The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1870-10-29
WORK AND WEALTH.
LECTURE BY THOMAS HUGHES, Eso.

L
SYNOPSIS Of lecture recently delivered in
Cooper Institute, by Thos Hughes Esq
Of England, the well known and staunch
friend Of the Working Classes:
Mr.. Hughes subject was : Wealth and
Work. f" The title was an alternative one
for the older and more familiar one of La
Dor and Capital and was chosen probably
as being more novel, and by reason of its
alterations, more taking. The subject is
one with which Mr.. Hughes is perfectly ia
miliar, for, as is well known, he has been
thoroughly identified with the recent reform
movements in England, and has been 60
between and peacemakeE in the various
questions and disputes that have Of late
arisen between employers and employed.
The lecture was PLAIN, sensible talk.
1t was not at all dressed up; on the con-
trary, it was without any oratorical points,
the sentences were not epigrammatic or
even bright, not an anecdote was told, and
in fact, scarcely word spoken simply for
effect; there was therefore little or no ap
plause, though the speaker was listened to
I throughout with earnestness and respect.
He said that this struggle now going on
between labor and capital was very old
one, dating back even to the days Of the
Plantagenets, and still remaining unsettled.
In earlier days preventive statutes hinder
ed the laborer from asserting his rights, and
( il was not till 1925 that the first strike Oc-
CURED. This was at WinusOr Castle. The
earlier strikes we're not well organized, but
in 1919 the "Amalgamated Company of In
gineers and Machinsts was formed, and in
two years had large fund and a numerous
membership. At present it numbers 10000
members
Mr.. Hughes went on to show how the
growth Of these and similar societies Oh the
part Of the aborers led to similar protective
societies on the part Of the employers; how
bitter feelings grew up between the two
classes how the shutting up Of mills and
workshops followed on the one band, and
hunger and want on the other how parlia-
ment was appealed to and the law dealt from
/ time to time with the subject, and with what
effect
lie spoke also a 50 yc length Of one Of
4 the methods resorteu to Of settling the vexed
questions, namely, the voluntary tribunals
that were instituted, known as Courts Of
Arbitration and Cancellation. lie gave a
brief description Of the operation Of one Of
these Courts held ~ himself last winter in
the North Of England, in a mini. district
where the feud between wealth and work
had become very wide and millions of mo-
ney were at stake in the matter. The court
was held in Il room in which WIS Ing ia
I ble, on one side of which sat fourteen Of the
employers, and on another fourteen Of their
operatives. Nh. Hughes being between them.
\ The first day angry and bitter words flew
across the table charges and counter charges,
statements and dcnials but the next day
was calmer, and towards IN close the four
teen employers retired to one room and the
fourteen employed into another, and Mr..
Hughes went from one to the other with
propositions for compromise and cC1nter
propositions, until finally satisfactory terms
Of settlement were arrived at and both par
ties solemnly bound themselves to abide by
these terms tor a year. Since that time
there bas been no trouble il that district.
One Of The great solutions OF these fear
Y FIJI questions Mr. Hughes stated to be the
90 operative partnerships. A difficulty that
stood 10 the way Of these in the beginning
was the law relating to partnerships in Eng
land, which gave any one partner a right to
call for an accounting and an inspection Of
the books. This was remedicd by legisla-
ton, and then the experiment was tried.
Henry Briggs 4 Company We're the first
to make it, at the Wildwood colliery.
Briggs was a stern, inilcyible, determined
but Just man lie had been for years the
master mind among the capitalists, and had
led them in all their schemes to circumvent
the strikers and trade unionists. The CAPT
talists Of that region were regarded by the
working men as devils, and Briggs as the
devil in chief But from this man came the
first trial Of plan that was to result in i'm
measurable good to the laborer The troubles
had so worked upon him that be had pro-
posed to his sons to lease their property and
give up the struggle, but they in turn pro-
posed trying the cooperative system, and he
consented. The stock and appurtenances
were valued, not counting the good viii, at
$4,000. This was divided into 40
shares, to which the operatives were invited
to subscribe. All the profits over 10 per
cent. were to be divided.
The dlstrust of the working men was SO
great that at first scarcely any Of them
would subscribe; but the result of the first
year showed profit of 13 per cent. Those
who had taken stock congratulated them
selves on their prudence and foresight when
they re ceived the welcome bonus, while the
n1n-subscrbers were downhearted The
stock was eagerly taken up, and since then
the collery and all concerned in it have
pr0spered.
The labor and capital question Mr. Hughes
thought was, through the wise measure $
that have there been taken in great degree
set at rest in England. lie did not appre-
bend great difficulties there, but from what
be bad seen Of the movements in this coun-
I try, be thought that there was untold trou-
bic in store for Us. Employers and en-
plored seemed TO be At serioans misunder-
standing. He said that his position as a
\ friend Of the workingmen-a position he
had assumed 50 strongly 40 to bring him
almost under suspicion on the part Of the
capitallsts-entitlcd him to speak word Of
friendly advice to them. That advice was
that the trades union did wrong to them
selves aud 10 the country in endeavering
to force their fellow workers to accept the
terms that they laid down, and no others
10 dictate to them how long they should
work, and for what wages. There might be
an excuse for this il England, where land
md wealth where 90 monopollzed, but not
in this country, where the means Of wealth
wero 80 easy 70 lay hold Of, and skilled
labor commanded good prices. Mr.. Hughes