The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1845-05-10

Social Reform Meeting In Chat,.om Square.
The regular meeting for discussion ON this subject,
took place on Sunday afternoon at the old Franklin
Theatre, in Chatham Square, bu, in consequence of
the lnfdel Convention being in full operation at the
hour, but limited number of persons attended,
and the discussions that were anticipated were not
gone into However, a Chairman was appointed, Mr.
SMITH by name, and in few general remarks he cx-
planned the object ther Assocation-the benefits to
be derived from their plans and the great advantages
that would accrue to mankind in general, would they
enter into tie ideas laid down by Mr. Owen He ar
gued that the immense surplus ofa kinds of produce
manufactured and otherwise, that is accommodating in
consequence of the great increase of labor saving
machines, will inevitably lead 10 general crash, en-
failing ruin, distress, and misery thousands who,
even in the present state of affairs, enjoyed good
living II was well known fact in political economy
that the greater the produce of any of people,
the greater the difficulty in the majority of them OBJ
tanning fair share OF their proportion, the product
OF their labor generally being divided among the few
capitalists, whose wealth was thus enormously in
creased, 10 the derment OF the absolute operative
| To support this argument he need only point to the
condition OF the aborlng classes OF Europe, where,
with the immense amount Of labor saving machine
ny employed there exists want poverty, and des.
ttuton, than in any country in the world IT. the other
hand mankind could be persuaded each Individually to
assist with their labor what different state of things
would exist. Then every would stand equal
footing and poverty and its attending horrors, would be
driven from the world lie state, that farm
in Pennsy yana containing 500 square acres had been
bought and paid for by this Association and has been in
successful operation for two years; they erected
saw-ms and various cottages, barns, &c The Society
also has contributing branches in Philadelphia Newark
Paterson Taunton Mass and this day they had received
application from Psburgh their collection altogether
averaged about hundred dollars per month"; they had
about "a 500 capital stock subscribed for of which about
$1,000 paid in For fifty dollars person could
home for life for himself and family, free from the
vcissudes and of the present mode OF existence
and this fact alone rendered object of consideration
for those who even now above all want, but who
might yet by the revolving wheel of fortune be reduced
to necessity. MIR Smith excused himself from speaking
further he merely had taken the chair in the absence
of the regular members, who attending the lnhde
Convention and though there but small aendancc
he still invited any who inclined Tor discussion
the subject to step toward
After some little delay, Mr. HUNTER stepped up TO the
rostrum and stated that the great curse OF communities
was overproducton He would cxcmpbiy this from
fact he had obtained from Mr. r. Owen viz: that six
years ago the population of Great Britain, mechanical
and human amounted 20 fifty millions. AZ that period
steam power had not been extensively applied to
machinery as has since which may Judge OF from
the fact, that at this time II is equal human and me-
chanical, to eight hundred mions-and in the same
ratio that this increase has taken place has tho difficulty
Of obtaining livelihood increased In former days,
when this immense ovcrpus was not produced, the
comforts of life more plenty and more easily OBJ
tanned than Mt present The human mind mas hitherto
been altogether directed to the acquisition Of wealth,