, 1873-02-03
THE LABOR QUESTION.
rilre OF the welsh 1ron-LaborerS.

Strike OF the Welsh 1ron-Laborors.
The latest English papers bringa news Of o
singular state OF atrairs among the Weluh coal
aud iron laborera. Tho iron-workers recently
demanded an advance Of 10 per cont in their
wages, which tho iron-1nastars answered by the
announcement that tloy should roduce wages 10
per cont. Matters waro speedily coming to n
rsn MI 1a tho n03 ebsr o,
talk Tho aeono must hnyo been worthy Of
painter. On ono side Of q table i'll hall wore
ranged tho iron gods, including Hoyoral Million
aires aud II. p.'s. o. the other slde were SO
delegated representatives Of tho 10000 Welsh
iron-miners, hnrd-llanded, cloan-facod, COM
fortably dressed. Tho employers alleged that
the newspaper quotations Of iron had been doc.
torod for ~ improper pnrpoao, that iron bad
while coal maintained its position, having risen
il two years from 9115 shillings to a por ton
that tho wages Of tho mon had already advanced
iu the different worls from 50 to rs aud oven
point aIr. 1{onelauB, Manager Of tho world-re-
nowned Dowlais Iron Works, aaid:
"You, worfmen, hayo talton to do losa work,
thai formerly. You don't como to work on Mon
' yon think you d. pretty wol il you start 'fairy
on Wednesday. But on tho "Wednesday many
OF you arc in d condition that doos not ennblo
YOU to do yo'tr work as YOU, onco did, YaGe Q
fact az . proof Of this. which you will UNDER
stand, It tnkes hundred mora Of pig-iron to
mako O. ton OF raila than 1t did two years ago.
You know what that means. It's bad work, Col
liers 10 not do noarly al much work "a they
were wont to do, though tho hours OF labor and
tho number Of men employed aro tho sa1no and
all the appliances Of labor arc equa} Tho coat
Of tho Manufacture OF iron las gono up double
IN pronortton to tho advance in tic prico OF tho
article, aud it III evident tint this ia state Of
things which cannot so much farther without
coming to Il disastrous stop. A coa!-oWnor told
mo the other day that with IN equal number of
men engaged ho raised 10000 tons OF conl less
than III tho corresponding portod Of laHt year.
Wo, ut Dowlais ,,sol to turn out 100 900 tons OF
rails a year. and heIioyo We shall not noxt yonr
nuke moro than 0,00U."
The mon mot this talk by asking the mastorH
refused to believe that quotations had boon doc.
| tored. Tho matters rotortod that they would
| open thoir books to tho wording men, md tho
latter agreed to report that proposalto their con
| vtitucnfu, Tho minors malo their poilta With
! oqlal NTH with those Of tho masters, aud o.
| pocially good WIS the effort Of hlr, Prico, WHO
| had apont His whole llio ho said, III . coal-pit
al.l whom tho roporto. descrihoa o. bearing, .
startling resemblance to Captain Cuttlo will h'E
/ arm restored: ....., .,.
MR. Chairman, mud gontlonen ALL hopo,
lo continued. slowly, atosdylng hImsoif with hlt
llandu ninking still furt!!or iu thu SHAFT OF hit
poeleta-"I hope tint in future before we come
TO stop tho fovgo or Tho pit. or the mll tliat yot
nBtoiY will colno as,u nlcot us nen IN this KIM
aud froudly 1us,1,,er and lot III try II We ean,lo
fix mnttore. It ,sill bo bottur for Nll parties, To-
wo don't wish to rob Yol a;ld "o don't wish yoi
! to rob III. Mr.. hlcnblauH hnH s2lu Eood doa
nbout tho risk of capital which tho maslerh hay
iu tho works.. doA't wihll 10 NY notAlu