The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-01-20
TEE ENGLISH TRADES UNIONS IN CON-
s CHESS.

At no time has the question Of capital and
labor been discussed with more vehemence
Ia England than during the past few
mOaths. No doubt the excitement wac
spaxsly kindled by the great strike in the
DATED States and the troubles which en-
suea, but it is mainly owing to tho grave
ssitnAtion of Britieh industries and the
marked decline in the demand for labor
which have followed the shrinksge in Brit
ieh exporte. Under these. circumstances
she Proceedings at the Congress of Trades
Unions lately held at Leicester aroused pc
enliar interest. A remarkable feature of
tthss conference was tie spirit of candor
nnil equity which seemed to animate a ma
fp1isy of the speakers. Thus it was ad-
Easkted that the law which permits work
men to combine for self protection, and
which bas transformed the rupture of labor
cOnsract into question for the civil courts,
mssst trammel the action of the ranufac-
1uEer to a considerable extent. But it was
corfldently 8firmed-and Mr.. Br6saey, the
welI-kpown member of Parliament, in a
speech delivered at the sAme time, endorsed
the eBketement-that law which trains the
wOpkiDgman to independence, foresight and
economy cannot be deemed hurtful ON the
whole to the commercial development of
aTeaE Britain. OF course n section of the
&nelieh press charges the present stagDa-
. sf0A of industry upon the trades unions
through their continual interference with
the bneineas of the employer, and their ex-
actions by threat of strike of higher wages
and o shorter term of labor. 1t was not
diepated at the Leicester Congress that
such course must tend to augment the
expenee of production, or that the inter
EentiOn of TIE unions by pluDging an en-
pl0Eer in uncertainty as to the future cost
oe nGanu fecture might even lead him to re-
fuse Offers which would be transferred to
foreign countries. Bus granting that Ger
tain aneasure of mischief results from this
stAte of things, the remedy, it was Eug-
gested, should be sought net in legislation
against trades unions, but in promoting
nth all possible zeal the education OF the
erking class, and fostering more friendly
Ations between employer and employed.
bling, in abort, could be less sectional
e. 1Acendiary than the prevailing tone OF
AAe Meeting at Leicester. 1t was repeatedly
+ P0tmked out that wor6ingmen are quite as
deoply interested as capitalists in the com
NaeltiRl prosperity of the country, and that
l4 f,lo great body Of operatives could,
gough better meaps of education, be made
20 aae that exhorbitant demands might i'm
PERIL the industrial supremacy Of England,
pY would be prompt to make concessionA.
"a held unjust, however, to make the
VIC ingman solely Responsible for the pre-
nent risis. OF late British manufacturers
hAye grown careless, and, We may add, un-
sernnlOue. They neglect to study the
apee4c wants Of the countries with which
they trade; they fall back upon routine,
and 3est too serenely on the traditions of
glority. Harassed, moreover, by COM
pettlOn on all sides, they have too often
DFgptten the old rules of business prObity,
nd,in many instances do not hesitate e.
itiate their products.
The action of the Leicester Conference
hs regarded with peculiar interest, be.
tae the meeting followed 60 speedily
the international Congress of Work