The Sun.
London, England, 1867-06-27 00:00:00

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.--This Day.

NEWCASTLE RACES_ This DAY.
(BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.)
NORTH DERBY.

Taraban _ ___

Fervacques
Honestish

LAt%IBTON PLATE. 3

Merry Monarch
Maid of Usk
Czar

Ten run

WORCES rEn BACES.—Tms DAT.

HANDICAP PLATE.

Musketeer .
Little Ellen.

THE llAvELocii Turf Agency's Representative can be
seen daily in Talbot-court, Gracechurch-street, fr,ni
Eleven till 'Three. N.B.—lf you want a good foreign
cigar call at the ILtvelock 'Ng:tr. Stores, 10, Walwora-
road, three doors from the Elephant and Castle.

MIL. GEo. WEBB executes commissions, by letter only,
at his residence, 125, Queen's-crescent, Haverstock-hill,
and has lists posted daily at the City Arches ; also through.
his Agent, Mr. F. Butler, near Meui's Brewery. Nu
connexion with any other person using the same name.

NOTES

FROM

TRAINING QUARTERS,

THIS DAY.

Sheffield Trades' Union Commission.

EIGHTEENTH DAY (WEDNESDAY).
At the commencement of the sittings to-day
George Castle, secretary to the Sickle and Reaping-
book Grinders' Union, produced the books of that
union. Mr. Overend discovered that several pages
of the minute book which had contained Minutes for
several months of the year 1860 had been torn out.
Single pages and half pages had been also torn out
in other parts of the book. Witness was unable to
say why the pages had been torn out. He said the
books came into his possession four years ago in the
same state as they were in now. He bad never
asked his predecessor why the pages had been torn
out, or had inquired about it to any of the

members.
Mr. Overend said the fact of the leaves being
torn out for a portion of 1860 looked very suspicious,
because a sickle manufacturer had been blown up in
that year, and it was supposed that the society had
authorised it and paid the expense. One other very
suspicious circumstance was that the edges of the
pages which had been torn away looked very clean,
as if they had been removed only a short time.
Witness said one reason of their looking so clean
was because the book had not been in use for some
years; it had been locked away and a new book
used instead. He could not positively swear that
to his knowledge the leaves had not been torn out
to prevent the examiners from seeing what they
contained. During the four years he had been
secretary there had not been more than six cases of
rattening. The names of defaulters were read over
at the general meetings ; he was not aware that the
rattenings took place after the general meetings.
All the branches of the sickle and hook trade were
amalgamated for thepurpose of assisting each branch
to carry out its rules. He knew that Mr. Rother-
ham, sickle manufacturer, was blown up, but he did
not know who did it. He had never seen any entry
of the matter in the society's books, and as far as
he was aware no money had ever been paid by the
society for it.
Mr. 0 verend asked where the cash book was which
contained entries previous to last September.
Witness replied that the last time he saw it was on
the fire in their committee-room. It was thrown on
the fire in presence of the committee, but he could
not tell by whom. It was full of entries running up
to the 15th September, and he supposed because it
was done with it was destroyed. He did not notice
it on the fire till it was in flames. That was the only
reason why he did not attempt to save it.
Mr. Overend—A book like that would not burn
quickly ; why didn't you take the tongs and re-
move it from the fire?

