New-York tribune., 1873-07-31
VIEWS ABROAD.

TRATIoN PROPOSED BY The RMrToYRRs AND
| REFUsED--IRREsIsIIBL POWER or THE TRaDEs-
| UNIONS.
lFRoM THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT or THE TRBusK.I
LONDON, July 17--Whether we are 10 have
another strike in the building trade not yet settled
The question will be decided on Saturday. Meantime
what has already ought convince the public
II It still needs convincing that ~ Ia completely NJ the
mercy Of two bodies OF men. neither OF seems 20
take account Of interest but its both OF
whom perfectly ready TO Dct great Inconvenience
and great loss the rest OF the world In order 10 light
out their wretched little disputes in their way.
The disputes in many have been serious enough "a
excuse In this II IL a quar-
rel OF bad blood and punctilio than anything else
The great strike this trade last year about this time
brought To an end by compromise which embraced
n concession OF onehlf the wages asked by the men.
and agreement tacit express that tho other ha
should be granted by and by. The much serious
question settled the basis OF "a working
hours week In Summer and As IN Winter. Since that
time the men have been getting si an hour They
want %. A conference was held on Mon
day, or rather there two conferences;
committee OF the employers meeting committee
Of the at II In the morning. and committee OF
carpenters and Oners in the afternoon at B. The pro
ceedngs aud result were in both cases the same Tho
employers we're willing to conccdc the a. advance Dext
March. The wOrkmen want 1t at once but on agree
mcnt on that pOint could have been made without much
difficulty. What prolonged and finally broke of the
conferences the demand OF the employers that tho
hour of quitting work on Saturdays should be, for.
merly 1 o'clock, instead OF u o'clock lately
This was OF effort 70 disturb tho
settlement arrived at last year, and equally.
Of course, was energetlcally resisted by,he men.
The employers urged that they put to needless eK
pense and trouble by having pay at early
hour in the day. To suggestion that thoy might pay
on Fridays at any hour that suited hem they answered
that IL the got their money on Friday they would
do no work at all on Saturday That believe 20 DO
quite rue then beng paid Saturday they now do
tLle work Mondays. at any rate come 80 late
to work that day, and work sluggshy that it does
not average than half day. Upon the refusing
10 give way this point the employers proposed Ar
braton on both points This also the mon refused the
committees alleging they had authority 70 agree TO- or
even to consider suon proposition. mass meeting
Of masOns, held the evening" rejected II by ao-
clanatlon aud the carpenters not less resoufe.
Their meeting wos hold last night. and they agreed
unanimously 10 abide by the demand OF ninepence an
hour and the 10 o'clock payment Saturday, and to
stand by the side by side in the coming struggle
As matters stand there IS not one hope OF set
emen The employers are to be asked on Saturday 10
agree the ID an hour advance and abandon uncond
tionay the hour Of work they want IL they de-
cline the strike begins with tho usual tactics. The men
will he withdrawn certain shops and the masters
who know that these tactics fatal 70 them unop-
posed will retaate by general lockout. Ii Is season
when building operations extremely active Largo
0ntrlcts are out and partly completci' ana dclay
now means carrying much OF the work over next Win
ter, to the ruin very likely Of the build
ings the employers, and in many cases the
owners also Tie men Will suffer but rub along with
the help Of the tradesunion funds and with contrbu-
tons from al over England. In the end they viii sin,
as they almost always do in these days. TEey arc
stronger than the masters stronger than the general
public They have organization against which 1t n
Htsf.. H.
ganized and all the unions united and all contributed
without distinction TO every strike which the
General Council ordered approved, they
would be simply Irresistible. so long as their
demands did not overpass the limits within which
given trade can be carried on To that they are tend
ing Tie idea OF equal division OF profits between
employers and employed has taken possession OF tho
more intelligent men. Their present difficulty IL TO
educate their comrades up point where thor wants
will be less easily satisfied than The result OF tho
coIllory experiments that it will take time. Tue
cOllicrs have got their wages doubled but nothing
money will buy IS valuable 10 them as the privilege OF
working half the week and idlng the rest All their
wants are satisfied with the produce OF the half week.
You imus create wants before you can get more
work The average OF intelligence among the carpenters
higher comfort Of their life GREATER their capacity
for varied enjoyment greater. There are already synp
toms Of eght-hom movement 10 follow the nine, and
when that is won they will certainly want 10 pence
hour instead Of pence. and that also they will get
Luckily for society at large the process is slow
Unlucky is also rude. Arbitration, which has worked
so well IN the North, finds its limits IN London much
earlier and we all have suffer from the costly and
clumsy expedients OF strike side and lockout
on the other.
Since the foregoing was written letter has been pub
lishcd from a leading master builder Mr.. BeDJim
Hannen. stating the employers side OF the case with
marked ability, and deserving more attention than
merely partisan documents usually deserve. II appears
in The Pail Man Gazette and is partly devoted reply
a rather curious effort in that paper yesterday 70
prove that, while the rate OF wages might properly DO
decided by arbitration the number Of hours could not be
decided In the latter case, says The Pail Nall Ca
-ee the masters want to buy article which the men
refuse to sell. Mr.. Hansan replies that II difficulties are
10 be made there is at least much difficulty
in getting at o division Of profits
distribution OF hours. II involves exhibition OF prf
vato accounts by various classes OF employees OF
whom work at the lowest prices obtained by open com
petition and others at their prices without compe
tition An averaGe-whIch is what the men insist on
can only be obtained by inspecting very large number
books, and IL is to be expected that largo
number OF firms would submit an inquisitOria cxam
nation the kind without which an arbltraiors opinion
would be worthless and shis decision mscnieyous Mr.
Hannen might have added that the existence Of such
a diversified state OF employment proves the imposs
bity Of striking fair ayerlge-far to all masters as
well as TO all men,
We got from Mr. Hannen fresh piece OF information
which than confirms the opinion expressed above
that the workngmen did regard last years settle
ment as final. "They informed u.s." says Mr.. Hannen'
at the interview Of this week, that removed agi-
ton for a further reduction of working hoursl wm
inevitable" Mr.. Hannen admits, however that the
nut OF the present difficulty is that extra honr on sat
urday aud he treats it real practical grievance
explaining that as the banks don't open ull the time