New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-03-04
The Labor Quarrel i'm England.

called, from the circumstance that it grew
out of several smaller associations of the
different trades, the Ama'gamated Society
Of Engineers. Its object is at once to Sc.
cure to men out of work or afflicted by sick.
ness the benefits of mutual aid, and to pro.
tect its members against too severe hours Of
labor and other oppressive requirements on
the part of their employers. The Society
numbers some 1000 members, and has ac'
cumulated large fund for the payment OF
benefits. The branches Of industry em.
braced in the organization are among the
most important carried on in England, and
occupy vast capital as well as a great
number of hands, of whom the members OF
the Society constitute only portion.
Among the evils which these workmen
have had to complain Of was |. the COM
pelling them to labor an unreasonable time
for days work often they were obliged
to toll, for weeks together, from thirteen to
eighteen hours day; and 2. when piece-work
was given them, they were required to exc
cute it at such price as the employer
might fix. In word, there was no stand
ard, either of the number of hours consti.
tuting days work, or of the price for any
job of piece-work. In that respect, the
trades were in state of anarchy and law.
lessness, resulting necessarily in great in
justice and suffering inflicted upon the la
borer by the employer or middleman.
AS early as September, 1850, the ANAL
gamated Society took these evils into con-
sideration, and passed resolutions deprecat-
ing excessive hours of labor and unregulated
piece-work, as systematic practices at the
same time they sent circulars to the afiil-
lated Societies to ascertain their opinion on
the subject. The result was, that out Of
10000 members only l6 were in favor of
continuing the existing state of things ;
and finally, at meeting ofthe Society held
at Manchester in November last, it was de-
termined that after the LIST of January, 1852,
ten hours should constitute days work,
and that no member of the Society would
work more than that. At the same time it
was determined that piece-work should be
discontinued until an equitable scale of
prices should be established for its perform
ance.
Such were the demands of the workmen,
and we think no impartial and fair minded
person can regard them as unreasonable.
They were adopted not only by the MEN,
bers of the Society, but by the great mass of,
or at least, very large proportion Of the
workers at the same trades who were not
members. The employers refused to sub
NIT to such "dictation," or to come to any
arrangement not based on the unqualified
submission of the men. Indeed, in many
cases, they went further, and required them
to renounce the Amalgamated Society,
though they knew that such step would
be to throw away all right to the benefits
of its fund, to which the workman had, per-
haps for years, been contributor. The
workmen refused to accede to these re.
quirements they were ready and anxious
to 90 on with their labor at the rate of ten
hours fer days work; to strike was no
part Of their intention, and they desired as
soon as possible to come to an amicable ar.
rangement with respect to the rates OF
piece-work. But the employers held out !;
large proportion of them formed Union
among themselves to resist the demands
and on preconcerted day, January 10, es-
adjustments employing some twenty-odd
thousand nsn, were closed. There was no
strike on the part of the workmen; it was
the employers who struck; and they did so,
as it seems to US, on quite unjustiiable and
discreditable grounds.
But what in our view is most worthy OF
attention in the matter, is the course of the
workmen after this wholesale discharge.
The first care Of the Amalgamated Society
was to protect those turned out agains. the
danger of starvation, and in this their aid
extended to such as were not, as well as 10
such as were, members of the Society. They
also took care to bring the dispute properly
before the public, that great arbiter in every
extensive cause. Meetings. were held,
statements and circulars were published,
and the question at once rose into promi-
-nence as a topic Of universal discussion in
the press and elsewhere. Still the great
practical aim Of the workmen was to take
advantage of the crisis, set up for them
selves. and become their own employers.
Here was shewn the effect of that flood OF
6cbt which. during the past ten wears. has