Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1886-10-03
LABOR In EUROPE.
TRADES UNION CONGRESSES
IN PARIS AND HULL.
Agrarian Agitation In Wales and Scot
land Social Democrats and the
Police Dinner to French
Delegates - The In.
dustrial Situation.
To the HiOrkmeu's Adrocdte:;

To the " t'OrkmeuS ldrOcdte;
LONDON, Sept. 10. The labor
question is one of the most import
ant topics on this side of the Allan
tie at the present time, thanks to the
international Trades Union con-
gress, which has just been held at
Paris, and the Trades Union con-
gress which has commenced its de-
alterations at Hull. Unfortunately
at the Paris congress the English
delegates undoubtedly created bad
impression by not voting upon the
resolutions proposed. All Of them,
with the exception of one Of the del
egates from the London Trades
Council, W. Jones, abstained from
voting on the ground that they had
received no mandate from their con-
stituents. This of course placed
them entirel y in the position of yisl-
tors to the congress. The real truth
was that resolutions in favor of an
eight hour working day, international
labor legislation, and other similar
projects, were rather too strong for
the average English Trades Union
official to swallow. However, con-
tact with the continental workmen,
and also with the Australian dele
gate, Nol ton, seems to have reused
the slumberlng temperament of the
English Trades Union official for
the opening address of the president
of the Hull congress, Mr.. Madison,
WAS certainly encouraging, being, if
anything, an improvement of Threl-
falls address of last year. In fact,
the outspokcnncss of his address may
be judged from the fact that the
tone of the capitalist press is exceed
ingly bitter against him.
In Wales considerable agitation
is on foot against the payment Of the
church tithes which press heavily on
the farmers. Anti-tithe leagues are
being formed to resist the enforce
ment of the tithes and to dcfray the
expenses Of those who may be dis
trained upon for refusing to pay the
amounts claimed. Very few of the
Welsh people belong to the Estab
lished Church of England, and it is
therefore quite reasonable that they
should object to being forced to pay
about 81, 300, 900 for what they dis
agree with.
In Ireland and Scotland, especially
in the island of Skye, the land agi-
tation is being carried on with vigor,
Already, too, the unemployed are
beginning to make themselves heard,
and | am sorry to say there is every
prospect of the approaching winter
being IA more bitter season for the
workers than even last winter.
For the past three or four weeks,
especially in London, considerable
excitement has been manifest over
the question of the Social Democrats
and the police to which alluded in
my last letter. Williams, of the
Social Democratic Federation. and
Mainwaring, Of the Socialist League,
were tried at the MiddIesex Sessions
for causing an obstruction-alt although
it was perfectly clear that no real OBJ
struction had been caused until the
police interfered and found guilty.
Judge Edlin, who thought the case
acted a soctnd prosecuting counsel's
part. sentenced them to pay fine of
sitU, to enter into their own recog-
instances each for $3.50, and to find
each two sureties in $3.50 each "to
be OF good behaviour" for twelve
months. In default of paving this
fine or finding the surcties they
would have to undergo two months
Imprisonment Williams decided to
90 to prison Mainwaring's fine was
paid and the sureties found.
On Sunday, August %, the Social
Democratic Federation held mag
nifcent demonstration in Trafalgar