The Sun.
London, England, 1868-03-13 00:00:00

EMPLOYERS AND WORKMEN.

A special meeting of the Executive Committee of the
Working Men's Association has been held at the Associa-
tion Rooms, Bolt-court, Fleet-street, for the purpose,
among other business, of receiving from Mr. Bass, M.P.,
a statement of his attempt to bring about an arbitration
between the coalmasters and miners of Church Gresly.
Mr. G. Potter occupied the chair. The chairman said he
regretted to have to announce the failure of the attempt
made by Mr. Bass, at the request of the association, to
bring about a settlement of the long-existing dispute
between the coalmasters and their workmen in Church
Gresly, by arbitration. It would be recollected that
the men had consented to refer the whole of
the matters in dispute unconditionally to the arbitration
of Lord Lichfield, but the masters, at a meeting just held,
had positively declined arbitration. Ire had that day
received the following note from Mr. Bass :—" My dear
sir, Lord Chesterfield has written to me, on the part of
the associated coalmasters of Church Gresly, a positive
refusal to entertain the question of arbitration with their
workmen.—Yours truly, M. BASS." Mr. Fairbairn then
moved the following resolution :—" That while working
men are chewing their desire to amend the rules of their
trades unions, this committee deeply regret to hear that
the coalmasters of Church Gresly district, after having
locked out their men for joining the Miners' Union, have
not only refused to receive any deputation from those
men, but have also positively refused to submit the matters
in dispute to the arbitration of the Earl of Lichfield,
thereby precluding all chance of an amicable settlement
of the long-protracted and lamentable dispute." Mr.
Carter seconded the resolution, which was agreed to, and
ordered to be transmitted to the Miners' Union and the
Church Gresly coalmasters. The chairman reported that
the arrangements for the conference between a certain
number of large employers of labour in the staple and most
important trades of the country and an equal number of
representative working men, for the purpose of coming to
a mutual agreement for the prevention of strikes and
lock-outs, were progressing most satisfactorily. It was
proposed that the number should be twelve or
fifteen on each side. Eight of the largest em-
ployers of labour in the country had already con-
sented to take part in the conference, and replies of a
similar character were daily expected from others who had
been communicated with. The trade councils of Man-
cheater, Liverpool, Birmingham, Sheffield, and Glasgow
had each been requested to appoint one delegate, and the
iron, coal, cotton,.shipbuilding, engineering, and building
trades, and the Amalgamated Conference of Trades had
also been requested to appoint one delegate each. lie
hoped the conference would meet within the next fort-
night. The secretary was instructed to prepare a list of
cases to be laid before the Trades Union Commission of
those wholesale firms who, in restraint of trade, have
combined against the retail dealers, as in the case of
Messrs. Platt, of St. Martin's-lane. The committee then
adjourned.