The Sun.
London, England, 1833-04-26 00:00:00

LABOURERS' JOINT STOCK FUND.

Mr. SLANEY then rose to bring forward his motion of
which be had given notice. The object of his Bill, which
he now moved for leave to introduce, was to enable manu-
facturers and mechanics to insure themselves against tem-

porary want of employment, by giving them facilities for
creating a joint stock fund vested in the public funds, or
other approved and available security. During the present
cintury, or at least within the last fifty years, the whole
population of England had increased at the rate of 25 per
cur., but the manufacturing population had increased at
the rate of 50 per cent. At the commencement of that
period, the proportion they bore to the agricultural popu-
lation was one-half—now they were 2to 1. In the same
time, they had made a corresponding advance in intelli-
gence ; and though they hail made, in some cases, provi-
sion for themselves, they were still exposed to the evils of
being occasionally thrown out of employment. They were
exposed to all the evils of a fluctuating demand for their
labour. The causes of the alterations in the demand for

labour were either foreign or domestic. Of the former,
he might mention changes in the commercial laws of other
countries. Thus the alteration in the American Tariff
had an immediate effect on our iron trade. At Wolver-

11..mpton the demand for its manufactures was much les-
sened, and the demand for the labour of the people much
diminished. In the same town, during the war, the de-
mand for locks, hinges and other coarse iron manufactures
for exportation, was considerable ; but since the peace,
when our nekithours had become our rivals, ►he demand
for these articles had diminished one-sixth, and the great
body of the people had been thrown into a situation of
want and distress. Political alterations had the same
effect as alterations in the commercial laws. There
was a change in the demand for labour, arising from a
change in habits and fashions, which sometimes
threw hundreds and thousands of persons out of employ-
m-nt. During the transition from one employment to
another, and until the workmen were taken up by the new
manufacture, they suffoed most severely. Surely it was
not unworthy of the House to endeavour to find a remedy.
There was also a change from local cause. Manufacturers
migrated from one place to another, which caused a con-
tinued fluctuation of demand fir labour in different dis-
tricts, and expo-ed masses of men to great distress. The
discoveries in art also produced changes in the condition
of the people. Thus, the invention of the power loom,
by introducing a ct caper mode of weaving, had deprived
the hand loom weaver of employment. Changes were also
brought about by the violence of the workmen themselves.
Thus, the conduct of the carpet-weavers had driven much
of that manufxture tts Scotland. The use of canals and

rail roads might have a similar effect. A deficient harvest
or any insecurity of property might also lead to similar
results. The consequence of all these circumstances was,
that there was never a time when a great number of
people might not be found in distress and out of employ-
ment in some parts of the country. The remedy which he
meant to propose was no wonder-working plan—was no
forced legislative enactments—it was nothing compulsory;
it was simply permissive, and would facilitate and
allow the workhouses to put their funds in a safe place, to
ensure tl emselees against the evils he bad mentioned.
What was wanted was, something, when wages were
high, to encourage and enable the people to lay by part of
tinge wages for a season when wages might be low. Ttiere
was one trade in which a system was established that a
person out of work should travel about the country—it was
called the tramp system—and when they came to a town
where there were any persons of their trade, they had a
right to receive a penny from every workman, with a
lodging and supper for two or three days, till it was seen
whether they could be taken up by the demasd for labour.
That was a provision against a defective demand for labour,
though it was imperfect. Another plan had been followed
by the carpet weavers of Kidderminster. When men
were out of work, they had a right to receive a certain
contribution from each man in work till they got work
again. This plan, ton, was defective, but it enabled the
men, when thrown out of work, to bear it till they again
got employment. Another, and the most complete plan
was adoved by a large class of workmen of the great city
of London—be alluded to the tailors—who were divided into
three classes-Ist workmen, 2d workmen, and 3d workmen.
When any of these were thrown out of employment, they
went to the houses of call, and there received an allowance
per day in proportion to their skill. So well was their
scheme orgarized, that it never was known that any per-
son of this society applied for parochial relief. Other
trades had similar societies, but they suffered from not
having a sufficient control over their own funds, and from
not having an easy and secure mode of investing their
money. There was a difficulty of large bodies acting
together, anti apportioning their labour to the demand for
it, which having a fund, of this kind, might lessen. If
they had a fond of this kind, when work was slack, they
might riork for only two or three days in the week, and
thus allow the goods in the market to be gradually ab-
wawa till the demand for their labour was revived. He
would extend the principles of the Friendly Societies'
Act. The House was probably aware, th it by the 10th
Geo. IV. cap. 56, they were allowed to provide against in-
fancy, old age, sickness, or other natural stale, or contin-
gencies which would be made a matter of calculation, and
be reduced to an average. That part of the Act com-
pletely excluded the workmen from taking advantage
of it to provide a fund against want of employtn: nt.
That the people would be willing to provide against
such a contingency, was, he thought, proved by
the number of them who subscribed to friendly so-
cieties. According to the last returns, these societies
numbered a million subscribers, embracing at least, with
their families, four millions of persons. lie proposed to
enable the manufacturers to form, by their own means, a
joint fund, which they might deposit in plaaes of security,
such as the Savings' Banks or the public funds, so as to
provide against a want of employment. He wished also
to fence that fund round with m-asures of legal safety
similar to those applied to the funds of friendly societies.
lie would notice one objection to his plan, which he knew
many thin. sletnbers would regard as an important objec-
tion. He would only say a few words on the subject to
those who objected to any measure of this sort, on the
around that it would afford facilities for combinations for
illegal purposes. Were they theta to proceed upon tl e
principe that a thing was not to be used because it was
possible to abuse it? The Hon. Member then referred to