Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1896-04-03
GLASGOW, SCOTLAND.

GLASGOW, SCOTLAND.
The Engineers Struggle and the Sur
render of the Executive.
Mr.. Tom Mann, General Secretary Of the
Independent Labor Party, writes about the
great engineers strike:
AS member of the Amalgamated Society
of Engineers, in common with many
others, desire to place on record strong
protest against the unwarrantable action of
the Executive Council in stopping the dis
pute pay to the Belfast men, who were
fighting in strict accordance with A. S. E.
rules, who had a splendid case AMI who
could for certainty have won had they
been allowed to continue the fight.
In manifesto issued by the Executive
Council signed by the General Secretary
few weeks before Christmas, reference is
made to the 'unjustifable attack made
upon US by the employers Of Clyde firms
endeavoring to force us into submission by
intimidating the men at Belfast, who were,
in honor to themselves, and as loyal trade
unionists, bound to take the course they
did in asking for the fulfilment Of the en-
ployers' promises to restore the amount of
the reductions inforced when they thought
we were at their mercy during the trade
depression of 1892 and 1897
The Belfast men had formerly received
35s. per week they were reduced to 83s.,
with the promise that the two shillings
should be restored when trade improved,
The employers not offering to restore when
trade did improve, the men, in accordance
with rule and with approval of the Execu-
tive Council; made the demand for the old
conditions. By the above quotation it will
be seen the Executive backed this,
not only by resolution, but by
public manifesto specially written
and sent to the press for publication. The
employers finding that the locking out of
the Clyde men was not likely to result in
the achievement Of their object, j. e.. the
cefeat of the Belfast mems claims, de-
cided upon the alternative of virtually buy
ing over the Executive Council Of the
Clyde. and so dividing the organization
into sections, getting the capitalist press to
prate about the dignity Of the A. S. E.
Executive, and the necessity for
this Executive to insist upon
discipline. Under this plutocratic
employers press patronage, the Executive
are befooled into not only forsaking the
Belfast men in their demands, which they
were bound to make il" honor to themselves,
and as loyal trade unionists vide E. G.
statement-but to unwarrantably issue a
peremptory instruction that they, the Bel
fast men, must be content to accept the old
offer of the employers Of one shilling ad-
vance instead Of two, and that no further
dispute pay would be sent them.
How can this be defended by any manner
of means in face Of all the facts thousands
Of loyal members of the A. S. Z. cannot
understand. No wonder the Belfast men
protested, and no wonder the capitalist
press praised the Executive. And why
should they not? The Executive did the en-
ployers' work far better than they could do
it themselves; but humiliation doesn't stop
here.
After the decision to return to work,
both on the Clyde and Lagan, it was found
the loyal and plucky apprentices who
stood by the men were not allowed to re-
sumo, and so it was necessary to dispatch
an emissary from Stamford street to my
Lord James to learn why the employers
refused to restart the apprentices; and
the report is, and believe it to be true,
that Lord James replied: THAT the en-
ployers intended to give the apprentices a
warning not to leave work in future, and
when they had given them scare to Sc
cure future good behavior they would be
allowed to return, and with this piece of
capitalistic bombastic impudence the Ex-
ecutive apparently agreed-in any case no
protest appears to have been made Of any
sort or kind.
Spiritless Executive! To whom shall
the young men look for guidance, to
whom shall they look for inspiration? Can
they place confidence in body which
appears to value the appreciation of
capitalist organs more than that Of its own
rank and file; that one day talks of
''loyalty to great principles, and un-
reservedly backs up the men, and month
later, against its own rules, coerce its
members to yield up their claims, without
even definite promise Of a return of the
wage they formerly had?
The forthcoming delegate meeting, let
us hope, will show that the society as a
whole is prepared to step to the front, and
to undertake and perform its full share of
the real organizing and pace setting in the
workers ranks. Object to it as they will,
trade unionists are being irresistibly |
driven towards Socialism, aud must ulti
mately become Socialists; they are con-
fronted with employers or
CARNATIONS on voluntary lines
every whit as good as their own, and the
engineers and shipbuilders and cotton
operatives, with their officials, must fall
into line with the advanced land or labor
and they will, we can vouch
for that. The work is going on every day,
and making itself felt on all sides; and there
are those in the ranks Of the A. S. 4. that
will not be behind the rest Of the world