The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1843-04-04 00:00:00

STAFFORDSHIRE POTTERIES.
"My object in again addressing you is to elicit truth.'
Statements and reports are current in this city from the
Potteries, which, if untrue, I feel that our honour as masters,
and justice to the men we employ, call upon us to negative
without a moment's delay ; or, if true, that our best efforts
ought to be directed to detect and expose the parties who
have been guilty of the oppressive acts alleged to have been
committed.
" Firstly.—lt is stated (nay, affirmed by some who plead
the difficulty of obtaining proof of the fact) that several
manufacturers who have only work to the extent of three or
four days per week have recently given the operative' per-
mission to work extra time, provided he submits to have the
amount he thus earns placed to the credit of the Anti-Corn
Law League.
Secondly.—That in some manufactories the stoppage
from the earnings of the workpeople has been so general,
that even children, whose weekly wages amounted to no
more than from 9d. to ls., have had no less than 3d. de-
ducted therefrom for the purpose of the league. _ _ _

,••••-••••.,..• 1••••••• VAS ~/•..•
" Thirdly.—That while the master keeps aloof, the clerk or
overlooker, when he settles the books of the workpeople,
prior to pay-day, addresses each of them to the effect—' We
are, you know, about to raise £50,000 for the Anti-Corn-
Law League. A. B. (naming a fellow-workman) has agreed
to give (say from ls. to 2s. 6d.); I suppose you will do the
same.' That in case of refusal to comply with the terms the
party is marked for dismissal at a convenient opportunity.
" Fourthly.—That this system prevails in the Potteries for
the promotion of other party objects besides that of the
Anti-Corn-Law League.
" Lastly.—That from 15 to 25 per cent. of the earnings of
the operatives has been stopped by the master, to be by him
invested in a bank, professedly for the benefit of the opera-
tive. but really, and in fact, to give the master the command
of the capital thus obtained.
" My attention has been called to these matters, and I
have been urged to advert to them in my place in parlia-
ment. As a potter I deny the whole 'of these rumours or
charges as regards 'my firm.' I therefote say to all parties
that, until I have positive evidence, I wig not give the sanc-
tion of my parliamentary character to a Aatement so gravely
affecting the honour and character of Are manufacturers of
the Staffordshire Potteries. Nor can 'l' believe, much as I
know of and feel for the difficulties of the operative classes,
that they are so lost to what is 'due to themselves, their
families, and their calling, as to submit to such injustice. I

therefore call on my brother potters to communicate unre-
servedly with me on the subject ; to say whether these things
be true or not ; and this appeal I make to every individual.
To the operative I say, ' If you have been so treated, tell me
by whom, and I will make it known in the House of Com-
mons, and as far as in me lies protect you by exposing and
denouncing the tyranny.' We live in times when statements
involving the reputation of our fellow-men are made by one
party and denied by another, each with a solemnity that ap-
pals one ; and it therefore behoves all honourable men to
unite (especially in a case like this) to assist in detecting
falsehood or affirming the truth.
" I am your humble servant,
" W. T. COPELAND."