The Sun.
London, England, 1853-11-09 00:00:00

TILE STRIKES IN EAST LANCASHIRE.

In those districts of this county of which Burnley and
Bacup are the centre, there is no probability of the
masters re-opening their mills. One manufacturer at
Burnley states that 10 per cent. advance had been con-
ceded ; but the operatives demanded equalization of
prices, and their notion of effecting it was to select a
manufacturer who paid the highest rates and bring all
the others up to his level, without reference to the prices
of other towns, and without caring for difference in
quality of work, of machinery, or the state of the mar-
kets for which goods :were being produced. But what
the masters have regarded as the worst feature of
affairs at Burnley is, that their hands had surrendered
their own freedom of action, and could no longer
make terms in ,any matter of dispute, be it never
so simple everything was subject to the veto of
the trades' delegates. The all-but annihilation of the
China and Greek trades by the rebellion in the one
country, and by the rupture between Turkey and
Russia, which affects the other, tell heavily against the
trade of Burnley, and the millowners, if they went on
producing, would be heavy losers on almost all descrip-
tions of cloth made there. Such is the depression in
China qualities and makes of cloth, that if the opera-
tives bad gone in at Preston on Monday, prices would
have gone down a shilling per piece the following morn-
ing. A. meetintof the operatives at Burnley took place
on Monday, which was addressed by delegates from
other towns. One of the delegates said he was sorry to
say that he.had no funds to spare for Burnley, all their
contributions at present being required for Preston.
Some of the recent subscribers to the Preston people,
who were in the meeting, murmured at this unsatisfac-
tory statement, but were told there was no help.
At Bacup, Newchurch, and Rosendale, the com-
plaints of the masters as to what sled to their lock.-
out of the hands is much the samea,s at Burnley.
They say that such was the state of inTubordination in
some of the mills that when operatives were discharged
by the employers, those engaged to fill their places were
insulted, pelted with stones, and otherwise beaten and
intimidated, so that they were compelled to give up
work. Some of the masters are impatient at any argu-
ment on the question of equalisation of wages.
At Bury three mills are at present on strike, and the
12 others close on Thursday morning. Many of these
establishments produce fustians, as well as calicoes.
One of the owners who employs about 900 workpeople,
says they close in consequence of a combination of opera-
tives, avowedly formed to bring about a system of die;
tation that would virtually take from every millowner
the command of his own capital. There was a riotous
assembly at Bury on Saturday night, in front of the
shop of a butcher, and his windows were broken. Some
factory delegates from Preston had called with a card to
solicit a subscription in aid of the strike, and he had re-
fused the request, and thrown the card into the fire.
This was the circumstance that provoked the mob.

At Glossop the notice of the masters to take off the
recently advanced 10 per cent. to the weavers has ex-
pired, and the operatives, under the advice of their
leaders, have submitted for the present. They said,
"Let us deal with Preston first." The masters claim
to be still paying the average of Stockport, Ashton, and
Hyde.