The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1869-09-25


I'VE DO not bold sursslvss rsspensisss Cor any ssta
Ion expressed BY our oorrespondeniAl
FROM ENGLAND.
LoNDon, August Il, 1899.
10 the Editor Of the WeaKmsxAx's ASvooAxs;
forward by this mail BEmiaghan papers
in which you viii and reports Of the Trades
Union Congress at that town, gwen with
much greater fulness than could have bean
looked for, before workiasnsn had their
share Of political power accorded 70 them
BY parliament. And what Will perhaps be
source Of much greater pleasure even than
this to your workingiog~en readers 10, now
that the workingmsn's Sour has come for
taking his share in the public discsssioo Of
great principles, he 10 not found 70 be ut al
snpsspared for the new part he 10 called
upon TO act.
Il will be noticed that tie hrst business Of
the Congress, after having constituted it.
self, was to decide m to whether it should
admit to its elaboration men who were mot
members OF trades unions, bot who had
papers they wished to read ON subjects In
which. members Of those bodies were sop
posed to be interessed. The. decision Of the
Congress on this point was thoroughly prac-
tical and truly liberal.
In this case the applications we're such 40
might naturally be looked for, % the men
and the subjects were alike in place atssuch
meeting. Mr.. Holyoaks's paper on 90
operation, as Q means Of attaining the OBJ
jects Of Trades Unions" was one worth
considering, whilst Mr.. Hibbs, as the repre-
sentative of the great education league, now
coming into existence, bad also strong
claim to their attention. The discussion on
these applications was very Interesting and
the decision sound We heard In England
. number OF persons afflicted With Q disease
Of paper writing. and a. at certain periods
OF the year numbers Of associations are In
session, these afflicted persons do nothing
but ay from one meeting to another with
papers" in their hands for the purpose of
tortoring their neighbors by reading them,
and il the Trades Union Congress had
whom are really good Dertons-they would
have found is dificalt 70 close ,t again, and
the end would have been that q stream of
crotehetty people would have been turned
in upon them, until they had become 10
overwhelmed a. TO be incapable Of doing
their own proper work.
Whereas, the resolution which granted
permission 70 the applicants, otter the papers
OF members had been read and disposed Of,
pot them In position mot to interfere with
the proper business Of the meeting, and yes
left them free 10 bore each other as long 40
they thooghs proper.
There were several useful points In Mr..
Potter's, paper, on the dis-organisssion of
labor" lts perssal leaves the impression
that be was ont Of his depth, and that he
generalixed rather too much on . subject
that might have been much more practically
treated. There was scarcely point in this
paper which was not dsbetable, and that re-
quired for ies discussion such information
as might be possessed BY the members Of
the British association, rather than by O
number Of hard workingmen met in Congress
to consider questions germane TO their own
position 40 such. This being tie case, it
wae pleasing 10 observe with what clearness
Of idea and directness Of speech its decision
was brought to Q speedy close.
Mr.. Owen, representative from the pot
teries, followed with paper Of real value
in Courts Of Arbitration and Oonciliation."
The subject was handled With greaxskill and
temper, and the interests OF employers con-
sidered In quite % strong light a. those Of
the men. This 10 really the question Of the
movement for trades societies, and il 10 very
encouraging to End that they have taken it
up 80 heartily and in 80 wise 0 spirit. 10
truth, in England at present this must be
the hrss step. Productive cooperation 10
not making rapid strides, and the members
Of trades societies 10 their corporate capa-
city will NOT not be the 6rst men to give il
any decided impalse. The trade society 10
bound to devote its funds to the payment of
the benefits assured to its members, and for
their support when locked out, or on strike.
Nov, " they caa BY any means Of s'srbitration
and conciliatioD," save annually @ large
sum out Ut the average cost Of strikes, .
great point will be gained, not only in the
improvement Of their position 40 corpora
tions, but in their habits Of self reliance
and their power Of self-helps. IL these
courts are established BY mutual consent Of
employers and employed, II will not be be-
cause either party has been beaten by the
other, but because both have found out q
better method Of settling their differences,
and this hrst step In mutDal forbesrsnce,
and mutOal arrangement carries with il q
promise Of future higher arrangements for
the regulation Of the industry Of the c0un-
try, whereby the laborer may secure . more
equitable share In the profits Of our iDdus-
Trial enterprises. The opposition to this
question BY few members Of the Congress
was really feeble, and IL cannot but be re-
garded a. satisfsesory::sign Of the times,
that only two members voted against " Ar
bitration and CoDcillatiou."
The question Of apprenticeship is very
delicate 0se, % . theory, practically there 10
not much difficulty In is; nearly Every handy
craft hes some custom which regulates the
admission Of boys, and 90 q rule new gensr-
atoms are absorbed By the seversl trades IN
proportions, On IN average about eQual to
their needs and n those Who moan over
the exclusion Of young people could show
practical evil result, lt would do more to
produce q change than any amount of spe
culative reasoning. Those best acquainted
with the industry Of the COUNTRY would ]
think have some difficulty in pointing to
any we'll paid trade that is under handed, or
in any way unequal to the work il is re-
quired to do.
10 connection With these discussions il 10
curious to remark, that whilst ct Birming
ham, the artisans OF the country were de-
libersting upon questions Of the highest in
terest In an intelligent and practical spirit
At Exeter, the British Association was dis.
cussiDg the condition Of the agricultural Ia
borer nearly all together from the country
gentleman's point OF view. That much mis-
~x~aknPA khA aups nx.l eupsl l. hn~a~
had not one word 90 say for himself. He
has been proved 70 be In q very enviable po-
elton By number Of very respectable per-
l. Aiaa id Ia