The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1868-08-29

M 0H<Ett8tI VI 9tnto su3S IL WINK w
pr pose. Is II not That is our view, and
will only say this further IA. the matter o
J inspection with regard to ventilation, that !
: does appear hard to us, a. class. that ever
} now and then for the interest OF individua
coal-owners, or through their neglect, ssvera
hundred should be hurried into eternity
J and their wives and families left 10 desti-
tuition.
Is there any other point that yoa look I.
IN legislation to be obtained from the aclios
Of your union upon the legislature With
10 nv own knowledge for twenty five year,
tand fad IL in the records in the variou,
blue books THAI have already advsrted CO.
We have complained bitterly, and to tell th,
number Of strikes that have occurred
through this cause which am about 10 ad
vert TO, believe would b. utterly inpossi.
ole. allude to uniform system OF weigh
ing Ia Lancashire and | would just state
that firmly believe that but for tne heart
burning it has caused, aud but for the con-
tinual source OF annoyance and grievance il
has been in that county to my personal
knowledge for the last 10 wears, very prob
ably this unfortuate strike would not have
occurred that il now going on But the
state Of the matter is this, that 1t Is a chrOn
ic source Of evil in that county, that the
mems Goals are condemned. 1t has been so
in Scotland also.
Mr.. Matnews-Are you speaking OF York
shire nowp | am speaking of Lancashire
at the present moment TIE mems Goa :
are condemned, when they come up at night
they fld large quantity VI their coal away
tor some wlin OF the employer WHAT We
have been asking for (snd we got D artion
u what we asked in the statute of 1850.
which was bitterly opposeJ,) is a clause II
the statute that there should b. wei shts
aud that u should b: done By weighing or
measuring; that is the Law, but that Is eva..
ed, and At the present moment there Il a.
! the result rankling feeling In nearly every
mining district "a the United KING so,n.
And tell the gentlemen around this table
that nothing will prevent outb eak,, and
nothing ca3 prevent outbreaks while this
chronic evil ~ existing, and what we want is
that the Legislature shall make il q Law,
common to Us and TO other people, that
when we are selling our commodity it shall
be weighed strictly By the stan lard weights
oi the country, aud that the inspector Of
weights shall visit US as he does ether Dor
tons Of the Community.
Lord Echo-that is the Recommendation
Of the mmittee Of the House of ImmOas,
Is IT notf That is the recomm endatlon Of
the Committee now.
Mr.. Mathe ss-Is it not provided for nowg
drew ous the clause in 1860, but il was
mutllated. Ii permits the men 60 put on q
justice-man, bu. the employer has the pow
or Of turuing him oE. And therefore, the
expedient adopted is this, 20 turn of the man
n h. VI 1au anA kaar fatr. lnU ha Oft
And then they can weigh or measure under
that statute, and OF course those VINO do not
want to measure have no standard, there
are no standards ordered, and no inspection
Of weights. WHAT we contend is, that We
sell our commodity, and in selling our com
modify we are entitled 20 have the result Of
our lobor fairly weighed in the same way rs
the employer does when selling TO his Gus
toner.
Cnairman-I understand that that is 80
now by the statutef Ii is not 80; clause 20
says, that "where the persons employed 10
any coal mine, colliery, or Ironsione mine are
paid by the weight, measure, OF guase of the
coal, ironstone, or other material gotten 6y
them, sucn coal, ironstone or otner material
shall be truly weighed, measured Or gaagsd
accordingly" Well, W. nave applied asal0
aud again, have applied in every county Ia
Scotland for inspectors OF weights, bat We
nave no power, there is no stanJari 0y
which they are truly weighed. IL mas bsea
interpreted again aud again il the courts
that "truly weghe1" means according to
the contract, aud they may exact 45 cwt for
ton. or 100 cwt. for ton, or anything else
they ike. That il the reading Of the courts,
and unfortunately that Is very largely the
practice Of some of the employers Tney
are not all alike.
Earl Of Litchd sld-What was the clause
which you drew yourselfs | have not II
here, but w.h put 1t in.
Vas 1t IN the original bill Il was clause
brought in by Mr.. Ayrton, it is in the records
OF the House.
Would the clause that you proposed at
that time be satisfactory to you now
Yes, the same clause would be satisfactory
now.
Mr.. Mathews is it not competent to the
workmen ~ these places where you say they
are nos fairly dealt with TO refuse to work
Ior these masIerss Yes, and that is a
strike.
50 that il they decline to exercise the
discretion that tney are investeA with, you
must not blame the masters for that ! No.
but II is not competent for q grocer to have
Illegal weights. u for n tailor or cIothler to
have iIiegai measures. Tns grocer cannot
ask contract with illegal weights, nor the
talior with illegal measures.
b Lord Elcho-rhat argument of the man
leaving the employment because the clause
is imperfect would apply equally If there
4 were no such clause al all, would it not
4 Yes.
i You contend that for some cause o,
other the Law is a dead letter IN that res
pectl Yes.
What Is the next point in which you de
sire Improvement Another cause Of com
plaint amoag the miners is tne truck systetn
| 10 ScotlAnI II Is must vbnoxIoas, "a Wac
Il Is a.so very obnoxrols, and IA S-AJori
; shire.
/. Unairm in-DJes our iAw as 10 truck ex
lcnj % SsollAads Yes, tne lAw sx.esis q
! Scotland, Dug tue prAc-icss AAe v0sfJx 4ou-
Aa tn-re are mum 'er VI thIags psacI.c \
IN ad, i,iIu " selsl e gods, Sh Gu ase O.
voaoxIous ~ the mea, aa in wh Gu the In.
; - svAdsd 0y tue masters. 4 wlh .s.-r l
! Que snlcL is q chrome cause Vi c0nPlaia
7, A c.hiery osn,r appoints sDedicAl advises
ns nakes the msn pay for ;.st meiic-. ..
!. wiser, aud tney nave either ~ ~ - taal INA
b Or employ another Tns men ~ not objst
4 70 . az requiring them 20 pay fSr msiles
' ADVISER, bat Iney ~ Vblscs " tls saods 4
Appointment oI that man wh1 Is, perhaps
. the most sacred tina. enters famLy, 10 a
6 character anu bis position.
fro Bs 0okrIxUED-I %
: Two can PiAv as that Gane.
el Mrs. Ford lived with her new husban
q happily as = duck IN pea garden, for ss
ersi m0nths. wien the usual tnOughtles