The Sun.
London, England, 1868-07-29 00:00:00

TREE LABOUR v. TRADES' UNIONS.'

A circular has been sent to all the newspapers in
Englnd, Wales, and Scotland by the Free-Labour
Registration Society cn Free Labour rcrsus Trades'
Unions. The first proposition laid down is that
Trades' Unicns are neither more nor less than
bodies of men associated together to forward their
own interests against the general good of society,
and tend to create dearness instead of cheapness.
There can be no doubt but that the cheaper every-
thing is, the greater number of people are able to
become possessed of what they require ; the dearer
everything is, the fewer people are able to obtain
what they want." Now we grant this with the
reservation that labour differs from produce. We
become so material that men and things are con-
founded. It does not follow that because labourers
and trades associate together to forward their own
interests that the combination is against the general
good of society. If it benefits them, is benefits a
large section of society, and they have as much right
to get the highest price for their labour as a com-
bination of banks to fix the rate of interest for
money. It is a well-established fact that the agri-
cultural labourer of England, from being the work-
ing man best off in the world, has descended into
the lowest scale in the course of centuries, and most
rapidly within the last. Many causes combined
against him, while he, poor fellow, did not under-
stand how to combine in his own interest, and
therefore he went to the wall. The feeling that so
it will always be, now makes handicraft men so ear-
nest in organizing into Trades' Unions, and if these
unions were confined in an honest and enlightened
way to maintaining; the interests of the trades,
they would be among the most justifiable or-
ganizations of the Empire. But unfortunately
the rulers too often seek power and the
society degenerates into tyranny. The second
proposition says, " Trades' Unionists consider that
it is right for men of all trades to combine. Let
them ask themselves the question what the result
would be if the farmers throughout the country
entered into a powerful combination and (being
supported by the importers of corn) doubled the
present price of bread?" And here we heartily agree
with the men, and feel confident that if the farmers
and the importers thought they could combine with
a chance of success they would begin to-morrow,
and we would have the price of bread at the highest
point to which they could push it. Does the
writer imagine that the present price is due to the
moderation of the farmer? A reference to Froud's
history, or any other which truthfully states the
the position of workmen in olden days will in effect
refute the following statement :—" It is said on all
sides that joiners, masons, bricksetters, plasterers,
painters, &c., perform only one-half or two-thirds
the work for a day's wages that they formerly did,
although their remuneration is now 25 to 30 per
cent. higher " than previous to the alteration in the
corn laws." " Why is there not to be free trade in
English labour as well as in corn, cattle, coffee, tea,
sugar, rice, &c., &c.?" Ask the co-operative
societies whether there is free trade in coffee, t3a,
sugar, rice, &c. Leave grocers to their own devices,
and the prices will be fixed by combination as
they are, and always have been, when possible.
" Were these necesaries of life produced under the
rules of trades' unions, the cost would be so exorbi-
tant that nine-tenths of the world would die of
starvation." How comes it, then, that England, 10
which these unions most flourish, is the country
which exports the greatest produce of labour ? and
the United States, wherein trades' unions thrive
almost in an equal degree, is the largest exporter
of agricultural produce? The circular then
continues as follows :—" It is a matter of little
consequence to the public whether the sawgrinders
of Sheffield get £5 or five shillings for a day's
wages ; but the present cost of building
hances the rent of every description of dwel-
ling, and thus affects all classes of society.
There are thousands of boys anxious to become
joiners, masons, bricksetters, plasterers, painters,
&c. But the rules of the unions prevent them Cla-
tering these several callings; the poor rates are thug
immensely increased, and many of the working
classes driven (ot necessity) to obtain a living 11
dishonest means. It is an act of great tyranny to
prevent the labouring population bringing up their
children to the trade they like best. With aWO
exchange of labour there would be abundance of
Th
e
public for every class of workpeople. be
public are so deeply interested in this important
question, that it behoves them to give (in all de-
partments of the building trade) a preference to
Non-Unionists, or members of the Free Labour Re":
gistration Society." The public ought to strive to put
trades' unions on the best foundations, and direct
them to the most justifiable objects; for instance, the
combination of labour and capital, wherein the pro-
fits are divided according to a system which makes
good management, skill, and energy alike profitable
to each. Let labour, instead of regarding capital as
is enemy, learn to consider it as its best friend. I-4°
secretaries and directors of trades' unions be pulled up
when theytravel beyond their legitimate functions Ou
establish a tyranny, acting the part of the wolf against
the very sheep it was their duty to guard. r-rbie
weighty question of Trades' Unions must occupy
attention of Parliament, and be fully ventilated'
when we feel assured that the mass of Englishmen
will be amazed at the contrast presented by the pros-
perous state of the English workman in olden days i°
compared with his present condition, and what We
all desire to learn, is the reason.

