On this page
-
Text (3)
-
Untitled Article
-
Untitled Article
-
Untitled Article
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
-
-
Transcript
-
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.
Untitled Article
Employer , has given i&m to much misconoeption » a to the proper relation * which ought to exist between the manufacturers and their operatives , and it is strange to observe bow fatally this simple misuse of a word has acted upon , loth parties , causing exaction and interference on the one side , 'distrust and enmity on the other : for the word Servant ( % hieh is the antithesis to Master ) has a sinister interpretation ) and carries with it a suggestive significance , wiieh the utmost kindness « ad benevolence can seldom utterly destroy . What is the exact nature of the contract between the manu&ctucer and the operative ?
of absurdity beyond it—that of expecting that they will no * fhietify sooner or fester . ' The iniquities of the Truck System , to afcolish which the power of the Legislature has been so frequently invoked in . vain , are but * small part of what has been charged against those who have hasted to be rich at the expense of their workers . Even that most dishonest system , is not yet entirely abolished , for there are many mill-owners ( some in Preston } who compel a family to take one of their cottages before giving employment at their mills . * When this is done , it too often happens mat tne rental is in
greatly advance of what would be asked by an independent landlord . Then there is the system of fines . ; necessary perhaps , but capable of being regulated so as to admit the grossest evils . Fines « re inflicted for offences against the discipline of the mill , and for faults in the work . Some masters devote the moneys arising from this source to the benefit of the general body of the hands , in augmentation of sick , saving , or clothing funds , or in the support of book clubs- or schools , and this certainly absolves them
room all suspicion t > f mulcting the wages for tneir own personal gain ; but many pat the money into their own { pockets , or' ( worse stilt ) delegateto their 1 sans the power of inflicting the fries , permitting ; them to appropriate the proceeds , as an incentive to vigilance . The former method of disposing of these ones is mean , but the latter gives rise to more injustice ,-aad opportunity for the exercise of immoral favouritism than can , well be described .
Suffice it to say that , the father of a family -would naturally feel a little sore at the infliction of . a '' heavy fine , when he saw that Hie delinquencies of a pretty Weaver were suffered to pass by unpunished . ^ Not is this impulse to favQuritism confined exclusively to the sons , for instances are by iio means infrequent where masters have ayailedrthemselves of the opportunities of Boaz , i without exhibiting any of the high-minded con- * scientiousness so much to be esteemed in that excellent Hebrew .
Another source of complaint against individual masters arises from the want of good faith in . regulating the piece-work of the null . As the machinery is geared by the overlookers for the ^ particular sort to be spun or woven , it is impossible for any bwt a very experienced hand to tell exactly what is the sort mantifactured . A spinner may be told that he is spinning 30 * 8 ! , when Ire ia really spinning 32 ' s ; « nd it is only by seeing a cop wound upon a wrap-reel that the true count q an be checked . But when this test is resorted to , the operation is performed by a manager , or some other person in authority ; and there is a very prevalent opinion among the workpeople that they are sometimes cheated Hn this
manner . Again , vrhen pay day comes , and the earnings have to be computed according to the list of prices , the workman occasionally finds to bis astonishment that he has sadly over-calculated the amount due to him ; for he has omitted the abatements customary in the mill , but which formed no part of hie expressed contract with his employer . These abatements are sometimes made upon very frivolous pretences , such as charging the dressers with so much for gas ; J but the effect is uniform—that of lessening the earnings . Nor , when he has got h 5 s money , do the exactions of his employer always end ; for sometimes th « latter -presumes to dictate to him how and in what
manner he shall spend his hard-won earnings . In illustration of this , I subjoin a copy of a rule which for years past baa been printed and hung up in the works of a Preston firm , one of the greatest in Lancashire : — " All persons now working , or hereafter coming to work under H ., M ., and Co ., are required to give a montL ' a notice previons to leaving their employ { the said ff . Jlf ., and Co . having full power to d \ acharge any person employed-under tliem without any previous notice ) ; and no person or persons so engaged shall give aiiv money , or subscribe directly or indirectly to any club , fund , or combination of any description whatever , except the regular and legal sick clubs . " It would , perhaps , bo very difficult to convince the framers of this rule that they were committing a . most flagrant injustice in enforcing it ; they would tell you , that the parenthetical clause is only a necessary provision to keep the operatives under control , and that the dictation as to
