The Liverpool Standard, and General Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1854-09-26 00:00:00

THE PRESTON STRIKE,

The next paper read was a very long one, from Mr. H..
Asnwomr, of Bolton, the subject being, "The The Preston
Strike—its Causes and Consequences." le paper con-
tained a complete history of the strike, from its com-
mencement to its close, and the author endeavoured to
show that its causes were the personal interests of a
number of delegates, strangers to the town, whose object
was to create hostility between the employer and the em-
ployed. He contended that the master cotton-spinners of
Preston were unable to give the advance demanded by the
men. After going through the history of the strike, and
bringing it to the termination, when the men resumed
their employment, the author thus speaks of the results of
the strike :—" It now only remains for' us to look at the
results of the remarkable struggle which we have thus
seen closed, and briefly review some of the important prin-
ciples which were involved in it. The first question which
is naturally suggested is, did the strike attain the object
for which it was resorted to ? Did it raise the wages of
the Preston operatives ? In July and August, before the
commencement of the strike, on the amicable application
of the operatives, an advance of ten per cent. was actually
paid by thirty-two firms out of thirty-six, The strike was
entered upon. at the dictation of the delegates, in order to
enforce the same advance on the four firms which still re-
fused ; and it ended, after thirty-six weeks' struggle, in
,the general resumption of work by the operatives at the
rates which were paid before the advance of ten per cent.
took place. This was the result of a movement which was
commenced at a period when trade was more prosperous
than it had been for a long series of years, which was con-
ducted with the utmost ability by able and' experienced.
leaders ; which was sustained with unparalleled enthu-
siasm by a very large portion of the factory operatives
throughout Lancashire, and even drew pecuniiwy support
from distant parts of the- British empire and foreign lands;
and which was persevered in with exemplary patience at
the cost of much suffering, and with wonderful unanimity,
by the numerous body of operatives on whose behalf it
was undertaken. The climax to this long career of fruit-
less heroism, pursued, if we take everything into account,
under the most favourable auspices, was that, at every
mill, the operatives resumed work for less wages than they
received at the commencement of the strike." The author
then goes on to say that the pecuniary results of the strike
acquire a startling reality when thrown into the form of
figures, and he enters into a statistical statement by which
he makes it appear that the total loss to the masters was
£165,000; loss of wages to the operatives during the
strike £250,000 ; loss to the contributors to the strike
fund £97,000; loss of profit to shopkeepers and innkeepers
£11,250; estimated loss to carriers, railway companies,
&c., £lO,OOO total loss to the community by the strike,
£533,250. He then goes on to say :—" Among the moral
results of the strike are some of an unexpected character.
In a communication with which we have been favoured
by the Rev. J. Clay, chaplain to the Preston gaol, that
well-known and philanthropic gentleman says,--` The
effect of the strike on committals to prison has been similar

