The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1869-04-10
HoLrrowN, Scotland, Mar. Is, 1869.

LAVM DOU1 LAMB
HoLYrowN, Scotland, Mar. Is, 1869.
To The Editor Of the woRKIseMAxss AbvocArs
Your journal Of the 9th inst, came duly
to hand this morning, and am glad to see
from your correspondents that they are begin
ming to s1tsem your paper more than they
did, among the mining population. This is
as It ought to be. fondy hope soon to see
that you have not correspondents among the
miners in Illinois and Pennsylvania alone,
but that you viii have them in every State
of the Union, and from every mine Of it. 1t
would Gil me with delight to know that ev-
cry one Of my many thousands of friends
among the miners we're subscribers and read
ers Of your excellent journal.
LABOR ITEMS.
am sorry TO say the prospects Of the mi
ners OF Scotland is far from cheering ut
present. TIE ironmasters, by a well devised
scheme, have laid hold Of the market, and
run il TO their own profit. Thus, wages are
cut down now, when they ought to be on
the advance, on account OF the psrtly-m-
proved trade. The truth is, that wages
among the coal and iron miners in Scotland
are every day being reduced. Much Of the
evil lies with the men, however il they
would only thoroughly unite, they could
cope with all the employers. They appear,
either through ignorance or some other
cause, willing to yield to tie capitalists.
They would rather have two shillings per
day taken from their wages, than give one
shilling per week to protect themselves.
They, as class, will prefer over production
with its curse, to that of supply to meet the
demand, with the blessings such q state
yield.
RNGLIsH MINERS.
Among the English miners, during the
| present winter, over-pToducIon has been
very much felt everywhere. Nearly oil the
men have been laid off some days 10 each
week. The mildness Of the season is said
on all hands to be the cause; but am con-
WINGED that much Of the slackness Is caused
by the reduction Of the consumption IN
many ways. Almost every week, We see
the announcement made Of some discovery
being made that will lessen the cost Of pro-
duction of iron and steel. Many of these
consist In lessening the need Of coal In The
4 South Yorkshire coal district at this mo-
ment, We are having terrible struggle at q
colliery laying near to Sheffield, that has
been for q long time non-union colliery
while all the union men worked only eight
hours Q day, the men Of this colliery worked
as long as the employers willed, and from
this cause he undersold all and sundry in
the nearest market. A few weeks since, the
men became union men n dcn IL the annoy.
ance Of the employer. They refused to
work at his terms, and came out. TIey have
been out several weeks, without any appear.
aDce Of an arrangement. The strike ct this
colliery IL costing the South Yorkshire Nj.
ping Company over five hundred pounds
per fortnight.
At Denly Main, in the same district, at q
new colliery, the men desired to join the
asso cation. This was distasteful to the Goa
autocrat who managed the concern, and al
got their "Notice to Quit" which they have
done. Meantime, be applied to a black-lee
broker, in Bi!stoD, Slafordshire, named
Paul Roper, TO supply him quantity Of hi.
dirty, servile lot. which the notorious Paul
has done. On the 11th, some thirty Of che
"dirty squad" made comm on cause with the
men, backed out and went home. The two
strikes are, ct this moment, costing the Mi.
nsrs' Union OF South Yorkshire fully one
thousapd pounds per fortnight. They are
only some 1000 strong, yet they pay IL BY
levying weekly assessments. This Associa-
ton Is under the guidance Of two Of the mosi
intelligent and efficient trades unionists ia
England, John Normansell and Philip Ca.
sey. Their Office is, Nelson st., Barnesly
Yorkshire.
BOARD or ARBITRATION.
We should have stated that the South
Yorkshire miners offered arbitration to tn.
Denly Main employers, but 1t was spurned
by them. The increase Of boards Of arbi
tration 10 very marked in England, of late
in Manchester and elsewhere. The mos
recent formation Of board Of that kind
and by far the most important, was last
week, Ut Middeboro', In the iron trade Of
the North Of England. Masters aud men
met by representatives, and formed board
To avoid strikes. In one day, il was com.
pleted, and it meets on the 22d inst, to con-
slider q claim the men have made for an ad.
vance Of wages. The meeting il looked for
ward 10 with considerable interest ADone
the leaders Of the working classes, az among
the men and employers, how TO meet at {
common board, has caused many . hard
fght In the past-6ghis in which each par
~ has been greatly the loser. Il was Z
pleasing feature Of the joint meeting to es
tablish the board, that Mr.. John Kane, the
able leader Of the men, was allowed to oc
cupy position sqoa 70 that Of the Secreta
~ for the lronmasters' Union.
i sHoRT-rIER HoyEngETs.
4 In various trades throughout the King
dom, efforts are being made to adopt the re-
striction Of the hours OF labor to nine hours
per DAY. Last week, . great meeting wa,
held In Edinburgh, TO make the local move.
ment there something like forward one
and to call the attention Of al worklnfmrr
70 R. The chair was occupied by gsntle
man belonging to the Faculty u Advocates
named Charles Scott, who told the working
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