The Labor enquirer., 1883-02-03
Trade Unionism.
rom the London Dispatch.

III
land miners met together to celebrate
the twentieth anniversary of the inaugu-
ration of their union. White-haired
men, who had worked and suffered in
1882 and 1874, spoke from the platform
raised on the Links at Blythe, and told
from personal knowledge the story of
progress and improvement during the
last fifty years. The courage and perse-
yerance needed in their youth before
modicum of justice could be forced from
the employers cannot be easily under
stood by men who join their unions as a
matter of course, and have at any rate
some share in parliamentary representa-
ton. In the days that some of these
veterans were able to recall strikes were
the only available means of securing a
hearing. Independence of opinion was.
sufficient, cause to rob a " orkingman of
the chance Of being employed, and fair
arbitration for the settlement of trades
disputes seemed about as likely as the
Millennium. 1t must indeed have been
a subject worthy the joyful season of
Christmas for these men to meet their
Younger fellow-work and, knowing
what concessions from their EN- ployers
they have obtained and what legal rights
they can boast of, to be able to say to
them, "These are the fruits of our work,
or Of the work that we commenced"
1t would. however, be very unfortu-
nate effect of these congratulations if the
miners of Northumberland or any other
unionists argued that the time had come
to rest upon their oars. AS Mr.. Burt, in
his able speech at Blythe, very forcibly
pointed out, the plan of arbitration is
rapidly superseding the plan of strikes,
but it is equally true that well-organized
unions are as necessary to ensure arbltra-
ton to-day as they were to make wise
use of strikes thirty, forty or fifty years
ago. In time perhaps the cooperation
Of labor and capital will cause the system
of arbitration to o.sink into disuse Just as
the mutual good feeling of labor and
capital is doing away in a great measure
with strikes. But no matter how good
a position, we cannot conceive the in
Auence of really good trade organi-
zation being other than beneficial, The
interchange of information on subjects
of common interest and the comparison
Of opinions on proposed class legislation
will always have their practical utility,
while the valve of the education given
by good union to its members cannot
be over estimated Mr. Burt spoke on
Monday of the honorable way in which
the miners have abided by the decisions
of arbitrators even when these have
been most distasteful to them. Such
conduct, praiseworthy in itself and most
important in persuading employers to
submit to arbitration in future, is due,
we believe, in degree, to the ennobllng
influence of trades unionism. The same
feeling that makes the soldier proud OF
his regiment, the student jealous OF the
reputation of his university, and the
members of an honorable family un-
willing to disgrace it's name, anlmates
the members of union bound together
by the fact of working by good means
for good cause The improvement in
the education of the working classes is,
we believe, largely due to the direct and
indirect influence or trade organizations
during the last fifty years.
The more immediate objects that trade
unionists have before them present sut-
fcient difficulty of attainment to raise
the enthusiasm of even such veterans as
those who met together on Christmas
Day. In the first place they demand,
by means of the redistribution of par
liamentary electors, proper share IN
the electoral force of the country. In
the second place they require far more
satisfactory recognition of the liability
of employers than is contained in the
temporary act of 1880 now in force. And
thirdly, if there are to be factory acts at
all, they have right to demand that
their provisions shall be impartially and
efectually enforced with the help of in
spectors who have some practical knowl-
edge of the subject dealt with. These
are only few of the objects that active
reformers of the industrial classes have
in view, but they are sufficient to prove
that there is still great need of wise