The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-01-28
xHE WHITE SLAVES OF ENGLAND.


FREQ Labor at Starvation Point.
ounIOUs DEVELOPMENTS OF TRIAL FOR LIBEL
WHITE MAN EARNS DOLLAR AND HALF PER
WkEK-THE GROCERY STORE sYsrEA-sTRUddLES
or FREE LABoRERs AGAINST THE TRUcKAAsrEK-
THE STARVING STOCKING wEAvERS OF LEICESTER
from the London Weekly Dispatch
ne TRIAL in the Court OF Exchequer Is not calculated 70
enhance our enjoy Of the Christmas season. II Is
pleasant such time, when We are enjoying the good
iApss of this life, TO heleve-even at the expense of
NAT for the hungry fed that the houseess
have shelter and dinner that there rejoicing in the
workhuse ghtness OF heart in the refuge for the des
sase and genial has shed Of its comfort
1ng rays into every bosom. We do not exactly like TO
think Of unpleasant matters To be told that thousands OF
working men, skilled and Industrious toling for If
teen hours day, and then earning for the support OF
themselves and families something less than the wages Of
London GRAND boy. Yet such is the case with the
aenee-as depoeed to by man in the employ OF the
Plaintiff who certainly had no reason to make the matter
worse than sthat ga skful workman can earn from
los 70 lbs. per week" This is somewhat qualified by
The admssion-'We once had q man who earned lbs. Q
week" So that workman sufficiently expert to earn
phenomenon, indeed Of stocking weaving The witness
added-"The paid from S. per week upwards to
Ia 3d. &c. and 9s from the gross earnings we deduction
The rent OF the frames II man earns los. week, he
will pay from 3d. TO Cd for scanning the stockings
certainly not Is 3d. and Is for the rent Of the frame"
About S. Co., then, may be taken according their evil
dsnee the weekly earnings Of good hand with full
work. The frame, We are afterwards told costs about
f2 lbs year rent gets tolerably liberal per centage
1pr bis outlay. Another witness, himself frame knter
says-"1he earnings Of narrow frame kniters average
between g. and r. per week. liable to deductions of ID
N the L. for securing the stockings candles needles
n ADDITION 10 ls week rent for the Frame leaving
from g. Cd to ss 3D. to live upon. speak Of the whole
u the worRmen and workpeopes earnings averaging that
sam 1t would require fifteen hours work day for 1--WE
days. and eight hours the sixth day TO earn 12s per
week From that there would have to be deducted Is.
for the ame h. for scouring would cost a. or Sd for
senses at this time Of the year, and there would be
sstmateThe gross earnings Of any average hand 7s
or S. per week, out OF which %. or D. lod have be
deducted leaving g. if he earned IS. IN the gross;
have earned l2s. week gross at the
rev frame, working fifteen hours \ day." How
b 1t possible that families be supported such
. phtancef What horrible scenes Of desutu,ion are
hidden in the cellars and garres of Leicestershre No
wsnder that one Of the witnesses compelled Dor
clothes in order that might be enabled to appear
with common decency in court We do not wish to make
any comments on the trial. beyond saying that the bels
complained Of appear to have been prompted by
Jury decided in favor Of the plaintiff while awarding very
ANAL damages, though quite much, we think as the
WE'LL Mr. Homer TO have thought that the poor starving
creatures had good ground Of complaint To have been
httle liberal in the matter Of frame hire and not
quite ready 10 drag the editor Of q newspaper into
London law court at an immense expense for witnesses
and cossP The jury by the verdict have declared
sAs charge Of syranny was substantated and the
eyhet truckmaster undeserved; so are forced 10
tie conclusion that the shilling week for frame was
. morally justhabe deduction; that the position Of Mrs.
poor creatures who spent the best part of their pay
earnings her counter acted under compusion but
simply preferred her groceries TO the supplied by
any other dealer Poor knitters We wish they had the
prospect Of good Christmas dinners Since writing the
aeove, we see that the Judge has the application Of
Tie counsel for the defendant consented to stay execution
sAesti0n to the Judges ruling being rendered. 80 that
trial may perhaps alter the present aspect Of the
oase.
