The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1866-11-10
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PRIZE ESSAYS...NO. 4.
TRADES UNIONS

b. Joas WsLsoE, Pen-blAde Grinder. shenHeld.
Beiug the Essay which awarded. by the AdindcA
tor, Mr. John Stuart Mil. MP. the second Prize Of
e. offered BY Me.srs. CAsseI Peter, ard GAlpn, for
Essays By Working Men.
have given q terrible catalogue from
which any one can judge how far some
uuiJns connive at outrages. No nan, how
ever, has called more loudly for proof Of
the completely of the unions Than the Sec
rotary of the saw-grinders. | have seen
sufficient proof in some dozens Of polite
| epistles, either IN my OWE possession, or in
/ that OF various manufacturers, or Of the late
chief constable. The Watch Committee
would have done the toxn some service by
publishing a volumne Of Bellies Letters"
edited by such 4 literary character as the
author Of" z om Brown" The capital a.
is very prominent in the saw-lrade liters-
ture.
have publicly said the trade secretaries
can prevent them. Ii any one wants proof.
| point to another branch OF the trade, viz /,
the SasoEdkers. They are about double the
number OF the grinders, aud yet Mr.. Holy
cake, Professor Kingsley, the Rev Mr.. Ches-
ter. and the press Of the country were de-
nouncing the Acorn Street ufiifdef me Sc
cretary Of the Sawmakers Union, in letter
dated December goth, 1851, in the Iadspen-
dent, says eve do not profess TO be all
perfection, but zoe haze neVer been implicated
in such Gtr0cioits deeds, and schsie 4 ana sec
rotary zoe never shall" These are some Of
the advantages Of trades unions. No CON-
bination ever ruled more desposically than
the one held up to public Reproduction. But
- h - T. nwea. mr<F
articles in the SHEFFIELD Telegraph, entitled
Peals from a Partisan Anvil, by Sheffield
Smith" October 2lst, 1861 | find the fol-
lowing =" Perhaps the closest-handed,
grinding tyranny exerc, sed to their CO mates
the makers, has been TIE saw-srinders'. No
matter who would suffer in the matter OF
prices they would not They most always,
like spoiled children whom every body gives
way to for quietness' SAKE, have that share
of the industrial pudding with the moat
gravy on, or the most currants In IL, or
Tiers would be disturbance, and ten % one
the things would be smashed"
mr.. Wilson then proceeds 70 ask how
far this policy has been successful. Quoting
from q paper read ct the Sheffield meeting
Of the Social Science Association, by M.
Dron6eld, the secretary Of the " Organixed
Trades" he shows that the policy Of the
unlonists has been successful de declares
tnat the result Of unioaism v oPpositloa 70
machinery, and that this opposition % M
chinerg Is driving Assay traes from Sheffield.
Ia support OF his views, Mr. Wlsoa fur
nishes many arguments. too lsngthy y ~
repeated here. 10 then statssl s--Anos1sr
|disadvantage arises ffom the nnions nt1amp1-
ing to exeludsali but the assns 81 fsssasn.s
This Is the case nth ths 6lssmifhs, and
some Of the grindsrs' unio1s. This acts iljnE-
iously towards those kept out, bus there u
greater evil, which l do mot remember To-
have seen publicly stated this 10 the sm-
ployment Of very young shildren. The
oarti report Of the ChitdRsn's Emp1oynent]
Commission strongly condemns tbs pracsics
Of putting young boys 20 such unhsalthy
Occupations Is 6le-cuttng and grading,
Nov, the fact = notorjc0s that the vorst
cases or infant labor found By the Conmis-
sionsrs, we're those Of children working uith
their fathers Dr.. J. 9. Hall hrs mas fsas