_
ade to the present mode of adjusting coin- to that which I always noticed whenever a check has been
asses in the Mersey; and suggestions for improving given to the full employment of our operatives. The
.aem. A paper similar to that by Sir John Ross being to ' stoppage' and ' short-time' iu 1847-8, by throwing many
read on Saturday, discussion on the topic was deferred. hundreds of boys into idleness, produced a great increase
Professor F. Bernard next read his "Note sur la Polar°. of juvenile crime, but yet a greater decrease in the sum-
metrie— with a new polarometer," which he showed. The mary committals of adults. The idleness compelled by
business for the day in this section was concluded by the strike has again been • followed by the same results.
Professor Thomson reading a highly speculative paper The committals to the sessions from Preston during the
"On a method of computing the absolute volumes of the six months of the strike, or from November Ist, 1853, to
ultimate Molecules of Liquids." April 30th, 1854, and of male offenders only, amounted to
SECTION B.—CHEMICAL SCIENCE. seventy-eight. In the corresponding six months of the
W. Symons, Esq., read a paper "On a new Electrical preceding year, the same class of committals amounted to
Battery," which he exhibited. Professor J. H. Gladstone sixty, and in the six months immediately preceding the
strike there were only forty. On the other hand, while
read a report "On the influence of the Solar radiations on idleness paved the way for dishonesty among many boys
the vital powers of plants growing under different atmos-
and some men, deprivation of the means of indulging to
pheric conditions." Dr. Turnbull, physician to the Liver-
excess in liquor led to a great decrease of the disorder and
pool Royal Infirmary, read a paper "Ou the Physiological vice punished by summary conviction. Committals of
Properties of some of the compounds of the Organic
this kind, during the six months of the strike, amounted
Radicals, Methyl, Ethyl, and Amyl." It was well re-
to eighty-seven ; in the six months immediately preceding,
ceived ; and, at its conclusion, the president thanked
there were one hundred and fifty-seven. From authentic
Dr. Turnbull for the very interesting paper which he had
returns with which I have been favoured, I find that, dur-
read. The next communication to the section was by
ing the six months of the strike, a falling off in the con-
Professor Calvert, "On the action of Gallic and Tannic ..
sumption of spirits and beer took place to the extent of
Acids on Mordants and on Metallic Iron—on the action
more than four thousand gallons of the former, and more ,
of certain Organic Acids on Cotton and Flax Fibres, and than five thousand three hundred barrels of the latter,.
on the physiological properties of Carbazolic Acid." The
The diminished expenditure, therefore, in these crime-
business of the section was concluded by the reading of a
generating articles, has been about £l,OOO weekly, a fact
communication from Dr. Wilson, of Edinburgh, "On the which sufficiently accounts for the decrease of nearly fifty
artificial preparation of sea water for Marine Vivaria." per cent. in the summary convictions for drunkenness, as-
SECTION C.—GEOLOGY. saults, and other similar offences.' We have no doubt the
Mr. Naysmyth read a paper "On the structure of Lunar friends of temperance will know how to turn these facts
Volcanic Craters." Professor Ramsay read a paper "On to account, and for their sake we insert them."
the probable former existence of Palaeozoic Glaciers ;" and Mr. PEEL, of Dublin, said, as a large employer of labour,
another "On the probable thickness of the ice of the he had been induced to consider deeply upon this subject;
Ancient Glaciers of North Wales, and other points bear- and the result of his inquiries led him to the belief that
ing on the Glaciation of the Country." Mr. J. Beete the operative workmen do not receive a fair proportion of
Jukes next read a paper explanatory of " The One-inch the profits of labour. He had also been led to the belief
Map of the Northern part of the county Wicklow, and that a means might be devised, whereby this desirable
describing the scale of colouring adopted for the igneous result might be brought about without prejudice to the
rocks." Professor Harkness read a paper "On the An- employers. This, ho suggested, might be effected by an
thracite deposits and the vegetable remains of the Silas- alteration in the law of partnership. He was of opinion
rians of the South of Scotland," The business of the that the country was now in a transition state. The
section was concluded for the day by the Rev. W. Sy- speaker was proceeding to show how the present method
monds exhibiting " New and interesting fossils from Wor- of paying labour ought to be altered, and another system
cestershire and Gloucestershire." adopted, when
SECTION D.—ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, INCLUDING The CHAIRMAN interposed, on the suggestion of Col.
PHYSIOLOGY. Sykes, and decided that the discussion must be confined
A communication from Professor J. McCash "On the strictly to statistics.
traces of harmonious colours in plants, and the plumage of Mr. MoswitTow MILNES, M.P., said it had been stated
birds," was read by Dr. Lankester. The next paper read that at the beginning of the Preston strike the rate of
was "On the association of colours, and the relations of wages at Preston was below that of other manufacturing
colour and form in plants," by Dr. Dickie. Mr. Warring- towns. He should be glad to know something as to
ton read " Memoranda of observations on the balance that fact.

