Nelson Chronicle, Colne Observer, and Clitheroe Division News. — 1901-06-28 (Nelson, Lancashire, England)

MEETING AT &ASHY. There was a well attended meeting of weavers on Monday evening at the Victoria Institute, Earby, for the purpose of passing a resolution and discussing the evil effect, of "driving' in mills. Mr 3. Rotheray occupied the chair, and was supported by Mr Ogden, secretary of the Heywood Weavers' Association, and Mr Newell, secretary of the Colnc and District Weavers Association. The Chairman gave a brief address, in the course of which he gave touching experiences regarding the evils brought about by the "driving' system. He had remembered , the time when his own wife bad come home from the mill crying. He thought the time had now come for action, and he urged the I weavers who were not members of the association to join at once. He then called upon Mr Ogden, who mowed the following resolution : —"That this meeting strongly condemns the principle of "driving" in weaving sheds, and pledges itself to render all necessary support in getting the slate system abolished and also the payment of taciders by poundage." He was phased to inform them that the executive hail taken their coat, off to the matter, and would do all in their power to abolish the evils, but in order to do this it was absolutely necessary that they should have the full support of the weavers themselves. Ho was afraid the outsiders did not really know what was meant by "driving," and further that they might think it was a new thing which had sprung upon them. The fact was that it was nothing of the sort. It had been with them for years. but it had taken the Darwen tragedy to bring the weavers to their senses. The "driving" to which they objected was at certain places where it was the custom to put the weavers' wagea on a slate or on paper, and the lowest wages were marked, in some eases, by red ink, which of course meant that if the weaver did not get more work off the looms he would have to give way for somebody who could. It was the custom in some other places for tacklers to go round and sts• what the weavers were making, and to instruct them to have certain piece, off by the making-up day. It was that kind of work which had ' driven the poor girl at Darwen to commit suicide, and they little knew what aching hearts it was making in the whole of Lancashire. They were not met there to condemn any particular employer or overlooker, but the system as a whole, and it was high time it was abolished. The employers and overlookers were the victims of circumstances. He honestly believed that the good employer was driven to the system by the other employers around him—it was practically competition. It was a physical impossibility to get all persons alike, and they could not expect them all to earn the some wages. There was the quality of the work to take into consideration, and it was idiotic for an employer to say that the warp would he guaranteed a good one, or that the weaver would have no smashes. That was something over which they had no control. ' The tacklers in many instances were paid by the amount the weaver earned, and it was to their interest that they should get all the work out of the weaver possible. He did not tkink they would get all they wanted on this occasion, but they would have made a start, and it was becoming a question as to whether they were prepared to stop the looms in order to bring about this change. He hoped that the weavers would show their appreciation of the attempt to abolish one of the most cruel systems that ever existed in any workshop (applause). Mr Newall, the secretary of the Colne and District Weaver,' Association, supported the resolution. The resolution was carried unanimously.