When the Cotton manufacture was in its infancy , in the olden time previously referred to , when the factor rode about the country distributing raw material amongst the cottages of the spinners and weavers , —returning after a season for the manufactured fabric , —the operative was * n independent tradesman . He sold his labour . He made his bargain with the factor , and did the
work contracted to be performed upon the material m return for a certain price , in the computation of which he had a free and independent voice . There was no talk of subordination , no endeavour to control him in the disposition of his money when he had fairly earned it . Afterwards , -when demand had enlarged the productive power of the trade , it became convenient for the manufacturer to as *
semble all bis workers beneath one roof , anil buildings were erected for" that purpose , which , were called Factories . OFot the better regulation of those establishments certain rule * were agreed to ; but these extended no further titan the nmita of a necessary police , t © insure order and regularity in the performance -of the work . The relations of the buyer and seller of laJbour , the employer and employed , ^ e re in no respect altered j the latter ceded nothing of his independence , and the former acquired no extraordinary powers ,
New duties , indeed , devolved upon the employer , and he became , in a manner , ansvrerable to the community for the good conduct of those in his employ , aad experience taught him that good conduct was best insured by advancing their intellectual training . The factory system took young children to work before even : the rudiments of an education bad been installed into them ; and ihose who derived the greatest profit from that system were consequently held responsible that these children should not be permitted to remain int . i _ J _ \ . > v l F" «_< •_ utter and irredeemable The law of
^ ^ ignorance . the land has since recognised this principle , and , whatever difference of opinion there may be as to the propriety or benefit of the Factory Acts , there can be very little doubt that the enactments which render it compulsory upon the masters to ensure the sending to school of all children under thirteen years of age , are very wise and very necessary provisions . This , then , is the basis of the contract between the manufacturer and operative ; the former agrees to purchase , and the latter to sell , a definite amount of labour . If the manufacturer
bargain with a parent for the labour of an infant child , who is not a free agent , the law compels him to see that the child is educated . Wise and far-sighted masters understand that their operatives are made better and more docile in proportion to their intellectual training , and take measures accordingly . Every master ought to understand that the best way to get better operatives than his competitors , is to treat them better , and to pay them better . If the labour-market were lef t perfectly unshackled , it would follow by a natural law
, that he who both paid and treated his operatives best would have an advantage over all his fellow-manufacturers- But it is to be feared , that there have always been employers so injudicious and so unjust that they have recognised none of these principles ; who , instead of treating their operatives with kindness and liberality , have become execrably notorious for a contrary line of conduct , who have acted unfairly in carrying out both their actual and implied contracts with these -workpeople . It is a lamentable fact , hut nevertheless a factthat these employers have
, begotten such a feeling of hatred and distrust in the breasts of the operatives , where the long catuloguo of their oppressions ia carefully treasured up , that , in some parts of the Cotton District , the master who endeavours to doriglit is regarded "with suspicion by the working classes , as if he had some biuiattjr motive irk endeavouring to ameliorate their condition . The fruits of such blinded folly may bo slow in developing themselves , but they » ro inevitable , and foolish though it be to sow the aeeda of ignorance and hatred , there is one degree
Untitled Article
March U , 1854 . ] THE fcEAPER . ^ JWMEW^—" ' _ ' I - «¦« - >» i' - - — - ¦ - ~ ^ r ^ ' . ynMnM
Untitled Article
* It seems to be impossible for the law to reach this evil-You cannot prevent a manufacturer from being a cottage owner ( directly or indirectly ) , neither cau you take from him tho liberty of employing whomsoever ho chooses , and it is only natural that , bo should prefer one of Uifl own tenants . t 1 think it night to utafco that I am not now aware of this syBteui being pursued in Pronloti ; Mm facts to wliioU 1 refer oeourrod olsowhorft in tli « Cotton District . t This is certainly done in ( Stockport .
