The Sun.
London, England, 1825-06-28 00:00:00

COMBINATION LAWS.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
SIR—No subject at present under discussion seems of more
importance, or of more general interest, than the Report of the
Select Committee on the Combination Laws, which has lately
been printed by order of the House of Commons. With your
permission, Alr. Editor, I will now direct the attention of your
Readers to one of the most important branches of that Report,
and which comes nearer home than any other, viz. as regards
the Combinations of the Shipwright of the river Thames.
Upon this subject the Committee make the following very just
remarks :

" The last case to which your Committee feel it necessary to
advert, is that of the Shipwright in the river Thames. Their
Association, under the title of "rhe Shipwrights' Provsdent
Union,' commenced a few months ago. The origin and object
of it are stated by a witness of the name, of Lomax, who
appears to haVe been one of the principal agents in its forma-
tion. Its effects and proceedings are detailed by the masters.
It has a permanent Committee, to which every thing is re..
ported, and to which reference on all points is made ; this
Committee appears to direct the conduct of the working ship-
wrights employed in the several yards, according to the rules
prescribed by the general meetings of the Association, and
exercise a power wholly incompatible with the legitimate
authority of the Ship-builder over his own property and esta-
blishment.

" The contest has been for some time continued. It is stated
on one side, and distinctly admitted on the other, that it is not
a question of wages, and is therefore described by the masters
to be a question of the power of regulating the mode of con-
ducting the business. This is confirmed not only by some of'
,the articles of the Union, but by regulations and proceedings
which appear in a book delivered by the Secretary (as con-
taining the minutes of their meetings or committees), which
Rill show the subjects on which the managers of the Union
exercise their authority, and the Manner in which they
prescribe to the members of the body,the course they are to
pursue.
"' A further confirmation of the spirit of this union arises
from the circumstances that have occasioned the retirement of
the men from their work in: the different yards. In one in-
stance, it has taken place on account of the dismissal of men
brought into ;he yard (as alleged) by order of the Union, and
certainly without the sanction of either the shipbuilder or his
foreman. The right to do this is confidently claimed on the
part of the shipwrights, and peremptorily denied by the mas-
ters as contrary to all usage, and never having been heard of
till within the last few months. In another, on account or' the
removal of an inefficient workman (said also to have been sent
in by the Union) from a particular work. to which he was
thought incompetent, although other employment was offered
to him in the yard. In the principal ones, however, the cause
stated is, that the masters have fixed in their yards, and re-
fused to remove, a copy of certain regulations, in conformity
to which they have have jointly determined their work should
be conducted. Your Committee do not here advert to the de-
mand for a book, fixing the prices of all work; for although it
is amongst the proposed objects of the Union to obtain such a
one, it does not appear to be the immediate cause of the present
cessation of work in any of the establishments.
" From the examinations of Mr. Lomax and Mr. Gast, and
others, it will be seen that your Committee entered into a mi-
nute examination of the regulations referred to, for the purpose
of discovering what there was in them which could furnish to
the men a subject of well-grounded complaint and resistance to
their masters: they have not, however, been able ta find that
the regulations, so fixed up by thelnasters, contain any thing
inconsistent with what has been hitherto the general practice in
the principal yards of the river Thames, nor to any one of them
have either Mr. Lomax or .Mr. Gast, two of the leading Wm-
bers of the Association, stated objections founded on any prac-
tical grievance arising out of them, that in the smallest degree
operate on the minds of your Committee, as a rational expla-
nation of the course taken by the shipwrights. They have, in
fact, admitted the real difference between the men and their
masters, in regard to the regulations tbernselves, to be scarcely
intelligible, and it evidently consists less in the manner of the
regulations than in the promulgation of them. In the contem-
plation of your Committee, this gives the character to the pre-
sent contest, which they cannot but consider as chiefly a strug-.
gle for power on the part of the shipwrights, and an attempt to
establish a controul over the conduct of their masters : nor can
they adduce a more striking proof of the dangeroui effect of the
spirit of combination, than that so large a body of men should
be led to abandon their employment, and array. themselves
against their employers, without a substantial interest to serve,
or a real grievance of which to complain.
In the evidence it is affirmed, on the authority of commu-
nications with the men themselves, that although they express
an earnest desire to return to work, they are deterred by the ap-
prehension of being subject to insult from the other members
of the Union."

So far it will be admitted, that the Ship-builders of . the Port
of London have at least madd out their case against the men,
anti that Messrs. Lomax, Gast, and Company, have com-
pletely failed in chewing any thing like " an Objection founded
on any practical grievance arising out of them, that in the
smallest degree oporated on the minds of the Committee, as a
rational explanation of the course taken by the Shipwrights."
The. Report, indeed, very justly observes, that the men them-
selves have admitted " that it is not a question of wages, but a
question of power."
With whom then, I would ask, can that power be so properly
vested as with the Masters ? Do they not employ the men, and
pay them their wages?
,and are not the dock yards, where the
men work, the master's property ? Are they net the only persons
who are responsible to the ship.owner (under the heaviest pe-
nalties) for the due performance of the work P and yet Messrs.
Lothax, Gast, and Company say, " though the property is
yours, and you have all the responsibility, we will have the
power, we will be masters, and you shall submit to US; and if
you won't allow us to direct the men as we please, while they are
working on your premises, we will prevent them from working
there at all !" This is percisely what they have done, for
the men have refused to 'work under the builders regulations,
and have in consequence left the principal dock yards in the
River. I sincerely hope, therefore, that Parliament will pro.
♦ide a remedy for this monstrous evil, and that a clause will
be introduced into the Bill which is this night to be again con-
sidered, providing against a recurrence of these evils in future,
so destructive to the interest both of masters and men, as
well as to the best interests of society. I humbly conceive
that these interests will not be sufficiently protected without
the introduction of a clause into the Bill, preventing any
Association, or persons employed by them, from interfer-
ing in any shape with those men who are peaceable and
disposed to work. The clause should provide not only
against threats and intimidation, but also against insult, bri-.
beret, or any hindrance whatever. If this be not done, nothing
will be done to better the present condition either of master or
man ; for, as the law now stands, the factious demagogues con-
nected with these mischievous Associations are too cunning to
use either " threats or intimidation." It is by insult and
bribery they accomplish their object; and this will fully appear
on reference to the Report of the Honourable Committee, in
which it is distinctly stated, that " ALTHOUGH THE MEN
EXPRESS AN EARNEpT DESIRE TO RETURN TO WORK,
THEY ARE DETERRED FROM DOING SO BY THE APPRE-
HENSION OF BEING SUBJECT TO INSULT FROM THE
OTHER MEMBERS OF THE UNION." This is a most im-
portant point in the Hon. Committee's Report, and I hope it
will not be lost sight of this evening on the third reading of the
Bill. VERITAS.