheet of the power-loom
weavers shows that the amount received this week from
all sources, including 1021. remaining over from last
week, was 2,0861. Bs. 91d. ; that their expenditure was
2,1361. 12s. ld. ; and that there is a balance due to the
treasurer of 50/. 3s. 3id. At a recent meeting of the
weavers, one of the delegates stated that many parties—
not less than a thousand it was believed—had imposed
upon the committee and obtained relief from their funds,
although they had never worked in a mill for many years.
This matter was about to be looked into, (the speaker
added), in !order that the committee might try to raise
the wages of those who had legitimate claims upon them.
A voice here exclaimed " That's what they should have
done long since." It was also announced that Black-
burn, after sending 6001. a-week for the last fortnight,
had 2501. in hand. Accrington and other places had
also reserved funds, with the view of making up the
usual amount for Easter week, when little work was
done.

The spinners' balance-sheet shows the receipt of 6131.
7s. 104 d., and expenditure of 7081. 7s. 84d., and a deficit
of 941. 19s. 10d., which has been taken from their re-
served fund. The card-room hands had an income of
4571. 16s. 2d., and their expenditure was 4611.175. 10d.,
showing a deficit of 41. Is. 7d., which, added to a pre-
vious debt of 361. 145., makes the amount due to the
treasurer 401. 15s. 7d. The other committees have small
balances in hand. The balance-sheets contain various
items of expenditure entailed by4families emigrating to
other localities. The power-loom overlookers, in their
report, express their opinion that "it is quite time for
this desperate contest to be brought to an immediate
settlement." The tape machine sizers allude in their
balance-sheet to the commencement of short time at
some of the mills in Blackburn, and also to the state of
affairs at Stockport, adding that matters begin to look
serious, but to what extent Preston will be affected they
are not able to anticipate.
In the early part of the week the amalgamated trades
issued another appeal to the public for augmented sup-
port, and to-day their example has been followed by the
cardroom hands' committee. Neither of these docu-
ments, however, contains anything new.
A. petition to Parliament is now in course of signa-
ture by the factory workers of this country, alleging that
" in many parts of the manufacturing districts, the fac-
tory acts are systematically violated by masters, who
work females and young persons in factories for a greater
length of time than is permitted by law, and that the
time of working permitted by law is too long, and con-
trary to the principle of the Ten Hours' Act, to which
the honour of Parliament was and still is pledged." The
petitioners pray that the hours of labour may be limited
to ten on the first five days of the week, and to seven
and a half on the Saturday, accompanied with a restric-
tion of the moving power as the only means of enforcing
the law.

The treasurer of the delegates' defence fund has just
issued a balance-sheet, front which it appears that up to
the present time nearly 701. has been received towards
defending the delegates at the August assizes. The com-
mittee expect before that time to increase the sum to at
least 1001. This afternoon the unemployed held a meet-
ing in a brickfield, about two miles from the town. The
state of affairs at present existing/at Stockport was the
chief topic of discussion.
The CHAIRMAN (Mr. Waddington of Preston) said—lf
there is no money to come from Stockport, there are places
where the deficiency will be made up. To-morrow the
subscriptions which will come to the Cockpit will speak
for themselves, whether there be any from Stockport or
not. We are not going to be beaten for want of funds,
whatever they may do in Stockport. I have come from
Stockport to-day. They had a large meeting there yester-
day, and the people of Stockport are determined to resist
the masters of Stockport in spite of everything. They
will resist them to the utmost, and will have their ten
per cent. if they die in the street for it. The maaufac-
turers there have not all given notice to take off the 10
per cent. Two firms, in particular, have withdrawn
their notice for another fortnight ; two others have aban-
doned it altogether, and one has actually put a penny a
cut on one sort more than ever he paid before. (Cheers.)
Mr. COWELL stated that whilst one master in Black-
burn had commenced working short time, another was
running his mill from light to dark, and had informed a
deputation from his workpeople that he could sell still
more cloth if he'could maks it. If they were to believe
the Manchester Guardian, the markets had this week
been tolerably good, and the manufacturers had not
only been enabled to get rid of their goods, but now they
were beginning to hold out for higher prices. And
whilst this was so, some of the Stockport manufacturers
were wishful to pay lower wages. Why (said the speaker),
supposing we had a universal reduction of ten per cent.,
would it profit the employers of England anything ? I
very much question it. I feel perfectly satisfied that
the taking off of ten per cent, would not create a better
market—nothing of the sort. Now, I put the matter
in this way—Here is a young woman who has fine
dresses, and all those dresses are perfectly good ones.
As a necessary consequence, she does not want a new
one. If the masters were to reduce wages 10 per cent.,
would it follow that the woman would want a new dress
any sooner ? Trade depends just upon the quantity
consumed ; and if a reduction of wages would cause
any given article to be consumed faster, then, as a natu-
ral consequence, it would give a stimulus to trade. But
unless a reduction of wages would give a stimulus to
consumption, then, I say reductions are out of the
question. Give a man more wages, and place him in a
position to increase his stock of clothing, and then you
give a stimulus to trade, though he would not wear his
clothing any faster. (Cheers.)
The meeting concluded in the usual manner, with
cheers for the 10 per cent.