The Labor enquirer., 1886-10-30

/ .
lord tyranny. The increase of evictions
and the fearful suffering which those
who are turned out of honse and home
onto the wayside win have to endure as
the winter approaches will most GER
tainly produce outrages. And what else
can be expected? Every attempt to
improve the condition of the tenants by
peaceful means is reiectedl What, there
fore. might be avoided by dealing with
the problem irrespective of class inter-
ests will be met with repression and CO.
ercion. Needless to say, such measures
will fail, as thev have always failed, to
settle the social question.
In the important mining districts Of
Cannock Chase the coal owners have
been trying to arrange the working hours
of the men; so as to obtain profit sufi
cient to allow them to keep the pits at
work. They told the men they could
not at present work the collieries at a
profit and they wished them to work
forty eight hours in FIVE DAYS instead Of
forty.eight hours in six days, as at pres
ent; that is TO say. nine hours on Mon
day and Friday, holiday on Saturday.
and ten hours the three remaining days.
The men strongly objected to work more
than eight hours day. At a meeting
of over 5000 miners several of the
speakers said that increasing the hours
was certainly no remedy for the present
state of II ings A meeting has been
held at Gl .sgow of delegates represent
ing over 1000 miners, at which the
formation of national federation of
miners was strongly advocated. The sad
state of things in which the forged nail
workers of Worcestershire and South
Staffordshire have been struggling for
the past two years does not seem to
mend. Wages have fallen from 20 to 80
per cent by successive reductions.
The Social Democratic Federation
have issued manifesto to the unem
ploYed workmen of the metropolis, call
ing upon them 10 follow the procession
of the lord mayors show on November
70. The manifesto go3s on to say: "D)
the wealthy classes who are responsible
for this awful neglect, know that thou
sands are denied employment because
| those who are in work are co mpelled to
toll twelve, fourteen, sixteen and even
eighteen hours a day for a bare living g?
Do they understand that while nothing
whatever has been done for The better
housing of the working classes in this
huge city, public bodies refuse to organ
ize the unemployed for building healthy
and low-rented dwellings on the many
vacant sites in London? Are they aware
that children by the thousand will be
driven breakfastess to the board
schools through the bitter weather,
while thousands of pounds of the city
charities are wasted in paying for ser
muns in empty churches or mls-appro-
priated to afford parish officials luxuri-
GUS banQuets? The rulers of our couh-
try could not but fear for themselves if
they could once see the agony their
selfish apathy inhIcts OF the producers
Of wealth. Then show them your de5-
pair aud their danger. Ga Tuesday,
November 9, the lord mayors show
will again represent to the world the
commercial eatness and the vast
wealth of London over which the work
ers nave 4, control, and IN which they
have no share. We call on every one Of
you to leave your slums and follow that
pageant along the thOrOu1hfAre5 in 81
lent and solemn order. Prove by the
contrast between the hopeless misery of
your procession and the pOmp of theirs,
the necessity for the government to full
fill its first duty by saving your lives
and the lives of your families"
H. w. LEE.