The New York herald., 1872-07-11

IeasOnapIe man tnat we thought lar less OF getung
more money than OF shortening our hours OF labor.
All we asked for was an additional seven pence
week, and do you think we should have stood out
way ON the main points II we could afford 1t we
would IKE the nine hours and lose the wages
rather than have hundreds of idle men going about
to see nine-hour strike again. The principle
seemed to me to be so Just and fair TOR all parties
tnat should sooner have thought the masters
would give 1t to us OF their own accord.
TOWN AND COUNTRY.
hens h.S,',.,o you any rear OF men
WoRKMAN-NOt the slightest. Country masons
are much better of than we are and are more
than to take our places we could show you fifty
Towns In our society list where the nine hours have
Roohdaie Blackburn, Backport and Bolton work
only fortyeight and One-half hours per week. Pres
tonpury, Dewsbury and others work lorty-nine and
ana several of the leading provincial towns have
carried that within the past month or two. In the
of ruies, which is binding on both masters and
men. Besides defining the rights OF the men and
granting them privileges which we do not possess
tween employers and employed The society rat-
Hes the rules and enfOrces them.
FAILURE OF THE NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN MASTER
AND WORKMAN
CoRREsPONDENT-What do you think as to the
course OF the negotiations and the cause OF their
WoRKMAN-They failed, 1t seems to us, be-
cause the masters In the first instance would
not avoid It, they offered us sort OF arbitration to
suit themselves. The carpenters and masons might
nave co.operated better perhaps with their memo
rails we gave notice for the 1st OF July and
should have gone to work to-day had the masters
not locked us out because the carpenters went
rather ahead OF us and, In manner, tied our
STRENGTH OF THE TRADES UNIONS.
CoRRKSPONDENT-Are masOns, as O rule, society
WoRKMAN-Oh, yes far more so than any other
building trade. We reckon that throughout the
whole Kingdom two-thirds Of our number are in the
CoRREsPoNDENr-Then ia your movement now en-
tlreiy directed by the uniony
WORKMAN-Oh, yes, by the Strike Committee
which represents the iocSed-out men, cooperating
with the Committee Of London Lodges, which is q
permanent body.
FAITH IN EACH OTHER.
CoRREsPONDENT-Wha do you look to chiefly as
means OF settling this disputes
WORKMAN-Our best assurance is that we are
strong financially and have the most perfect faith
In eacn other.
CORREsPONDENT-Are you being
WELL SUPPORTED OUTSIDE YOUR OWN UNION
WoRKMAN--We have no reason at all to complain.
themselves on our account. The other trades all
remember that we have been the most liberal to
ward them In their troubles, and we can trust them
not TO forget us. We also rely good deal on
public opinion. because we have not been the
aggressors. From the first our action was quite
cOnciatory and we had no connection with the
proceedings which led to the lockout.
CoRREsPoNDENT-Wba is the general feeling OF
the men as to the manner In which the lockout
THE LOCKOUT.
WORKMAN-They begin to see now that the
masters played deep game in not requiring Jack
son Shaw and Brass to lockout with the others.
AS soon as the lockout began these firms set about
dscharg'ng men by scores and so irrtated the rest
that they got the committee to call them all out.
That was what Jackson & Shaw and Brass wanted,
for 1t enabled them to claim the benefit Of the
strike clause IN their large contracts with the gov
ernment Other masters acted unhandsOmely in
Offering to retain all men who would pledge them
selves not to support the agitation In any way.
Others have behaved very partially to their men In
locking out those on jobs which were in no hurry,
and keeping on those whose work they wanted
us was making scapegoats for the carpenters,
with whom we had no completely.
CORREsPONDENT-Have any firms granted the re-
qured advance or any part Oft
WORKMAN-Oh, yes, one or two told their men
when the work was ordered that they might have
eight and q half pence an hour for nine and half
hours day till the dispute settled; then should
the nine hour system be carried they would have 1t
too. =,
RESUME
Before taking leave OF my three incOgniH may
mention one respect in which their unanmity rep
resents a peculiar feature in this movement. 1t
has no leaders and will have nOne George Potter
and his friends got such a rise for themselves out
OF the first struggle of 1859 that they virtually
ceased to be wOrkingmen. They have been tabOOed
whatever with either committee. So far there Is
very little symptom OF the appearance OF a new
George Potter or Robert Applegarth The mutinOus
carpenters and masOns are stepped in equality
and fraternity" as thoroughly as any Communist
club