Witness—Because there were none. (Laughter.)
The committee had torn out some of the leaves
which were not written on before the book was
thrown into the fire. I was writing at the time,
and therefore could not see who it was that threw
the book into the fire. Witness was closely exa-
mined as to whether the book was not burned after
the Commission was appointed, and the earlier en-
tries transferred from the old book to the one pro-
duced. The chief examiner pointed out that the
entries up to February were carefully, cleanly, and
accurately written in quite a different hand from the
subsequent entries which were written evidently
from time to time. Witness admitted the difference,
said he was unable to explain it, but persisted in his
statement that the whole had been written from
week to week, adding that the old book was full
when it was burned, and that he bought the new
book in August, 1866.
Samuel Stacey, secretary of the Edge-tool
Grinders' Union, said—We ratten in our trade, and
do not consider it a sin. lam not aware of any vio-
lence to person or property having been committed
upon any one in our trade within the last 10 years.
We have about 226 members in the Union. No
threatening letters have been sent. In rattening we
merely remove and hidethe property, restoring them
when the men settle. If the men do not settle gene-
rally the bands are never found. Witness, in illustra-
tion of the system, named a late ea,s2 of rattening in
which the man rattened was charged as. for the job,
in addition to 10s. arrears. The man thereupon rat-
tened two other men who were also in arrears, and
settled with me by paying ss. instead of 155.,
retaining the 10s. for rattening the other men.
(Laughter.) Witness said the trade rattened for
arrears only—not to compel men to join or to re-
main in the Union. _ _

This witness is secretary cf the trade which ob-
jected to the employment of a maker of engineers'
tools by Mr. Ward, namedAddis. It will be remem-
bered that Mr. Ward had to pay £3O to the Union
to settle the dispute. Witness admitted this. He
denied that the assault committed on Addis was in-
stigated or paid for by the Union. He knew nothing
of the matter until it was reported in the news-
papers. Power to recover trade contributions in
the County Court would stop rattening, and be a
very good thing.
James Camm, secretary to the United Joiners'
Toolmakers, said—The Union is composed of the
following four branches :—Joiners' toolmakers,
brace-bit forgers, filers, and grinders. I have been
secretary nearly four years. Fattening is occa-
sionally done in our trade, chiefly to enforce pay-
ment of arrears of contributions. During the time I
have been secretary there have been only some four
or five cases of rattening. Power to recover arrears
of contributions from members would do away with
rattening in our trade.
For all purposes ?—I never knew a man, who
was not in arrear, violate tht rules in other respects.
An occasional difficulty might arise as to appren-
tices. We restrict apprentices to the sons of mem-
bers, because our trade is over-banded. We should
extend the privilege to others if the trade was un-
derhanded. In my branch a good workman will
not average more than 275. a week wages. Our
trade grind skates. Some time ago Widdowson, the
secretary of the Surgical Instrument Grinders,
ground skates for Mr. Camm, a manufacturer. .We
called a meeting, heard his explanation, and then
passed a resolution requesting him, as he had a
good trade of his own, to keep out of ours. He
complied, and there was an end of the matter. We
should not have resorted to violence if he had re-
fused to comply. There has been no violence or
threatening letters in our trade.
Mr. Cutts, secretary to the File Smiths' Union,
was recalled, and was asked whether he persisted in
his former statement that rattening was not adopted
in Lis own trade. He replied that he did ; but they
were in alliance with the file grinders, who had ad-
mitted rattening.
Charlesßagshaw, secretary of the Fork Grinders',
and also of the Patent Scythe Makers' Unions, ad-
mitted the practice of rattening in both those trades. 1,
It was clone, however, without the knowledge or
sanction of the societies. On one occasion a man
came to him to be paid for rattening another, but he
refused to pay him anything, and the mau brought
the case before the committee. Witness told them
if any money was paid out of the funds for ratten-
ing be would cease to be secretary, and as a result
no money was paid. He had set his face against
rattening, and he only took office in the Fork
Grinders' Union on condition that rattening in
future should never be resorted to. There had been
a good deal of rattening in the trade before that.
lie was aware that three outrages were committed
in the fork grinders' trade on one day—that was
that powder was put into the troughs of three
grindors. At that time he was not secretary, and
could not tell whether the men who were blown up
were in Arrears. Ile considered that the outrages
looked very much like trade affairs, and he told the
committee so. One of them said they were not in
connexion with the trade, but his (witness's) belief
was they were, and that they had been paid for out
of the funds of the society. When he became sec-
retary of the Union the society had been almost
broken up, and he was told by the committee that
all the books with one exception, had been lost or
were in the possession of one of the former secre-
taries. None had been destroyed in anticipation of
this inquiry. There were 130 forkgrinders in union,
and 30 out of the union. Of these there would be
frcm 50 to 10 on the box. The contributions to
the Union are about 4s. a week. The forkgrinders
earn about £2 a week. The patent scythemakers
earn about 30s. t week. _ _

