The Potteries Examiner : — 1879-02-15 (Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England)

FORGE NN AGES BOARD. 4` David Townrow, farmer. living at Ashover, nest Clesterdeld, has just committed suicide under peculiar A meeting of ironworkers, representing the circumstan.es. He had taken great interest in tt works in South Staffordshire and East Worcester- history of Peace, the Banner-cross murderer, and shire, was held on Monday, at the Great Western being unalle to read, he hired persons to read the Hotel, Wednesbug, to arrange for " much-needed seoaational accounts of the convict's life. Subs, alterations in the machinery of the above-named quently he manifested a peculiar interest in the Hoare—vie-, the division of South Staffordshire maul operandi of hanging, and particularly in the and East Worcestershire into districts for the manner of forming the hangman's noose. A few days purposes of the Board, the appointment of district ago Townrow showed unmistakable symptoms of , hange committees for the better management of the mental derangement, and was consequently watched. aff,irs of the Board, and investment of es.ch disHe at length succeeded in evading obtervation, and trict with the right to elsct its own representad himself in his hayloft. tires on the Board."  Mr. Capper said if the ironworkers, as a w'aole, gave up the more intelligent means which conciliation and arhitraticn afforded of adjusting trade differences, from that moment he should cease to take a prominent part in their movements-- ( hear, bear). The had not had to submit to reductions because they had gone to arbitration ; but because, under all the cireumstances, they could not keep wages op, and as the chairman had said, but for the Board the mmum would have been reached eighteen months or two years ago—(hear, bear). At works not connected with the Board the reductions had been greater than at those connected with the Board : and , he could give the names of two or three employers who had severed their connection with the Board; for the purpose of reducing wages to the lowest possible level during the present time of depressed trade. This, he thought, was evidence that others would have done likewise had I they not been connected with the Board. That body, so the chairman had said, had brought wages down more gradually than would have been the case had there been no Board, and if they clung to it, and supported ito principles, it would lift them up again. Certainly, if his connection with it were continued, he should take the earliest opportunity of securing for the men a return of a portion of that which had been taken from them during the last five years of depressed trade. With the view, however, of extending the Board's power and useful. nese it was very desirable that its ramifications should be extended, and with these objects the sub-committee submitted the following proposals (1) rhat South Staffordshire and East Wrocestershire, North Staffordshire and Shropshire, be divided into twelve districts, as follow, Walsall, Wednesbury, Bilstou, Wolverhampton. Tipton, Dudley Port, Great Bridge, West Brous. wicb, Smethwick, Brierley Hill, North Staffordshire, and Shropshire.' (2) That the representatives of each work in each district be constituted a district committee, who shall be placed in possession of a list of the works under their supervision, and whose duty it shall be to see that the works representatives are properly chosen, and vacancies when they occur properly filled up. They shall also see that the , contributions are paid regularly once a quarter— I in March, June, September, and December. The committee shall meet once a quarter—in the early part of April, July, October, and January, and at cads meeting each committee member shall be expected to produce the treasurer's receipt for the contributions for the quarter just passed. In the event of any work not having paid its contribution as set forth es above, the committee shall appoint a deputation to enquire into the cause.' (3) 'That each committee member shall receive 2s. 6d. and second-class railway fare for attendance at each quarterly meeting.' (4) That in all cases where the workmen join that that Board I without their employers, and pay contributions according to rule, they shall claim to be governed by the Board's decisions'— (applause). (5) , That this meeting, seeing that a standard of wages has been fixed by the trade, and is recognised by the Board is of opinion that any attempt to reduce the wages of individual members on the plea of the employers that they are paying more than other kraus for the same kind of work, is contrary to the true spirit of the Board's rules. 1 herefore, in future, no reduction in the wages of any member will be considered as legal, except those which Board itself decrees'—(applause). (6) 'That, with the view of enabling the Board to release itself from present liabilities, it is proposed that each workmen who is two or more quarters' contributions in sneer, and each workman who now joins it, be requested to subscribe 64. each on the first pay day after this meeting; and that each employer who may be likewise in arrear, and each one who may join us, be requested to subscribe a sum equal to the aggregate subscriptions of their workmen.'