THE CASE IN ACTION.
An action, Homer Taunton, was tried in the Court Of
chequer before the Lord Chief Baron, Tuesday and
Wednesday, This was an action for libel, which was Of
peculiar interest," as illustrating the state Of the working
hands In the stocking manufacture of Leicestershre and
The low wages they receives which has recently resulted
n the strike which led to the publication Of the alleged
HbsL The declaration charged the defendant had in
hi newspaper, called the Nidland Erpress published In
Lecesershre the 2ls Of May and the 10th Of Sep
1ember last printed two lbes impung to the plaintiff
Suppression and tyranny the working people in his
employ, and also with being truckmaster To this the
: be- oepus was true NJ Hawkins s and Mr. Tsourd
SAker were counsel for the plaintiff Mr.. Edwin James,
Nr. Henry James and Mr. Jacobs appeared for the de-
6ndant Neither Of the leading counsel was able TO ap
hough Of course, they quite able receive
their iees both being engaged in the other Of Ns
srreeS ~ IF the learned Judge that
shs junior 4 Md light it out" an attempt 70 obtain
sesrsccn and apology from the defendant having failed
M. Salter opened The for the plaintiff stocking
manufacturer Of Erie Shelton Hnckley in Leces
sershre and who in May last employed between 200 and
80 vorkpeope. The plaintiff had married person who
carried business in the town. his wife continuing
BEND 10 the grocery business while he devoted his aten
ton 70 n ma The The s ~as held in high
warden, and was now guardian Of the poor 80 that
nothing could affect his character than charge Of
charge IN one Of the bes-that he acted harshy
persons In his employ by reducing their wages and that
10 Was uuckmaster person who instead Of paying
hgs his wes shop. Both Of these charges the plain
It'd Indignantly denied Up to March last the plaintiff and
ing, like the other manufacturers in the neghborhood
decreased the wages and finding did not pay, he had 70
was omenied by articles the defendants newspaper
which had large circulation amongst the working classes
The woTkmen therefore, struck and remained strike
for about fifteen weeks. The practice for the
Acturels to rent the frames which the stockings
worked to the work people at H. per week. and the plain
~ desired reduce this amount on what were known as
the working frames to 3D.. and at the time
70 make propoonate decrease in the wages, which, In
the result would benefit the work people. In oonse
IA the defendants newspaper, tho first signed By order
Of the rade accusing the panrT OF tyranny ana advo
ssned T skstehev was for this injury DE- done 10 b
~ = trader that he row sought for damages.
THE EVIDENCE.
The evidence "a much too long 10 give In detail The
grocery business be never directly or indirectly used
HI influence with his work people to send them there TO
purchase groceries or with tickets and that the articles
he complained Of reflected upon his conduct and cal
salated to hold him up TO public opprobrium. In
sress examnsto he said that the narrow frame
workers struck first, and then the wide frame
workers were induced TO do 60; that he raised the
wages Of bis work people in the first instance and then
reduced them He had attended meeting, but had not
been Influenced by any other manufacturers There
considerable difference OF opinion about the change and his
gave him two hours notice that they intended put.
ting his frames into the street, and proceeded at the end
that time to do Altogether the strike lasted fifteen
weeks The alterations be had made advanced the wages
Il some reduced those of others He had heard the
Attendants columns were open to him, but he had de-
chned 70 them. skiled and very industrious man
could before the alterations earn lis or 12s week,
even more He could not give average Of what the
hands earned Some took the work home with hem and
worked or played they thought fit His wifes shop
vas formerly under and aconed the factory and there
was . passage communicating, through which the work
people obliged pass the shop. An alteration
had been made and there communication between
The shop the factory The witness denied that
he had given tickets one for goods in the ahop
instead of money wages told girl that unless she
spent Of her earnings at the shop she would cease
be employed; that he had ever given man named
Horton q ticket for his wages.
william wall, the piainhs foreman, was then called,