The Sun.
London, England, 1869-10-04 00:00:00

TRADE AND TRADES' UNIONS.

The Right Hon. Stephen Cave, M.P., delivered Me
address, as president of the Eeconomy and Trade Depart-
ment, to a large audience of members and associates, in the
Victoria Rooms, this morning. After an introduction
on the general subject of trade, the President observed
that the managers of trades' unions, while loudly dcnyiag
that their peculiar rules have rendered competitien rnz,re
formidable, gave a practical refutation of their own ail; e-
ments by their anxiety to extend those rules to fore i•zn
countries. "Others, again, propose to handicap their
foreign competitors by the re-imposition of import duties
on manufactured articles. But how can it be mere just
to impose a tax on manufactured goods, for the pro-
tection of manufacturers or artizans, on the plea
that such articles are made cheaper abroad, than on
corn, for the sake of increasing the profit of the agricultu-
rist and the wages of the labourer, on the ground of unfair
competition with virgin soils and less uncertain din-1,2s ?
Would it not be equally reasonable to prohibit the employ-
ment of foreign clerks, in respect of whom there is just new
a great outcry, because they do good work at a lower salary
than ! Englishmen. 'Protection for ourselves, and free
trade with every one else,' is the cry of many who talked
very differently of free trade when they anticipated nothing
but advantage to themselves from it. The idea of a State
being bound to give compensation or employment to those
who are indirectly affected by changes in the general
policy of the country cannot be entertained. If good for
the working man, it is equally good for the owners of for-
ests, of kelp islands, and many others whose property has
been depreciated by legislation. The famous treaty
with France was highly beneficial on the whole, but it is
alleged that its benefits would have been greater had not the
exigencies of our Government by party made the nego-
tiators on our side eager to make the best bargain, they
could in a given time, whereas the French Emperor could
not only afford to wait, but was not unwilling that his
'people should see and acknowledge hesitation on his part
to give up what they oonsidered an advantageous protec-
tion. It is plainly no answer to a class of men who con-
sider themselves aggrieved, and who believe that a little
less haste would have removed the grievance—it is no
answer to say that they, in common with others, shar e
the general benefits of the policy. Free Trade is the
normal condition of mankind, and the duty of a Govern-
ment is, not to develope the resources of a country, but to
protect all its subjects in the fullest exercise of personal
liberty and the right of property, being assured that under
such circumstances the national resources will be more
fully developed, and the national weal promoted."
After reviewing recent legislation on trade and economical
matters, Mr. Cave adverted to Mr. Lowe's coinage project,
admitting that its realisation would secure considerable
advantages, but doubting whether those advantages would
be commensurate with the confusion which the change
would create. On the subject of the agricultural labourer,
Mr. Cave thought that things were not so black as they
were painted. " The condition of many of the large open
villages is very bad, but not so bad as that of the slums of
the great towns, within a stone's throw of palaces. The
rate of wages, whether in town or country,
is regulated by supply and demand. There is no
more valid objection to a man's paying the lowea
wages for labour than the lowest price ho can for the pro
duce of labour. It seems to me that there are only two
legitimate modes of raising the wages of the agricultural
labourer in a thickly-peopled district, and that one will
follow the other. I mean, emigration and machinery.
Both are already in action. The census of 1861 records a
great decrease in the agricultural population of the
South Western Counties : that of 1871 will, I
anticipate, shew a still greater reduction. But
when tho population is so diminished that those who are
left can command high wages, how is the farmer to meet
the competition of the world, which is every day becoming
more severe ? Then, as in other industries, machinery will
do the work for which starving wages are paid. And the
employers will readily give an adequate remuneration for
the skilled labour which is worth it. I hope that in this
way we may do without the intervention of agricultural
unions. I should deprecate such an attempt to solve the
difficulty. Such unions must not only widen the breach
between employer and employed in those unfortunate
instances, and there are too many such, where the labourer
is not treated with duo consideration, but must create a
breach where he is well cared for, living in a good cottage
at a rent which makes 'a most inadequate return to the
landlord for his outlay." Mr. Cave felt that the present
voluntary system of education was open to objection, but he
dreaded the effect of sweeping it away. Education in
agricultural districts ought to be opened, to bear in some
future measure on the practical business of life. The lion.
gentleman supported the plan of emigration by State
aid :—" As to the unskilled masses I can only suggest that
they should be assisted to emigrate out of the national
funds; neither parishes nor unions can do much,
because it is clear that under the present laws
fresh paupers would flock into such places, and more-
over the cost would fall on real property alone. It
is truly a national object, and I think much might
be done gradually by the Government at no great expense.
by utilising ships lying idle, or by taking advantage of the
frequent dispatch of vessels on Government account to
colonial ports. I trust that any such plan may be accom-
panied by a war of self-defence against the habitual pauper.
We have somewhat retrograded in this matter. Edward
VI. gave Bridowell, at the request of Bishop _Ridley, for the
punishment of sturdy vagrant:,, and old Fuller said truly that
• the house of correction was the fittest hospital for those
cripples who wero lame through their own laziness.' Whereas
we appear to give systematic encouragement to vagrants,we
have supplemented the voluntary refuges of London, which
draw annually immense sums from the public by our casual
wards. We are told that the majority of those who obtain a
night's lodging in these wards belong to that class who
ought to be punished rather than relieved ; hence the
London parks are defaced in the summer by vagrants who
lie idly about, relieved from all anxiety respecting supper
and bed. If a man will not work neither let him eat. If
we did not waste so much upon the sturdy plunderers of
society, we should have more to spare for the comforts of
the aged, the cure of the sick, and the separate education
of children." The right hon. gentleman concluded by an
earnest warning against the communistic doctrines which
are being embraced by the working classes—as witness the
International Congress of Working Men.
Mr. Cave's address was very well received. Sir Stafford
Northcote complained that Canon Girdlestone, in his
remarks at the meeting on Friday night had misrepre-
sented some of the views on the agricultural labourer
expresssed in the inaugural address. Sir Stafford urged
that his address spoke for itself that he had advocated
much improvement. The Rev. Canon accepted the expla-
nation.