The sun., 1871-09-19
The Nine-Iour Movement IN England
1he Long Strike at Newcastle.

The magnitude and Importance of the in.
luence which trades unions exert over the
acts and interests Of workugmen is being
fir silly illustrated in England by the long
continued strike of the engineers or drivers
Of stationary steam engines at Newcastle.
More than three months ago this strike be
gan. A dminution of the number Of work.
ing hours, to be accompanied by no diminu.
ton in paw, was demanded Of the masters
This was refused in decided terms. 1t was
apparent that the proposition involved an in
crease of wages per hour TO each individual,
as well as the necessity of eml loying
larger number Of men in order to prevent
any decrease in she usual rate Of production.
The proprietors declined to fold any personal
communication with the Nine.lIour League
or lis representatives, but referred the stiik
ers 10 n firm Of sol citors, whom the work.
ingmen, in tAer turn, as resolutcly refused
to meet. The employers found it impossible
TO procure English operatives. and were com.
PEELED to seek among the natives Of other
cluntr es
In this they met with considerable success
Scotchmen Bclgians, and Russians were n
duccd to come 10 Newcastle TO work ou the
old terms, and they showed that they could
ii the places of the strikers in satisfactory
manner. To the trades unions, however,
the appearance of these foreigners WAS, not
unnaturally. exceedingly unpleasant and
they at once set about driving them away
Every sort Of annoyance and persecution
which is not in terms forbidden by the law
was resortcd to without hesitation or scruplc.
So many of the foreign operatives were thus
compelled to 60 away, that the masters found
it necessary TO protect those bold enough to
remain by afiording them temporary resi-
donce either within the works or very near
them. According to the English journals,
even those who are thus housed have been
constantly exposed to brutal and dangerous
assaults from the members of the trades
uMons
We learn that more recently the strik crs
have been exceedingly successful ia persuad.
ing the foreign employees voluntarily to de-
part by representing that II was the inten
t on Of the proprietors to retain them but a
short time and that while their action In
accepting employment was of serious injury
to the British woIkinEmen, it could not re
suit in any permanent benefit to thcms Ives
The latest tclcGraphc reports represent
that the relations between the mast RS and
men continue rs hostile as ever. 1t is assert
I'd that the London 7imes approves the
position which las been assumed by the
trades unions against the foreigners; n po-
3 on, however, which seems to us-so far as
an he judged from the detailed accounts
'yriisir have le,7r ry-r--iv,,l ia tA,s county
entirely uuiustiiablc,
The engineers OF Newcastle, Ike all other
work ngmon of whatever particular pursuit,
have an unquesiionaLle right to refuse to
work except for certain fixed wages, aud to
enforce taeir yccgsh by discla,inu.ag all
labor until their demand is compiled with
hut in cur opinion II is just us unQu ftion
able that they have no right whatever to
interfere with tho employment of other
| labo.eis who are ready and willing TO work
for smaller hire. This opinion is sustained
| ly tho law Of England, under which c,crc We
measures of tho character under discuss on
are punishable by civil AMI criminal pro.
cccGn9s.
| very Interesting feature of this strike is
the fact that tho Offer of tho proprletors to
refer all the matters at issue between them
] selves Snd tho operatives 70 q vote by ballot