.eference was

maintained between animal and vegetable organisms in Mr. Asnwourn said it was not so. It was said that
sea water." Professor Owen gave an interesting explana- the wages at Blackburn were ten per cent. more than in
tion of the anatomy of the great anteater (Myrmecophaga Preston, but that was not the fact. In some cases in
Jubata) of South America, a younger specimen of which, Blackburn ten per cent. more was paid than in Preston,
from the Derby Museum, was placed upon the table. It but, on the other hand, there were also instances where
was, he said, scarcely possible to find more specimens of ten per cent. more was paid in Preston than in Blackburn.
the higher vertebrated animals anywhere than there were It depended upon the machines and the description of
in the Derby Museum in Liverpool, and he paid a high cloth.
compliment to Mr. Moore, the able curator of that insti- A lengthened discussion followed, in the course of which
tution. Dr. Inman read a paper "On the Power by which The Rev. J. CLAY, Chaplain to the Preston House of
Insects are enabled to adhere to smooth perpendicular sur- Correction, said he wished to add a few figures as to what
faces," which was followed by a short discussion. Mr. had been stated about the Preston strike. Mr. Ashworth
James Yates, F.R.S., followed with an account of the had named the number out of employment during the
Stanqeria paradoxa, a plant discovered four or five years strike at 17,000. Now, from careful inquiries which he
ago, at Natal, and which was at first supposed to belong to had made, he was inclined to estimate the number at
the fern tribe. Mr. Patterson afterwards exhibited some 18,000, and it was right that the section should know of
specimens of delicate marine animals, collected by Mr. what particular parties the persons on strike consisted. He
John Price, of Birkenhead, on the coast of Wales, and had been enabled to obtain the sex and ages from one of the
which had been sent by Mr. Price for the inspection of largest mill-owners in Preston, and from these data he had
the section. Two other papers were entered in the pro- come to the conclusion that of the 18,000, 8,200 were males
gramme of the day's proceedings, but there was not time and 11,800 females ; boys under 13, 620; girls under 13,
to read them, and they were withheld, to be read on a 650; youths 13 and not more than 18, 1,530 ; girls be-
future day. tween the same ages were no less than 4,400; men above
SECTION E.—GEOGRAPHY AND ETHNOLOGY. 18, 4,050 ; females above 18, 6,750. There was another
A communication from Captain C. Sturt, Dr. J. W. F. thing which was of importance in this strike. He had rea-
Blundell, and G. S. Wilson, geologist to the expedition, son to believe, from data in his possession, that there were
"On the exploring expedition to the north coast of
1,000 females employed in the mills amongst the 18,000
the Victoria river, Australia," was read by Dr. Shaw.
who were the mothers of infants under five years of age.
It appeared that the object of the expedition is to coin- That was, that there were 1,000 females generally in the
factory, who, on the occasion of the strike, were enabled
mence on the northern coast, at the Victoria river, tra-
to pay that attention to their infants which their oceupa-
verse the country between it and the Albert, examine
i any rivers it may • intersect, and endeavour to, ascertain
the northern limits of the desert. From the limited ex-
pedition at first contemplated such a track would have
been advisable; but, if her Majesty's government con-
templated a more enlarged investigation of the interior, tion in the factory prevented. This must be taken in con-
the with another fact, which he had undoubted autho-
rity for stating. 'The number of infant deaths in Preston
amongst the operative spinners, during the six months of
its range must be extended and such knowledge of the' the strike, was 497, whereas the number in the six months
before the strike was 694. This fact, the section would per-
whole northern
interior might be acquired as would ren- haps think, raised the important question how far it was
der further examination and expense unnecessary; also proper to encourage the employment in our cotton mills of
any expedition should have general
instructions to traverse and examine a certain portion of
that the leader offemales who had young infants at home which required
mthoevceomnetninteanaot,oloeradviinngg
tiot histtohotheir attention. (Hear, hear.)
nature of the country and
judgment to
The impression
.of Capt. Sturt A vote of thanks having been passed to Mr. Ashworth
regulate his
Itlesncseupopflianes.inland sea, in a direction almost closed the business of the section for the day, and its
the Victoria. The paper included much irate- ceedings were adjourned till Friday.
pro-
testate
leeoxofisf
SECTION G.-MECHANICAL SCIENCE.
formation connected with Australia,At the meeting of this section, the President intimated
of such an expedition as tending toand
and the extension of the blessings e that it was not usual to go very seriously into works or
of promotet. details on this section till Friday, as there is a difficulty
nds now in a state of idolatry and barbarism. in getting heavy models and other matters connected with
~ations were also read from Dr. J. W. F. Blun- the business of the section ; and no reason existed to alter
of - . Wilson, geologist to the expedition, approv- that general arrangement now. In these circumstances,
i '', iposed expedition as being most desirable and the business was adjourned till Friday.
•: .. to the colony and the mother country. A SOIREE AT ST. GEORGE'S HALL.
iversation followed, during which Sir R. H. Inglis The first soiree under the auspices of the association
provingly of the expedition, and said that it was took place on Thursday evening, at St. George's Hall.
to organise it in order to develope the resources The attendance, while sufficiently numerous to fill the
f the most important colonies in the possession of hall, was yet of a nature to afford sufficient accommoda-
n. The chairman intimated that he had received tion to the promenaders, who moved about In brilliant
\
'nom Captain Sturt, stating that raeastuvi had , throngs through gallery and corridor, The appearance of