Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-04-06
BICCERSTAFF'S BLUFF.
Henry Makepeace Calls it and Goes
 ssTeddy'' one Better.


 ives doubted if ever could wade through them. Here are a few o1 them: Concentrated hatred yindict iveness, wrath, skeptical recrimina tions, twaddle. etc"
 will at the outset say bear nc personal malice toward MT Bigger staff. Nay. I would if opportunity oc CUTS, be pleased to take a pot of four and half with him q think he means half and haIf) and doubt not but that we should equally enjoy 1t, and be- Heve neither he or would sneak in at the back door if we chose to take it. and we are equally aware that several pots might cloud the vision. My quarrel Is not with yourself, but with your statement, viz: "The deplorable arro- gance of the trade unions of Great Britain" I gave some figures to prove that trade since the seventies, instead of declining was increasing. VIII you deny that statement and fig ures, or do you want more figures? He also takes me to task and says that 1 did not keep strictly to Staffordshire. Here must remind him that Stafford shire is not Great Britain. He says never saw the country. I again fn- form him have seen it, and also know the particular parts ne mentions. l will now try to answer his questions.
 list question. What caused the dis ruption in the Spon Lane glass works Not the arrogance of labor unions. If workmen make an effort to better their conditions, and claim fairer share of what they produce, that surely does not warrant him saying 1t was through their arrogance. The firm moved it's works where 1t could get cheaper and underpaid labor. As well say the cotton mills of East Hartford moved on that account into the south. They moved where they can get cheap and underpaid labor, and more the pity we know the kind of labor they employ.
 2d question. What caused the col lapse of the Kendrick foundry and the return of the heavy machinery holders to the Clyde? I answer principally be cause of the heavy railway rates. and that they could get nearer the sea- board, also that materials were close at hand; not that they would escape or ganized labor, as organizations are more compact in the north than any other part of Great Britain.
 Sd question. What caused the shut down of the SandweH pits? again answer not the arrogance of trade un- ions, but for the same cause as my answer to No question.
 zth questior. What was the cause of the jewelry business moving away from Birmingham? CIr Biggerstaff is now skipping from Staffordshire to Warwickshire.) My answer is that it never has moved away and that to-day it manufactures more jewelry than any city in the world, and that to-day the 5ewelry business is giving full employ ment to 35 1000 people. Prove 1t to the contrary if you can MT Biggerstaff!
 In all these disputes if there was anything to arbitrate whose fault would it have been if the coal mines of the Ankeride coal field had been food ed would 1t have been the arrogance of the unions or the arrogance of Baer? The late labor commission has answer ed that question. Was there nothing to arbitrate?
 Let me remind MT Biggerstaff that the Amalganated society was organiz- ed more than twenty years earlier than he states. Why did not MT Biggerstaff ask what caused the world-known firm Of Messrs Boulton 6 Watts to grad ually dwind1e out of existence, and that is only a short distance from Spon Lane.
 presume MT Biggerstaff is in the enjoyment of the shorter workday and that he has used his opportunities to store up knowledge, read classical works and get acquainted with the poets. If he- will only use his efforts to get others the same privileges some of us may likewise get acquainted with the classics and poets.
 True, workmen have not the knowl- edge which it is desirable they should have. The object of the shorter work day movement, as I understand it, is to obtain that leisure by which alone he can attain knowledge. It is a well known fact that labor officials or labor leaders, if you choose to call them such, have invariably but to voice the opin- ions and wishes of the members and workmen, when such opinions have been put forward in an irresist- able manner. What does MT Bigger staff mean in making the statement in
 
 regard to the inordinate demands made upon our manufacturers? I presume he must mean the demands for the shorter workday, made two years ago at which time the machinists asked for & nine hours workday with ten hours pay. because he knows that it will be met by more efficient work, saving in coal and gas, lubricants and other inci- dentals in the cost of production You will call to mind short talk we had on Bank street little over week ago, in stating to me 1t was not your inten- ton to try to damage trade unions, pointing to your pocket you said 1t is not likely, carry union card myself. made an effort to find out what un- ion you belonged to. I inquired if you belonged to the Die Sinkers' associa- ton. The answer was no. Perhaps you meant you were an honorary mem Der in a musical union. Anyway if you say it is not so we will let it go at that. And now I will ask you how came 1t that one of the largest engi- neering establishments in England Messrs Tangye, built their new works in the seventies in Staffordshire, and in the very locality that you mention where the arrogant trade unions did 50 much ruin? This firm employs 25OO hands, mostly union men, all working under peaceful and fair con-