George Bullers, secretary of the Foamakere

Union, said they did not recognise " rattening,"
and he was not aware of any personal violence being
used to members of the trade. There were 134 men
in the Union, and about 40 out of the Union.
About 17 were now on the box. The contribution
amounted to 2s. a week for a man, and is. for a bpy.
George Austin, secretary to the railway spring-
makers and also to the scythemakers.—There had
been no rattening among the railway springmakers.
But he knew of four cases among the scythemakers.
He did not know who did the rattening, but he be-
lieved the trade encouraged them, thinking they
were doing right. He had set his face against
rattening, and had heard of no case for 18 months.
In the scythe trade he heard of an outrage in Jan.,
1866, when some bellows were cut in the neighbour-
hood of Keeley. He investigated the case, but
could not ascertain how it was done. In the Railway
Springmakers' Union there were 360 men, and only
five or six out of union. The men out were of bad
character. There were 48 men in the Scythe-
' makers' Union, and not many out. This was
quite a distinct trade from the patent scythemakers.
Joseph Mallinson, secretary of the Razorgrinders'
Union, said the Union was established in 1862,
when be was appointed secretary. There had been
no rattening since then, but before that time the
trade suffered much from it. There were 290 mem-
bers in the Union, and about 30 out. The contri-
butions were 2s. a week per man, and is. per boy.
An average earning for a man and boy at common
work would be 365. to 40s. a week. On the finer
class of work they would make £3 to £3los. a week.

William Simpson, secretary to the work-board
hands of the scissors trade, said they had 119 men
in union, and about 40 out of union. The contribu-
tions were 6d. a week for a man, and 3d. for a boy.
The average number on the box had been from four
to five. A good workman would average about
275. a week,

James Reaney, secretary to the edgetool forgers,
said they rattened in extreme cases, when they could
not get their contributions without. There had not
been more than a dozen cases in the last ten years.
He remembered a man named Addis coming from
London to work for Ward and Payne. They did
not want to stop him working, but they objected
to his working along with their men. He got his
head broken at a public-house, and his tools were rat-
tened. Mr. Ward came to him, and he told him he
must send the man away. He made Mr. Ward pay
£3O for the expense the Union had been put to.
Addis offered to become a member of the Union,
and he (witness) said he would not have him at any
price. There were 370 men in union, and about 30
out. The contributions were ls. a man, and 6d. a
boy. A man and his striker would earn about £2
15s. to £3 a week.

Robt. Winter, a scissors forger, said he was not a
member of the Union, and spoke to having his tools
rattened because he declined to join the Union. He
worked for his father, who had two pairs of bellows
cut about the same time. Two of the men who
worked in the shop were members of the Union,
but were in arrear of their payments. He suspected
Wm. Fearnley of doing it.
Henry Presley and Jas. Halass, the two men in
arrears spoken of by the last witness, deposed to the
destruction of the bellows and the removal of the
tools. They bad been threatened by the Union sec-
retary, who said if they did not pay they would be
made to do so.
Wm. Fearnley said he was working at Winter's
at the time Presley's and Halass's bellows were cut.
He was at the shop first the morning after the bel-
lows were cut. He knew they had been cut, because
he cut them himself. Smith was in the shop when

he did it, and might have seen him. He cut them
because the master said he was to have some nail-
makers from the low country, and Presley was to
teach them to make scissors. The secretary of the
Trade Union told him to do this.
The Court then adjourned till Thursday morning.