Page images
PDF
EPUB

WORKMAN'S BANE & ANTIDOTE:

COMPRISING THE

ESSAY ON STRIKES,

READ AT THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION FOR THE
ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE, 1861;

THE HISTORY OF A MISTAKE;

BEING

A TALE OF THE COLNE STRIKE, 1860-1;

AND A LECTURE ON

THE POWER AND INFLUENCE OF

CO-OPERATIVE EFFORT,

DELIVERED AT THE MECHANICS' INSTITUTION, MANCHESTER,
NOVEMBER 6TH, 1861.

BY JOHN WATTS, PH.D.

PRICE FOURPENCE.

MANCHESTER: A. IRELAND AND CO., PALL MALL COURT;

AND

DORSET STREET, SALISBURY SQUARE, LONDON;

AND ALL BOOKSELLERS.

Soc1684.961
Soc 1685.97.10

AARVARD COLLER

MAR 26 1940

LIBRARY

Peabody fund

[blocks in formation]

AND THEIR EFFECTS ON WAGES, PROFITS, AND ACCUMULATIONS.

AMONG the most serious of the evils to be encountered in the operations of trade are Strikes by organised bodies of workmen. Since the repeal of the laws against combinations of workmen, "Trades' Societies" have sprung up in almost every considerable branch of employment-associations, the principal object of which is the "protection of wages." These societies are co-extensive with the trades which they represent, being composed of federated branches, united by representation in central committees. Some of these societies are not strictly confined to the United Kingdom, for the hand Engravers have members in North America, and the Amalgamated Engineers have members in every part of the civilised world. some of these societies piecework alone-i. e., work at so much per yard, or per piece of a given number of yards, or so much for a given job-is recognised as the proper mode of payment; in others piecework and daywork are both allowed; and in others, again, day work alone is recognised; but in all there are rules, expressed or understood, to control the rate of wages, which are alike for the inferior and the superior workIn most societies apprenticeship to the trade is held to be an indispensable preliminary to admission,

man.

In

and the number of apprentices to be allowed to any employer of a given number of men is defined; while in other societies (the cotton trade, to wit) the system of apprenticeship is held to be injurious, and is sometimes denounced as a tyranny. The societies enforce their rules upon members by fines and expulsion, while the rod held over the employer is the probability of a strike.

That strikes are great evils is universally allowed. Some persons affirm that they are unmitigated evils ; some think that, however mischievous, they are not preventible; while others affirm that they are necessary, as preventing even greater calamities. If I can at all aid in discovering which of these theories is the true one, or if any of them be true, my purpose will be answered. I suspect there are but few men who would think of re-enacting the laws against combinations, for whatever be the evils of freedom, those of secret societies, endless prosecutions, and schemes of revenge, which would follow any such enactment, would be much worse; and we are, therefore, left to reason alone as our court of appeal, whatever may be our conclusions; and if we find that we are at present experiencing the danger of "a little learning" in trade affairs by workmen, the cure, as I believe, is not to be found in the backward path, but in the progress to higher knowledge; and we must not forget that our present position, as compared with twenty years ago, shows a very satisfactory improvement in the conduct of the working classes generally.

Economic science rules that the price of labour, like that of any other commodity, will be regulated by the supply of, compared with the demand for, it; and working men practically acknowledge the truth of the theory even while fighting against it, for by strikes they withdraw labour from the market, thus making it artificially scarce, in order to keep up its price. But such an operation, even if successful, is shortsighted; the operatives forget that all increase to the

sea.

future (employment) wages fund comes out of the profits of the employer and the invested savings of the workman; and that to arbitrarily prevent the production of wealth, or to wastefully consume the savings of past years, is just as injurious to society, and as certainly lessens the future demand for workmen, and the future rate of wages, as if the employer's workshops and plant had been burnt, or his wealth cast into the Like produces its like, wealth begets wealth, but the seed wealth can only fructify by passing through the soil of labour; and as the increase of an industrious population increases the price of land by increasing the customers for its produce, so will the increase of wealth generally increase the price of labour by increasing the demand for labourers. If I save money I do not lock it up in a box, but invest it, in order to make a profit; but where shall I find an investment which does not employ labour? If I go into the most unlikely looking, as into consols, into bank or railway shares, I release another man's money; and, however often this transaction be repeated, the ultimate result will be the release of some one's money for productive employment.

The connection between the employer and his workpeople ought to be very intimate; for, unless the workman has the confidence of his employer or manager, he cannot expect to retain his situation for any long time, and, to enable him to deserve such confidence, he must work with a will which can only arise from satisfaction with his remuneration and his treatment. The best of friends occasionally disagree, and each conscientiously believes the other to be in the wrong, and it is hardly likely that members of societies which, as at present constituted, infringe upon individual liberty, will avoid disputes with the sufferers from their restrictive rules; and, accordingly, we can scarcely lift a newspaper without finding (by advertisements for workmen, and counter advertisements advising workmen not to engage) that disputes and strikes are of very frequent-not to say of constant

« PreviousContinue »