The South Staffordshire Examiner. — 1874-11-07 (Wednesbury, West Midlands, England)

IRONWORKERS' MEETINGS. MEETLNG AT WEST BROMWICH. TER EXPECTED STRIKE IN SOUTH WALES.  The annual meeting in connection with the Ironworkers' Association of West Bromwich, was held on Monday evening, in St. George's Hall, West Bromwich. Mr. Ancott, chairman of the South Staffordshire Operatives Council, presided; and there were also present Mr. J. Kane, of Darlington (secretary of the National Ironworkers' Association); Mr. Capper (secretary of the Operatives Council of the South Staffordshire Consultation Board) Mr. Walker, also a member of that Council. etc.—The Chairman , in opening the proceedings, remarked that some ironworkers had become dissatisfied with the Association because they had been obligea to submit to reductions during the last year. let the organisation had been the means of upholding, through a period of great depression, a higher rate of wages than they hod received previous to '72. In former turns. when trade was at its beat, and employers had their books full of orders, 10s. and 10s. 64.1. per touter puddling was the highest rate of Sages they received, while during the past year, in spite of all the bad trade, wages had not fallen below 10s. 9d. per ton. The best sign of the times, however, was the fact that the ironworkers had accepted three reductions without one day's strike, and without any violent action. (Applause.) Mr. Keane, of Darlington, then addres.d the meeting, and stated that during the past year prices of manufactured iron had fallen in the market, and it was, consequently, necessary for labour to be reduced in a proportionate ratio. Daring the past twelve mouths cue beneficial principle had been adopted, and that was the fixing of a maximum and a minimum scale of wages in the North of England and South Staffordshire. There were ironworkers who disagreed with that basis. They were in favour of prices ascending but not descending. But we would tell them that if prices did not fall everything would soon be brought to a dead level, and trade and commerce would be at a discount. Employers would disappear, because they would .not employ labour when no profit was to be realised from their manufactures. Therefore it Was a matter of safety for them to have some limit to the fall in wages. The minimum, however, had been fixed at 9s. 6d. per ton, or 20 per cent, higher than their wages used to be in a similar state of trade a few years ago, whilst 12s. fid., the maximum wages, was 20 per cent, in advance of the highest price the ironworkers had received previous to 1672. Thu whole bargain, therefore, was one of great advantage to the ironworkers. An employer in the district had told him that the arrangement was working well, as it had a tendency to steady trade and prevent a system of underselling. enabled house's to go into the market and accept orders with a probability of being able to execute them. Wales had no advantage of this kind. The Ironworkers' Association hod paid no less than £17,000 in the space of two years to the men in the principality, and no less than .0700 had been sent to Wales in the past month in consequence of the policy of Messrs. Crawshay and Co., who had made a demand that their workpeople should work at 10 per cent, below the ordinary prices paid in Wales. The men resisted the demand, and every effort was made to settle the dispute peaceabiy, bat to no purpose. The men in Wales had adopted a policy that, aa wages decreased, they decreased the amount of work. They could not now increase either the amount of their earnings or the amount of work, and they were under notice for alO per cent. redaction. If the ironworkers of Staffordshire were working for the wages that were being paid in Wales, they would think it a dismal and black look-out indeed. It was too disgraceful a price to be named. He always felt ashamed to pronounce it. There could be no greater proof of the need of unionism than the simple fact of the amount paid for Welsh labour. It was said that houses were cheaper there, but the sample of houses he had seen at Dowlais was more lit for cattle to live in than human beings. The ironworkers throughout the country would shortly be informed of the exact state of affairs in South Wales, and they would then be called upon to aid them. A deputation from the Executive Council would seek an interview with the employers, and endeavour to bring about a joint meeting between them and their work. people, with the view to try and settle the difficulty. It was a foolish thing to force a strike when trade was receding; it Was, in fact, to commit social suicide. The Council would endeavour to maintain the peace between employers and employees in the Principality, and to get the highest price for the labour of the ironworkers. (Applause.) Mr. Capper alluded to the strike in Wales, and said the price paid in South Wales at the present time was only 6s. 02. per ton. and the employers had given a month's notice, for a reduction of ten per cent, upon that price, which would bring wag. downto 35.10 d, (Shame.) He asked, was 58. 10d. the value of a peddler's rabour. He held that at no time, under any circumstances, should the rate of wagea be less than 10s. per ton. (Applause.) Notice for the reduction would affect about 5,000 men connected with the union. He urged the ironworkers of Staffordshire to assist the men in Wales to resist the proposed reduction, and pointed oust that the only way in which the operatives could maintain their position was by united action. The meeting was afterwards addressed by Mr. Walker and other gentlemen.