The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1868-05-16
MIRUTEs or EvIpERcE.

MiRUTEs or EVIDENCE.
RsYal commission appointed to Inquire
into Trade Unions.
PHnsxxrs
Ths Right Hon. SIR wnuAn KaLs In the Chair
fhs Right Hon The EARL OF LIoHymLD.
Lord ELCHo. MP
fhs Right IISn. Sir EpxusD wAixsn HEAD. Bart
eir DAsrsL Cocoon, Bart, MP.
HaaEAn MsaIvALE, Esq- o. b.
fnoAAs HUsHss, ESQ. NJ. p.
rzHDRIcE HAHRlsOE. Esq.
Mr.. RoBERT APrLEcARrH examined.
IcoSrnUKD.I
You want o competence during the active
time OF q mans life with enough to lay By
provision for the futurei For every indus
trous man. There was another thing thai
l wished to refer to. Mr.. Mault, when asked
whether men join our society for the benefits
alone or whether our benefits induce them
10 join. Yes, they do, and that of course
the operation Of our societies, sometimes
leads 10 men being cut off from friendly ben
efts, and therefore it deters men from do.
ing what otherwise they would do. For in.
stance, Mr. Msult says, "Men who have
worked for me for long series Of years,
have stated that they cannot act as thew
would wish towards me, which would be in
a very friendly spirit, but they must act
with their society ,becsnsc otherwise it would
cut them OF from the sick benefit and su ner-
annuation and other benefits" He IS EN-
to give a case where q man fthis is case in
the building trades take it, but | do not
know what trsde he refers to) stated TO him
thar bis society broie up and could moi pay
him his superannuation benefit. / think that
that statements should be tested. believe
thai there is no society in connection with
the building trade that has superannuation
except our own, and when ours was started
such was Mr.. Mault'e position that he had
not been long enough in business for any
man to have made that statement to him. I
cannot think that it was intended to apply
70. our society, because Judging from the
number Of years that Mr.. Mault was in and
out Of business, and taking the dates into
consideration, be could not have had man
In his employ long series Of years. II there
are any new societies in connection with the
building trade who have a superannuatiOn
benefit, | think that Mr.. Maui. should in
fairness point them out.
Mr.. MAult-I did not mention that case
st all in connection with the building trades
Some commissioner asked me il ever heard
Of case where society failed to meet its
superaDnuation. | said that | bad, and be-
lieved that knew q case Of such society in
my own town. That is general statement,
but I will get the name Of the society Parti-
cularly.
Witness-Do I understand Mr.. Mault to
say distinctly that it was not trade soci-
ETY..
Mr.. Mault-I do not know whether 1t was
trade society or not, il was . society Of
workingmen in Coventry, and l heard oI
this from the gentleman who employed the
men be said that some old man he had EN-.
ployed had gone on to the box few weeks
be fore, and after being three or four weeks
on the box the box had failed and the pool
man was adrift on the world without any
provision for his old age.
Witness-If Mr. Mault gives the name o.
the society | shall be satisfied. am very
glad to hear fror1 him that Ii was not IL
connexion with our trade that be made tina
statement, because there has never been ;
society in the trade previous to ours whici
ever attempted approximation benefit
and we sst out on the model Of the Amslga
ted Engineers.
The witness withdrew.
TUESDAY, Aug. !, 1867.
Mr.. Rober. Applegarth further examined
Chairmau-I think there are few mat
ters in respect Of which you wish to supple
ment your evidencef Yes, there are as I,
matters or fact. have been very careful il
regard to the information which have lais
before this comn;ssion to have it correct
! and Ms there are two matters on wbich Their
was some doubt expressed when was las
examined, have in one case searched To-
and found documents which | think will
show that my statements were correct ant
\ in the other have instituted inquiries tina
will, believe, lead to the same result. Il
the frst place, Mr.. Mault stated last Tues
day that they had not branch Of their a.
sociation ct Worcester. was then attempt
ing to show that the General Builders' As
sociation was responsible for . strike q
Worcester, and said that there had neve
been such thing before. Now have do
cuments which think prove that there wa
branch Of that association at that time Il
Worcester. Here 10 one headed "Genera
Builders Association, Worcester Branch
May 21st, 1867" and it reads as follows
| s'To the Western Operative Joiners and Car
penters' Society. We undertake to abide b
the award that may be made in arbitration
bctS, sen the employers and workmen in re-
terence TO the present dispute, and also tha
such award, whenever given, shall take Of
feet from the day work is generally resumed
Joseph Wood, chairman OF the Worceste
BuildeFs' hssociatien." You will see tha
that lei 81, ~ have already observed, j
headed "Generai Buiiders Association, w or
cester BranCS.n have here also . copy o
the Builders Trade Circular, which Mr.
Mault is connected with, and il states tha
''this association Ii now established In th
following towns," add find that Worceste
in amongst them find also that IN pam
phlet which Mr.. Msult was good enough t
send me the other day, Worcester 10 emu
merated amongst other places as having
branch of the society in it, and Mr.. j. q
Waldron is stated to be the secretary of tha
branch. have here letter signed BY hin
IN reference to that dispute. have Iikewis
a code Of rules issued May 10th, 1867, head
ed .Geueral Builders Association, Worce.
ter Branch" Il is code Of working rule
ssgned By Mr.. Wood, chairman, By Mr.. Jose
land, honorary secretary, and BY the en-
ployers OF Worcester. think that II is pref
1 ~ conclusive proof that theEs must be
branch Of the General Builders, Association
st Worcester at that time.
| What 10 the next matter 10 which you wis
70 refer . Tho nsxt matter is % to q dout
expressed in refsrence TO the rate Of wage
that gave for the engineers Of Lynn, nam,