The Labor enquirer., 1886-10-02
Latest London Notes.

Latest London NOCes,
For the Enquirer.
LONDON, September 10.-The labor
question is one OF the most important
topics on this side of the Atlantic at tn
present time, thanks to the Trades Union
International which has just been held
at Paris. and the Trades Union Congress
which has commenced it's deliberations
at Hull. Unfortunately at the Paris
congress the English delegates undoubt-
edly created bad impression by not
voting upon the resolutions proposed.
Ali of them with the exception of one
of the delegates from the London
Trades Council, W. Jones, abstalned
from voting on the ground that they
had received no mandate from their
constituents. This of course placed
them entirely in the position of visitors
to the congress The real truth was
atresolutions in favor of an eight-ho ur
working day, international labor legl6la-
ton and other similar projects, were
rather loo strong for the average En-
glish trade union official to swallow.
However, contact with the continental
workmen and also with the Australian
delegate, Norton, seems to have reused
the slumbering temperament of the En-
glish trade union official, for the opening
address of the president of the Hull
con gress, Mr.. Madison, was certainly
encouraging, being, if ANYTHING, an i'm
provement on ThreefalPs address of last
year. In fact, the outspokenness of his
address may be Judged from the fact
that the tone of the capitalist press is
exceedingly bitter against him.
In Wales a considerable agitation is on
foot against the paymen: of the church
tithes which press heavily upon the
farmers. Anti-tithes leagues are being
formed to resist the enforcement Of the
tithes and to defray the expenses of those
who may be distrained upon for refusing
to pay the amounts claimed. Very few
of the Welsh people belong to the estab
lished church of the English and it is
therefore quite reasonable that they
should object to Icing forced to pay
about 81, 100000 for what they disagr 1e
with.
In Ireland and Scotland, especially in
the island of Skye the land agitation is
being carried on with vigor. Already
the unemployed are beginning to make
| themselves heard and l am sorry to say
there ID every prospect of the approach
ing winter being more bitter season
for the workers than even last winter.
As you have been informed by our
comrade, Blackwell, for the past three
or four weeks, especially IN London, con-
siderable excitement has been manifest
over the question of the Social Demo
Gratis and the police, to which l alluded
in my last letter. Williams, of the So
cial Democratic Federation, and Main
waring, of the Social League, we're tried
at the Midd!esex sessions for causing an
although it was perfectly Y
clear that 40 real obstruction had been
caused until the police interfered-and
found guilty. Judge Edlin, who through
out the case acted as second prosecuting
counsel sentenced them to pay fine of
500, to enter into their own recognl-
zances each for $3.50, and to find each
two sureties in $3.50 each "to be of good
behavior" for twelve months. In default
of paying this fine or finding the sure
ties they would have to undergo two
months imprisonment. Williams de-
clded to 90 to prison Mainwaring's Fl ne
was paid and the sureties found.
The industrial outlook is not at all re-
assuring. In the chair trade of South
Staffordshire and East Worcestershire
the strike that now is the largest that
has been known for nine years, and the
men are more determined and united
than eyer thev have been before. The
poverty of the workers is appalling.
Over 1000 men are idle. In Scotland
reductions of wages are taking place. A
great strike has occurred at the Mothe :
we'll steel works owing to reductions,
ranging in some departments to so per
cent. Reductions are also expert9I in
the Greenock shipbuilding Yards. The
only exception to these wholesale reduc-
tions of wages is the Coltness & Glasgow
iron company who have granted an ad-
vance, which they refused a week ago
in the workshops of the Northwestern
and Great Western RAILWAYS. There is
little improvement but it is feared it
will not be of long duration. The Cleve-
land iron miners and the South Wales
tin workers are suffering greatly frvm
the depression. The employees of the
omnibus and tram car companies are or
ganizing against their excessive hours of
work. 81. W. LEE.
The best elements of the American
people say the Chinese must stay-NeH