The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1872-12-28

Cemwr~wlara and Lsek cuts.
Prom the Edhbuprh Reform, De-. IA
INTERESTING TRADE UNION QUESTION
A special court was held at Stocston-on-
Tees on Saturday for the purpose OF hear
ing charges against 10 puddlers who were
charged by the proprietors Of the Moor
IrunwOrks with breach Of contract under
the 9Th session of Masters and Servants
Act. Both employers and employed are
members of the Board Of Arbitration and
Cancellation for the iron trades Of the
Sorth OF England. 1t was alleged by the
prosecution that the defendants had alb
sented themselves from work without just
cause or excuse, while in defence it was
urged that the csAh supplied to the men
were Of inferior quality, and that this
formed reasonable cause for ceasing work.
The President Of the Board of Arbitration
was called ~ q witness, and he stated that
the Goals in use ut the works were not ca
pable Of giving the heat necessary for pud-
ding iron without excessive labor, and this
opinion was confirmed by twenty witness
es. The magistrates decided that the men
had broken their contract, and ordered
each to pay the LIS Cd compensation claim
ed, with costs, or be imprisoned for one
month. Manchester Guardian.
The Liverpool Daily Post publishes a
letter from Mr. Tom Hughes, M r, IL
reply to an invitation from Liberal work
ingmen to become a candidate for Liver
pool at the next election Mr.. Hughes
while he expressed himself Asttered with the
invitation, does not at once accept, but
asks his correspondents to let the matter
stand, a. there is not much prospect Of a
general election until next autumn, and no
one can Yet tell On what issue the election
may turn.
THK MAR OFFICE AND TINE AGRICULTUR-
Al LABoRERS At the end Of last August
complaints were made by the Council Of
the Marwickshire Labosers Union, and by
other bodies Of agricultural laboreBs, that
soldiers were being allowed to work Mt get
ting in the harvest for many farmers IN
the Midland Counties who had locked
out their laborsrs and would not employ
them on account Of their being members
Of the Laborers Union. A letter was i'd
dressed to Mr. Cardwell ON the matter, and
an inquiry into it was promised by the Sec
rotary Of State for War. On Tuesday a
letter was received by the Secretary to the
London Trades Council from the War
Office, stating that it is certainly not the
intention Of the Queens Regulations nor
the wish of the Government that the EN-
plOyMent Of soldiers should bs made use
Of to affect the result Of disputes between
farmers and laborers. The legitimate
object Of that employment Ars the afford
ing assistance i'll gathering i'll the harvest
for the benefit Of the whole community
and he pesnitted soldiers to turn to a pro
stable account a portion Of their time
which would be otherwise unoccupied.
Care will be taken to prevent in future the
existence of any question whether these
legitimate objects have been exceeded. The
harvest is over for this year, and the mum
Der of soldiers employed in these few cases
hiss been uncomfortable. and it does NOT
appear to Mr.. Cardwell that anything
remains to be done except to provide
against the recurrence in future of any
such disputed cases. Instructions have
therefore, been gwen that in cases wher,
strikes or disputes are pending genera
officers should not permit the assistance Of
soldiers in the ingAthering Of the harvest