The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1867-12-14

Lord Elcao. MP sl
The Risht Hon. Sir RpxuE.D WANNA HEAn. Bart.
A. 68
slr DAsssL Gooou. Bart Il. r..
HsxxAI MsAUALH, ESQ. o. ..
JAHss B0vrH. Esq. q. 3.
THOMAS HU9Has, ksq', n. p.
RKRDncK HARRIscB, No.
Mr.. ROBERT APPLEGARrn examined.
icosrrxrrDI
Mr.. Hughes-You take the cases where
shs nea in your trade are well employed to
guide yss ~ your leCisionp Yes.
Dir Harrison-Have yoa ssy means Of
cersaining what 10 the amount Of demand for
your labor, whatis likely 20 be required by
the public, by contractors, and % forth p
Yes we haVe the Builder and other very
excellent newspA oers WHICH give accounts Of
tenders ana large Jobs, and II there is any
doubt at all on the question, tWo disiuter-
ested parties (or one, ~ the case may be)
are sent down TO ascertain what Jobs are 20
ing on In the neighborhood, and t. make the
fullest Investigation into the state OF trade,
90 a. TO know whether the men are really
asking what is reasonable, and whether
they are pretty unanimous in what they are
asking.
Gas you bring anything to show whoth or
strikes have boon more frequens or less frs-
ou4nt since the time that your society has
been in vlgor, a. compared with the time
when il Was not in full operation, or rs be-
tween districts where yonr society has not
many bran sizes compared with. districts where
veur society is strong in branches A far
as nv experience goes strikes have been
rather more frequent, bat on . very small
scale. during the last four years. havs not
ascertained accurately what strikes there
nsss bees .auAsids Of ear own society but
taking the past ten Yeas previous TO the
existence Of our society think that certainly
there would be mere strikes then than now ;
yet during the lase four years thsy have been
frequens, but Of very short duration.
Can YOU compare the strikes 10 districts
to which your society does mot extvr "r in
which similar societies are uos In exists &c
wish those iu distrets where your sociesy ID
strongf We have NO means Of getting 90
curate information. Generally speaking,
men not ii association accept terms less IA
vorable than the meu In association.
Do voa consider shss the existence and
the strenRth Of yonr society has done maeh
q raise the tate Of wages and 70 shorten the
hears or labor in different towns, and have
ves corstruceed any table showing the ave
rare increase in this respect Yea wilf hnt
thst On page ten Of the last ansud report
make the following remarks On the taole'
which show the increase OF wages and tht
reduction Of working hours which has takes
place. says sTAe preceding table snt
summary contain nnsh valuable information
and also present fsSts which srs - remark
able ~ they are eneourAging. During tn
past year no lees than ffty-two diAsren
towns have obtaiesd IN advance of WsGss
varying from Sd % - psr wssk. v tAirt,
| diaerenf fowns the members have obtains(
: reduction In their working hour, varyinl
| from half-an-hour TO Ave hours per week
and it 10 worthy Of special remark thai, ,siao
the opening Of brsoch Of tAis sseisty u
Bradford, the working hoars ef thas tow
have besn reduced 81 Per usek, end n I'd
vance Of IL. per wssSs and this q cost o
fsw shillings."
On yse s6os that shs rsssls y dee 70 IL
ezisssnee Of the sesiseyf ! saa enly ssy, D
| far ~ Brndford is ssaosrnsd (takile shas =
IN inssance), there Sss No other sooiesy 4
sxisseats, shat cur nsa wws cosGisuali
sgitasing, il . very basfness Ike names
with their empleysrs, ssd thak TIE rssul
| has been, 90 here stated. tnat they have 70
their working hours reduced nd - wage
| Increased. t.e .f3ers Ttsss ~ tsiS
L4sc I'D ysu nsstioa a.y to tsvss vhss
ths cpmstanoee are ss6kGiGnEiy aliks. :
shoH rhat ia The toWn uksre yosr sosise
kas been STRONG : rkse - Wless q ssa
other adEansAgs las bsGalI Eu1ns4 vAils 4
he Other sown whses yoaf sosEsGy -uas ~
leerpng, advausa9oe beng enjDpl, 4hey hag
not bsem Rminedf. Yes. i'll you rssor 70 q
liable 0f ss4zfs6fes e 80 elehk. - "a