Year: 1869

Common Mistakes as to Trade Societies


From "Prsrsas Of Ii. WORKING Glass. BY y. N. Lud
Low and Lloyd Jones'"


The training in selfgovernment is, how


ever, We venture to think, the most impor


tant result produced by the Trade Society


and one which no other form Of organization


as yet evolved among the working classes


can develope on so large a scale. NJ


greater mistake can be be made than, "a


journalists and politicians are apt to do, tc


treat the mass Of members Of Trade Socie


ties as dupes, idlers, drunkards, or incap


ables,-their leaders as knaves,- strikes foI


higher wages as their common object. The


more these societies are examined, the more


apparent it will be that they represent al


most invariably the bulk of the able, indus


trlous, and provident workmen in each trade;


that they are habitually well governed BY


men fairly elected by the members as the


most trustworthy respectable, and intelligen,


amongst them; that they prevent far more


strikes shan they encourage.


No Trade Society could maintain itself,
Of which the members were not habitually
at work, and sufficiently thrifty to put BY
something for their contributions Of which
the leaders were not careful to keep their
men at work as far as possible, honest
enough and judicious enough themselves to
be able to reckon in turn on the punctual
payment by others of the moneys required
ts carry on the operations Of the society.


Employers often complain of the difficulty
OF workingmen, whilst nevertheless they have
in their hands the terrible argument of dis
missal, whilst their dealings are confined to
few dozens, hundreds, very rarely thou
sands Of workmen. How much more diff
cult must it be for the officers Of Trade So
cieties to deal with those same workiugmen,
when numbering as many thousands often as
large establishment might employ hun
dreds. where they can use no other arguments
than those Of the own honesty. ability,
good sense, and good temper! Sometimes
the temporary leaders Of Trade Society
may be hot-headed and unwise; but the
permanent officers will almost invariably BE-
found picked men Of their XII, d.-now sub
tie, imperturbsble diplomats, now men 6f the
worthiest and most sterling character. An
examination of the accounts of the leading
societies will show that their business is
managed with great economy. IL any
charge can be brought against their manage
ment, it is that they cost too Ii tie, not too
much and if those who take money for
public services are to be denounced as
4" vampires" it may be said that the Trade
Society vampire is the most ill-used creature
Of that species in existeLce.


A strike is as much calamity to Trade
Society as it is to any one else. Ii is in
time Of peace, when work is plentiful and
wages high, that the society flOurishes; the
effect Of strike is necessarily to
deplete its Golfers and circumscribe its re-
sources. The provisions as to strikes which
Occur in trade society rules show clearly that
they are viewed only as necessary evils.
g When a strike for an advance Of wages,
says the Operative Masons, is Contemplated
bya ' lodge, the secretary is to report the
same to the central committee, showing the
number that would be out. the number of
payable members. the state Of trade, and the
position Of the society in the neighborhood,
also the number Of members belonging to
such lodge that voted for and against the
application being made. The secretary to
summon each member Of the lodge who may
reside within three miles Of the lodge-house
to discuss the application; votes to be taken
by ballot; majority to be binding; no
proxies allowed"


The Coscbmakers say: No shop or
town shall be allowed to turn out on their
responsibility but, in the event Of any oP-
preston or dispute, the secretary of such
town, in conjunction with the members, shall
furnish the executive committee with all the
particulars of such grievance, who shall de-
termiue whether it bt expedient to summon
delegates and if found necessary to DO 50,
the executive committee shall send one dele
gate, and the town secretary where the griev-
ance takes place shall summon one delegate
from each Of the two nearest relieving towns.
Should the delegates fail to settle the matter
amicably, they shall represent the case to
the executive committee, who shall deter
mine whether it be necessary 10 call the men
out or not and if TWO grievances at once,
the executive committee shall decide which
shall have the preference ; and when It Is
practicable, only one strike be allowed to
take place at one time"


The Amalgamated Society Of Carpenters
and Joiners head their monthly report with
a reminder to members of the following re-
solution :-" That in the event Of the mem
bers Of any branch Of this society beng de-
sirous of soliciting their employers for any
new privilege, they must first forward to
the council full particulars Of the privilege
required. The council will Immediately
consider the same, and, if circumstances war
rant, grant the application. But should
the employers fail to comply with the re-
quest made, The branch SO applying must
again consult the council as to their future
course. And under no circumstances will
any branch he allowed to strike without first
obtaining the sanction of the council,
whether it be for a new privilege, or against
an encroachment on existing ones"


Surely it is impossible to surround de-
claration Of war with more precautions and
fOrmalities. Would 10 God 1t were AS diff
cult for an English Ministry TO involve the
empire in hostllities as it generally is for
Trade Society 10 enter upon a strike Let
it be observed, moreover, that strikes are
expressly discOuntenanccd by many Trade
Societies in their rules that one Of them
(the Smiths) boast Of being the Sc Original
Anti strike Society,"" and literal y every
one which can do SO, Of the length Of time
during which it has carried on its operations
without striking. The executive council
does ALI possibly can to prevent any strike"
says the SECRETARY Of the AmaIgamated En-