The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1866-04-21

sive Of slaves, are at present on strike for a
rise Of wages, with every prospect Of carrying
their point Since the grea strike Of 1884,
their wages have remained comparatively the
same, and it was not until every other trade
had re peatedly demanded and received rise
Of wages, that the tailors followed suit In
referring at length to this matter the Com
monreaith says:
II ever the London taiors had chance to
improve their condition, now is the time
| Their number has not increased, since 1871
| II has rather decreased. In 1851 there were
22,479 tallors in the metropolitan district !;
in 1861 there were only 22,30l, and more
than SOC, 900 more people to be clothed than
in 1851. Above all, it has been proved more
than once in courts of law that 33 per cent
clear profit is reckoned fair in West-end
tailoring ought not the men to participate
to some extent, in the extra grains Ought
they not at least to receive as much as men
in other trades, in which masters are con-
tented with smaller profits
On Monday, March 25th, the journeymen
tailors Of Edinburgh, Scotland, to the num-
Der Of 900 turned out on a strike, the en-
ployers refusing to accept the schedule
recently adopted by the men. A committee
Of conference failing to secure settlement
many Of the men Immediately left for Lon
don ana Liverpool, which had the effect Of
bringing most Of the employers to terms.
co-oPERArlvE BANKS.
A recent issue of the Co-opeyator, contain
ed the following remarks concerning the
possibility Of organizing Cooperative Bank
ing Company
We think the plan Of cooperative banks,
similar TO those in operation on the Cont
nent, would be feasible and beneficial in this
country. Some stores have gut Of capital,
whilst others are deficient, and suffer many
consequent disadvantages We preached
the subject of loans and an interchange Of
store capital to the wholesale society awhile
ago and we still think that that trust
worthy society might be the nucleus Of the
first cooperative bank.
ARBITRATION.
On Wednesday, March 2Sth, the builders
OF Birmingham, masters and men, including
the bricklayers, carpenters and Jolners, and
laborcrs, numbering 600 in ali, met ID the
Town hail. and appointed arbitrator to de
eide whether the recent claim for an advance
of wages and a decrease Of hours shall be
granted, and to make regulations for the
government Of the trades. A resolution was
passed unanimously binding masters and
men to abide by the result Of arbitration.
The Mayor presto ID, and the meeting was
quite orderly.
At recent meeting Of the workincmen
employed in the IRON trade Of Paisley, Scot
land, the following resolutions was unan-
imously adopted
That the iron trade having experienced
for number Of years the great grievance Of
curtailment Of the meal hours to make up
for the Saturday afternoon, this meeting
solicit the employers Of Paisley to grant
their employees the same reduction q work
ing time as has been conceded to some other
trades in this district, and in number Of
other towns in Scotland-nameiy, 81 hours,
without corresponding reduction Of wages,
said 81 hours to constitute full week.
THE NINE HovR MOVEMENT.
Al recent conference Dtlu OetWecn tne
iron ship builders and the workmen Of the
Tyne and Tees, held at neutrality-suspicious.,
March 81, Mr.. Bannerman submitted the
following statement Of figures showing the
number Of hours worked in the principal
cities Of Great Britain
In London the average hours per week
were 5st, and the wages paid to filters,
machinists, pattern makers, blacksmiths,
were 3ss week, and some Of the old hands
had as far as 40s. and AIS per week. AT
Birkenhead the hours averaged $50, and the
wages FOR filters 29s. to 33s., turner's 30s. TO
Sos, platers 2fs. to sos, pattern makers sos
to as. At Manchester the hours were 59l /;
filters 90s., millwrights 30s., pattern makers
SIS. ,,platers 2Ss. At Edinburgh the average
hours were sc, and at Dundee and Aber
deem 81.
Meetings Of the various trades in Liver
pool, Manchester and Birmingham, have been
held for the purpose Of urging reduction Of
the hours Of daily labor from 10 70 8 hours
CARPENTERS.
The carpenters of Folkesston, England,
and Aberdeen, Scotland, are On a strike, one