The Cotton Factory Times. — 1888-12-21 (Manchester, Greater Manchester, England)

FIELDEN ON THE SUBJECT. In New Islington Hall, Ancoats, on Sunday afternoon. Mr. J. W. Southern presiding, Mr. J. C. Fielden delivered a lecture entitled "The Lancashire Cotton Industry; A Forecast." Before dealing with the subject of his lecture Mr. Fielden alluded to the great importance of the decision which would be taken at the Manchester Chamber of Commerce on Monday respecting the competition of Bombay with Lancashire in the markets of Eastern Asia. In a speech which he recently delivered at Oldham be described the majority report of the Chamber as a report which did not tell the whole truth. What he meant by that was that throughout the length and breadth of the report there was no allusion to the fact of the long hours of labour in Bombay in this competition, and he considered that no report could be regarded as full and complete which did not bring out that fact. He also maintained that in view of the difficult position of Lancashire in reference to this trade no one having a direct interest in the Bombay mills should hold a seat on the directorate of the Chamber of Commerce, because the chamber existed for the defence as well as for the extension of the cotton trade of this county. He admitted, of course, that any capitalist might claim the right to invest his money in any part of tho world he chose. Proceeding to the subject of his lecture, he submitted figures with a view of showing that disaster to the cotton trade: of Lancashire meant practically disaster to the county as a whole. Up to the year 1876 there never was a competitor who could enter a neutral market against Lancashire with success; but now it was totally different. We had seen a people who carried on their own industry under our own Government gradually developing a trade with markets that we were in possession of, and in which our trade was now dying out and theirs was growing by leaps and bounds. One of the causes of this was that in India the operatives worked 81 hours per week—(shame),— whereas in England they workeclonly 56 hours. He was glad to say that it was extremely likely the Government of India would soon introduce a bill which would reduce the working hours to 67.-(Applause.) This was a respectable start in the right direction. This question was so serious that unless the people of this country looked alive and grasped it, very large portions of our trade would be lost before many years had gone. Capital was being put into the trade of Bombay not by tens of thousands but by hundreds of thousands of pounds. It was said that the competition would stop with the coarser counts, to which it was at present confined; but he held that this was all nonsense, and that the Indian mills would go on to the manufacture of the finer counts. The time had come when we would have to think a Lreat deal more about bread-and-butter politics and a great lcal less about sentimental politics.—(Applause.) At Parliamentary elections he would feel strongly tempted not to record a vote fOr any man who did not pledge himself to an enlightened consideration of Indian quesCone. With due attention to the matters to which be had referred, he thought there was great hope for the f ntnre of the cotton trade of Lancashire.— (Applause.)—A vote of thanks was accorded to Mr. Fielden for his lecture.  On Tuesday the suicide of Edward Hampson Stanstield, Shaw Heath, Stockport, was reported at the police-office. Stansfield was found by his wife in an outhouse, suspended by a window cord. He was not dead, but a number of medical men called ia failed to restore consciousness. He lingered from Monday till last night. His mind was much affected by the death of a daughter a few weeks ago. A desperate attempt by a burglar to murder a policeman was reported on Saturday as having been made in the North Kensington district during the previous night. Constable Whittemore, who was employed on plain-clothes duty in St. Mark's. road, Notting-hill, noticed two men, one of whom he recognised as a well-known burglar not long out of penal servitude on ticket of leave. As their movements were suspicious he followed them through several thoroughfares and into the garden of 58, St. Charles's-square. As they were attempting to force the door he crept up behind them and seized one, whereupon the other man struck him several violent blows about the body, making him release his hold of his prisoner, who thereupon struck him also. The constable drew a life preserver, with which he struck one of his assailants, who thereupon closed with and threw him. One of the men, whose name was Murphy, then drew a revolver and fired at the officer, the bullet taking effect in his leg. Owing to the loss of blood the officer was unable to rise, and the men made good their escape. Later on the occupants of the house heard Whittemore groaning, and he was removed to .A.larylebone Infirmary. On recovering consciousness he gave a description of his assailants, and early on Sunday morning Murphy was arrested, and on being taken to the bedside of Whittemore was identified. He will be charged with attempted murder and attempted burglary. Whittemore's injuries are of a serious character. The ballet has been discovered, and it is feared that the leg may have to be afapiakated.