what they shall no % <* o with % & e ^ rnW proceeds purelj from a desire to d « tta ^ o £$ Mo lSleep tnem out of dangerous combinations 4 . b \ rt such an argument would come w ^ VfiSlft g ^ acejftom &S winch is . now at the head of a c ^^ TmimJ ^ ^ without the sanction and aid of which the lockout never . could have been . $ ome , mftstex& '¦ wbs > prohibit subscriptions to the Uniott ^ an ^ * $ <* ' . « % force their own law by deducting a ani | &ng ; p $ r , week * forfeitable oa the first offence ) , go uv&r ia absurdity as to declare that 4 hey wuT not allow their own money to be turned a ^ aimt them . ; othexs will summarily discharge a land diBcovered to have subscribed to the Union . , As % pi » of ti ^ at such one-side <} contracts are not ' eja ^ tujiuil ^ may quote from a printed <* opy of a foxsmoj ffu £$ s adopted by several firms in . jSr < eston . jlife first rule is abnost a repetition of that quoted
above ; most of the others impose rjecuniary finea ranging up to t ^ jgp ^^ ii ^ ,. /( i % ^«^ , | jar various sins of omis ^ ion ^ njpi ^ fpTn ^ gyi ^ f * ft ^ q ^ q last is little better- , j | naiija ^'' j ^^ S ^ S ^^^^ verting each operatave nito a . spy upp ^ t ^ ox ^^ r fellows , by enacting that when tLbreachliaaboen naade in any of the foregoing yules , and i ^ per » ott coxnmitting the same cannot be , Identifj ^ d ^ a ^ ulw people employed in the department where tl ^ iiwu ** iusb ^ en , coj » mitfe » tPVIt may be v&&mj $ to * mi ¦ the . operaiw ^ a ^^^; Wp ^^^» ei ^ . tract ! are enferceC ? mela ^^ fejhl ^ ni ^ . ase
nate ^ , stu ^ ase ^ j ^ f ^ , a ^| hjaj ^^ « je Cotton Bistmt ^ 9 ' jwA ^ MKir , Ma ^ ter ^ iLssocau * ion % most ^ ytj ^^ p ^ m , ^^^ to ppotiibH their . members ;^^^* ' ^^^|^^ u ^ i ^^< 04 a £ ^ ixift classes of hands without eei | up | a ^ p | i ^| itt ^' ' pE ^ vioii ^ emt > l 6 yers , 5 t'has ^ e ©^^^ as ^| aia ^)^^ r a recalcitrant qperative ^ ^^ t ^^ M ^ p )^ i ^ t after he has been once disc ^ ge ^ Who can wonder that all these 1 jimgsB ^ ou )( ri ^ njL ; to laments of hostiEtjand ^ ' ilJie operatives ^ against Jfc © ' fit ^^' j ^^ iM can feet surprised ; that really gf > M ^< mijL ccuqiscieniious men ehould lm ^ -. J ^ i ^ mi ^^ ' ^ a convincing their operatives : ^ iifo % ; Jm * % , wi ! fa \ fa
' deal kindly and ia ^ T ^' lIke ^/ , ^^ ^^^ exciting cauBestlie ^ fluicttr ^ jBpm ^ fin || l 6 ^ erfl |^ the cola , repellent manner which they aflsumiB towards their B ^ ds ^ - ^ and ^ ii < egl ^^ cep ^ In delegating theidauthprity to maaajfer ^ , and QUf w . onfieriat the state of anta ^ oni ^ m m ^ bii ^ . emr plpy . er and empjqye < l axe now too often ( jGJund ceases , and nothing but sorraw for the bluidnesff and the obstinacy which sun « ra such , a a ^ tem ~ to cdntinue remain 8 > . Before cordiality : ca | i , b ^ estar > bn > h ) &d ( and , wifhaitt cordjaUty , i ^ capital and labour jever 1 ^ ^ Qtlkj ^ i ^^ i J ^ - % ^ 0 ^ manent and mutual aoodV ^ all these tevila must be
removed ; masters must learn the lesson of conciliation , and bind their operatives to theur intereit by tLe only boad that can , fee dapenaed ujpon r their own personal benefit ; ifoey must recognise that the labour paid for aad Tendered works for the good of both ; that if capital gives bread tolabour , labour-creates capital' ; that ffcef operativesowe them no greater obligation , because they supply them with work ^ than they owe tho t > i > € frativetr for building nip their profits . The-obligation oik botheddes ib innaense . and the 'crood feeUnc and :
gratitude should be proportioned to it . Far be it from me to charge the whole body of the . masters ^ witii all these , evilq , for kindly and honourable gentlemen are amongst them , who doall that is in their power to improve and benefit their operatives ; many , top , there are against whom onl y a part of the indictment may be laidL A copy of the printed rules which regulate the works of a master who may justly take a proud position in the former category lies before me ,, and they are so simple and bo compendious that I theo
cannot resist the temptation of transcribing u Where other masters encumber their walls wittt rules containing from twenty to thirty clauses * . this gentleman is content with these three : — " 1 . A fortnight ' s notice , In writing , will be given to , and required from , each person previous to leaving a em-P 2 . The wages are to be reckoned np to Thursday morning in each week , and to bo due ami payable on the Saturday following . , . " 8 . All persons leaving their work without giving tnenotice required by Kulo 1 shall forfeit all their wages , aad also bo liable to be proceeded uguinab according to law .
Untitled Article
* Some masters do not even condescend to become aoquniuteri with tho names of thoir hands . When the lockout was impending , a Preston master was waited upon by some of his own workpeople , rilhd it was with difficulty that he could bo convinced that they w » ro not strangers unjustifiably intruding upon him .
-
-
Citation
-
Leader (1850-1860), March 11, 1854, page 231, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2029/page/15/
-