The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1905-07-15
TRADE GUILDS IN THE
GOLDEN AGE OF LABOR
BY JOHN j. BEALIN.
(Continued.)

tIaiy' QleSe were constructed and maintained by
the contributions of the plain people. If a church
we're needed read of the members of the Stone
cutters Guild donating their labor to do this par
ucular KIND OF work; the screen was painted by
other guild; the altar built and decorated by an
other guild; the vestments were contributed by d,
| nations of money-some turning in cattle where
money was not plenty, for at this particular period
of law the barter and exchange was in vogue The
hte OF the people was free from care. 1t was one
of honest toll without drudgery.
Old age had no horrors for people as it was
provided for through the instrumentality of mems
individual efforts through the kind offices Of
the guild The parish house in connection with the
church was the scene of the annual parish dinner.
On the village green directly connected with the
church and parish house, there were all kinds of
merry-making; and at stated times. particularly
Holy Week, the great Passion Play was given III
| the parish hall
We will now study guild life in England There
were four kinds of guilds-faith guilds town
guilds, merchant guilds and craft guilds. 1t is
with the latter will deal.
Laws of the Trade Guilds.
"The early English guild was an institution of
local self-help which, before the poor laws were
invented took the place III old times of the moder1t
friendly, or benefit, society, but with higher
aim; while it joined all classes together in the care
of the needy and for objects of common welfare,
It did not neglect the forms and practice of reli
gion justice and morality. "-Tolman Smith
"The laws of these fraternities of artisans were
also directed to watch over the morality Of the
members; they were forbidden to live in sin, Lux
ury was prohibited An act of dishonesty caused
forfeiture of all privileges of the guard Appren-
tees in every trade only such we're of
legal marriage'-Dolbys ages of Faith"
Primers Guild of London
'As an illustration of the working of trade
OF craft guild we will take that of the Primers
e e lot
ing A D. 1864 is now in the British museum. These
some of the chief articles approved for the
guild by the mayor and corporation of the City of
London and granted by royal charter: () No
foreigner to be allowed to keep shop for the sale
of pins o. No foreigner to take to the making
of pins without undergoing previous examination
and receiving approval of the guild officers. CD
No master to receive another masters worhmen.
(4) If servant workman who has served his
master faithfully fall sick he shall be kept by the
craft. 60 Power to the craft to expel those who
do i'll and bring dscredit upon it. CO. Work to
the craft at nights, on Saturdays and the ewes
of the feasts is strictly prohibited. CD Sunday
closing is rigidly enforced. "-Gasquets Eve of
the Reformation"
Hence four hundred years ago the working peo-
pie of England under their guilds were in posses
sion of many things for which trade unlonlsts are
contending now. They had better than the eight
hour law There was but five hours work during
the week. and then there is the care-takng of the
men of the craft during their sickness aud old
age-a far better system than old age pen
sion.
Child Labor Law in 1866.
They had the child labor law in vogue. One has
Just been enacted in New York State.
I'm 1866 a man was fined two shillings for set
ting child to work before he had been fully ap-
prenticed; and also another had to pay two shil-
lings for working after o'clock winter night.
Two shillings in this instance would be about equal
Reformation"
Arbitration and Disputes.
1t is evident that the working people, for
duration of employment, far better circum
stanced than they would have been had they what
is known as the eight-hour day. Proof has been
given also that child labor law also in exis-
tence 1t was also demonstrated beyond dispute
that boards of mediation and arbitration in
existence. For example, in St. Dunstan's parish
there was a disagreement between man named
Baker and the parish and there was charged up an
item of two and one-half pence the arbitration
and settlement of the question. The decision was
rendered against Baker.
The usual custom of settling difficulties was as
follows The parish priest Sundays made an
announcement calling each party to the con- |
fest to name friend to sit in judgment; these two
USUALLY met at the parish house and nominated |
third person. the custom being to name the priest
as the third party. The decision given by these |
arbitrator was accepted as binding. There !
nothing in the statutory law giving warrant to
this CUSTOM but nevertheless it had all the binding
force of law.
Religious Life of Guilds
"As an illustration of the religious side of the |
guilds we find among the documents of the NUM-
cipal archives of Winchester there exists order
of the mayor and corporation as to the disposition
of solemn procession Corpus Christi in 1885. !
1t runs thus:
At a convocation holden in the City of Win
chester the Friday next after the feast of Corpus
Christi in the thirteenth year of the reign of King
Harry Sixth after the Conquest it ordered by {
Richard Calter mayor of the City of Winchester;
John Symer and Henry Putt, baliffs of the said
civ aforesaid and also by all citizens and
rAonality of same city: 1t is agreed of certain
Religious procession of the feast of Corpus Christi
Of divers artificers and crafts within the said city,
that is to say carpenters and felters shall GO first
smiths and BARRIERS second; cooks and butchers,
third: shoemakers with two lights, fourth; tanners
and iapanners fifth; plumbers and silkmen SIXTH
fishers and farriers, seventh; taverners, eighth
weavers, with two lights, ninth; fullers with two
lights. tenth: Overs with two lights, eleventh;
chaundlers and brewers, twelfth; MERGERS with two
lights. thirteenth; the wives with light, and
John Blake with another light, fourteenth, and all
these lights shall be borne orderly before the said
procession before the priests of the city. And four