Frank Leslie says The female question 10
tO
making strange progress. Prom a city so little like] t 0
be stirred by sentiment as Lisbon, we have received se is
ral numbers of a paper called A Voz Feminina, whiebo
written by ladies, and devoted to the cause of worm cal
emancipation. Space is given to fiction, poetry, Irulcb•
history, and fashions —the latter being described in FreR,,,...
A Voz Fentinina would bo useful to persons who are study
ing Portuguese." 1.
The Boston Advertiser is to issue an evening da
tion, half the size of the morning paper. It will be 11Li,.,,
the editorial supervision of Mr. E. W. Bacon, of Chicag'
e.
[ADVEnTISEUENT. J—llyspepsia(lndigestion), Constipatio; ice/.
bility, Consumption, and all nervous, bilious, stomach, end ',,t,01
complaints in every stage, are only aggravated and acceler'po
by ditto's of every description, but perfectly curable blot 1/9
Barry's health-restoring Revalenta Arabica, Food, as prove on
thousands of cases which had been considered hopeless, :00-
as—cough, asthma, also diarrhoea, htemorrhoids, liver ot.g.
plaints, flatulency, nervousness, biliousness, fevers, sore thr and
diphtheria, catarrhs, colds, influenza, noises in the head
ears, rheumatism, gout, impurities, eruptions, hysteria, neerrieo4-
in itability, sleeplessness, acidity, palpitation, heartburn,
,„,ess,
ache, debility, dropsy, cramps, spasms, nausea and siellok
even in pregnancy or at sea, sinking fits, bronchitis, ser2nu
tightness of the chest, pains at the pit of the stolnee4ol3
between the shoulders, &c. We quote a few :—Tho Pope's jull
restored by Du Barry's Food. Cure No. 68,413.—"Rein°'601,
12, 1866.—The health of the Holy Father is excellent, esto_.,,oli
since, abandoning all other remedies, he has unfilled 3,1 T. be
entirely to Du Barry's Revalenta Arabica Food, of wh le"orr
consumes a plateful at every meal. It has produced a
00$
prisingly beneficial effect on his health, and his Holiness To 4tlpraise this excellent food too highly."—From the '` Glaze wife
Midi, " July '25 Cure No. 46,270 Mr James Roberts, tLogs,
merchant, of Frimley, Surrey, of thirty years' diseased I,r,zess;
°-`
spitting of blood, liver derangement, and partial deaf
of
Cure No. 1,771. Lord Stuart de Decies, Lord Liet4iflf
Waterford, of many years' dyspepsia.—No. 49,832.
~suest
years' indescribable agony from dyspepsia, nerve's ond
asthma, cough, constipation, flatulency. spasms, sickaoB
aul
vomiting.—Maria Jo ly." Important Caution.—Beware of ll:Tithou
unsavoury and more than sloppy imitations to which, I",,beil.
authority, Baron Liebig's name is most audaciously nth,' 110.;
In tins, at ls. 1;d.; 1 lb., 2s. 3d.; 2 lbs., 4s. 6,1.; 5 lb!ii'AalOs
12 lbs., 22s ; 241bs ,40s.—Also Du BARRY'S REVALENTA
CHOCOLATE POSTER is packed in tin canisters; For 12 eirtrot,
25., for 24 cups at 3s. 6c1., for 48 cups at 65., for 288 caPs,,,be 301
for 576 cups at 555. Being about one penny per CUP. rec,ei.,i
and 555. tins are sent free of carriage in England on /
of Post Office Order.—BAßßY no BARRY and CO.)
Regent-street, London and all Grocers and Chenaist

Births.
BURNA7sD —On the 27th inst., at 8, Sussex-place+
pa' k, W., Mrs. Francis Burnam], of a daughter• nor-
HALFORD—On the 28th inst., at The Grove, 11133
smith, the wife of Edward Raiford, Esq., of a sa,.tirrop
HARVEY— On the 28th inst., at Upper Tooting, -
the wife of Edward Harvey, Esq., of a daughter.
Marriages. , o•O'41
DUNCOMI3E —ACIIESON—On the 28th last., St. "Br'dier
Hanover-square, CAntain F. W. Duncombe, Orrno3.
Guards, sou of Admiral the Hon. Arthur Dur°-;,,L'1%33."
tlu Lady Katharine Acheson, daughter of tho
of Gosford.
is PRESCOTT—NUTTALL— On the 1(411 hist at S' s t"n
Ke • num,,on, II my Prescott,
of llolland-grev')
Mary Ann,
m eldest daughter of James Nuttall, (I',
nington-road.

Deaths. I, street"
•'
CRANWORTII—On the 27th inst., at 40, Upper Broo.
the Right Hon. Lord Cranworth, aged 78. quter-
lit:N.tmEß—On the 26th inst., at St. Augustine,, C`
bury, Win. Plummer, Esq., aged 68. ftu°
.nil
TRAVERS—On the 24th in ,at Barnes, Surrey/ '-"-- "'
Travers, Esq., aged 59. • ..,.
e"
,burit
Tum,.... On the 28th tilt., at Crookhain House, i-
Richard Tull, Esq., agd 67.
—......."----

• g
Vicr
London : Printed and Publishod by VirILLIA. Al`l,lo
of No. 112, Strand, Printer, at TR
Strand, H SUN 0111°Nrfria'.
in the Precinct of the Se vey, in the
Illiddlesex.--Wednesday, July 29, 180.