Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1870-10-27
NO. 255

allow the rate of wages and the conditions
OF labor to be settled by those most inter-
ested. 1t was not moment too soon.
The great war of the French Revolution
had thrown nearly all the producing trade
OF Europe into the hands of England, and
the rapid accumulation of wealth and the
inventions in machinery had gathered the
Work-people together in large factories.
Secret societies had sprung up all over the
Kingdom IN defiance of the law, and when
the bad years followed the peace of 1915,
and wages fell, aud fearful distress pre-
vailed, violent outrages, arson, even mur-
der, arising out of trades disputes, be-
came feartully common. At last, in 1928,
Parliament made clean sweep of all the
cruel, wicked and foolish old laws, and
declared that, in future, combinations of
employers or working g-people for the pur-
poses of settling the rate Of wages and
the hours of labor should be no langer un-
lawful.
BIRTH OF THE LABOR MOVEMENT.
From this repeal ofthe combination laws
of 1925 the modern history of our labor
movement dates. Beneficent as that leg
islaion was it was far from perfect. 1t
has been described as a 'solemn dueling
code between capital and labor" and not
without reason. We have had to supple
ment it in several directions. First, by
protective legislation, such as our factory
acts, which we have passed to prevent the
! over-working of women and children,
and of which it was confidently predicted
that they would reduce wages and dimin-
ish production, while the workers would
misuse the leisure provided for them. The
exact contrary has happened. Wages
and production have increased, and the
| people on the whole use their leisure adj
mrably. Again, we have had to supple
ment it by enabling legislation. After the
bitter experience of more than a whole
generation, we have fairly acknowledged
that it is not sufficient to leave combina-
tons of employers or of work people out
side the law to say you may combine, but
the courts cannot recognize your combina-
tons or protect your property 1t is only
within the last two years that England has
come to this wiser mind and has resolved
To bring all Unions resolutely within the
pale of law, to compel them to publicity,
and to make them bodies legally recog-
however, to 1925. The Unions soon learn
ed to make use of their new powers, and
a local civil war broke out all over the
ableSt economists may be taken with
scarcely qualification as descriptive of
that time. Capitalists may encroach on
labor. Laborers may in their madness
destroy capital Such is the work of ig-
norance and evil passions. But, however
far such a strife may be carried, it can
only result in mutual injuries, and wealth
can only be restored by obtaining the rec
ognition of the full rights and obligations
of each. The condition of well-being is
peace. false philosophy has set the
world at war for ages, proclaiming that
what one nation gains another must lose.
Such philosophy has had its trial, extend
ing over centuries of waste and terror,
and is now fortunately dishonored through
the whole civilized world. Akin to it is
the belief that hatred and retaliation are
the normal conditions of capital and labor,
and that mutual distrust and hurtfulness
are inevitable in all the developments of
industry. Such a belief blasphemes the
harmonies of Providence--is sightless be-
fore the glorious order of man and nature.
The cruel shallow selfishness of capital has
robbed labor by means of law. Labor
impoverished, ignorant, degraded, has
often turned upon its tyrant, and laid in q
common waste, Church and State, letters
and wealth"
CONSOLIDATION OF UNION ORGANIZATIONS.
1t is needless to dwell on state of
things which has passed away, or to en-
deavor to fix blame on either side in the
long struggle. The frightful waste and
misery inflicted on employers and work
people by strikes and lock-outs, the wide
spread ruin of families, the danger to ouR
trade, as well as the heroism and self-sac-
rtice which not seldom lighted up those
civil conflicts, are now, | trust. matters Of
history. The war ended as so few wars do
end, without the complete discontinue Of
either side, and how a better state of things
has come about, | must try to tell you in Il
few words. After some 20 years of strife
the workpeople found that they were una
bic to contend with their employers in their
isolated local Unions numbering each Il
few hundred men, They determined 20
extend their organizations so as If possl-
BILE to embrace whole trades. The first
!, experiment was made by the engineers and
machinists. Abeut the year lS49 these
men, who are of course among the most
able and skillful of our mechanics, formed
a vast federation of societies and called it
the Amalgamated Society. In 1851 it
through branches all over the kingdom,
and had a reserve fund of some f22, 900.
Then came the first, and am proud to say
the last great trial of strength with the
employers, SO far as this Society is con-
cerned. After four months of misery, in
which at the lowest calculation the men
lost fl5o,0 600 in wages, the struggle end
ed in their total defeat, and left the Socie-
ty without a penny ofreserve fund, heavily
!, in debt, and with the loss of more than a
) quarter of its members. 1t was thought
, that Trades Unionism had received its
death blow Never was there a more
: vain calculation. The Amalgamated So
ciety recovered itself with marvellous
l rapidty, and has gone on increasing to the
: present time when it numbers some 10000
: members, has more than 500 branches, some
? 20 of which are on this side the Atlantic.
and reserve fund ofupward of fl00. 900,
/ The example of the engineers wss follow
: ed in the building trades. the iron trade,
= the coal trade, and other of our leading
i industries. On the other hand. the en-