YORKSHIRE LETTER

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1218, 29 August 1911, Page 3

YORKSHIRE LETTER

WAGES PAID TO WOOLCOMBERS,

(From Our Special Correspondent.)

Bradford, .Tune 30, 1911. I As I write, the Bradford wool .industry I is stilt saddled with tlte woolcombers' | strike, and although during the past week there has been a development towards a settlement;, yet things are stilt unsatisfactory and 10,000 hands are still playing. The reader must dearly understand that thcro exisls in Bradford what is known as a Jl asters' Federation, but evidently half a dozen firms of some importance are not members of that league. As the result of a discussion between the union officials aud the Trades Council, a mass meeting of operatives took place in St. George's Hall last Sunday night at which it was unanimously resolved to endorse a decision previously arrived at that where firms would grant the o per cent advance in wages with a 255. psr week minimum for night-workers, workpeople should return to work on Monday, and that strikers should make no demonstration or make auy attempt to close the works. This meant that by Tuesdav some eight iirnis started running, and since then ono firm has seceded from the Masters' Federation which has undoubtedly had a weakening influence on the position taken up by the employers. The firms now actually working are: Jlessrs. W. and J. Whitehead, Mitchell Bros., Pickles and Kae, E. J. Smith, Robinson and Peei, William Collins and :S'ons, Robert Jowitt and Sons, O. B. Lister and Brother, A. and S. Whitehead, Saltaire Mills, and J. I*. Beaver, of Bingiey. Tho above represents a strong body of firms, but between thirty to forty woolcombing houses of considerable magnitude, including Jlessrs. Isaac Holden and Sons, Holden, Burnley aud Co., W. E. Greenwood and Co., and all the thirty branches of Woolcombers' Limited are still standing. During the week efforts have been made to induce tho Masters' Federation to arbitrate on tho question, but they stoutly refused to budge an inch, maintaining that tho proper method is for the men to return to work, bring forth fruits of repentence, or, in other words cease from disobedience and insubordination, and then they will consider the application for another 5 per cent increase in wages with a 255. minimum for the night turn. Various letters have appeared in the press from leading employers and citizens, including Sir James Roberts, Councillor E. J. Smith, and Robert Jowitt and Sons urging oonciliat ry measures to be taken, but so' far the Employers' . Federation have refused all means to bring about a settlement. I cannot say that I altogether anprove of the dog-in-the-manger attitude of the masters, although no doubt they have been seriously inconvenienced, and a lack of discipline has been very much in evidence for a long time. The very fact that a good half a dozen firms have already conceded to the terms only weakens the position of the Masters' Federation, and sooner or later the difficulty will become so acute and serious as to compel them to either arbitrate or fall in with the men's wishes. The further the two factors are apart, and the more serious will the trouble become. Conciliatory measures must be adopted sooner or later, and the longer they are postponed the greater the difficulty. ■

WOOLCOMBERS' WAGE LIST. I have done my best to obtain a reliable list of wages paid to the woolcombing operatives in the city of Bradford, but the officials are so much engaged in trying to bring about a settlement that they seemingly have "no time to furnish the required details. Below I give a list of wages that were paid in 1597. Since then tho time of working has been shortened 'by about li hours, and wages generally have increased 10 per cent. —say Is. Cd. per' week on those receiving 15s. and under, and 2s. to 3s. ,on wages paid to men. Even adding this advance to the undermentioned figures, it must be admitted that woolcombers to-day are in no sense over-paid. The following is a list published in tho year 1897 as being paid by one of the best firms in the city of Bradford:— TABLE OF WAGES. £ s. d. Washhouso (men only) during the night:— ( Bowl minders, 3 bowls ..; 12 0 Bowl mindors, feeders .'. 0 18 0 During the day:— Bowl minders, 3 bowls 10 0 Bowl minders, feeders 0 14 0 Strippers and grinders (men, each of whom has to attend to 12 cards and 2 grinders), jobbers:—Jlen, night, ,£1 2s. for 11 Botany cards or G English; day turn, £1 for the same quantity of machinery. Card feeders, by hopper and hand (men), 18s. for G cards at night; women, 12s. for 0 cards by day. Back-end minders by balling head or coiier cans:—Jlen, at night, 19s. for 6 English cards, and 18s. for 11 Botany; women, day, 12s. for 6 English cards, and 12s. for 11 Botany. Burr takers-out (men), 12s. for 11 cards at night, and lis. for 11 cards at day. Shoddy willeyers (men), 18s. day. Wool runners (men), ill for 11 cards at night, 18s. for 11 cards at day. Backwash minders and number of backashers each person has to attend to: Jlen, £1 for one backward and strong box (night), 12s. for ditto (day).

£ s. d. Finishing box minders, men, nightEnglish (i boxes) 0 19 0 Jtedium (2 boxes) 0 18 0 Women, day, English (i boxes)...o 12 0 Women, day, medium (2 boxes) 0 12 0 Comb minders, men, night, Eng- ■ lish (for 2 combs) 1 3 0 Jledium 12 0 Botany 1 2 0 Women, day, English (2 combs) OHO Women, day, medium 0 12 0 Women, day, Botany 0 12 6 Strong Gill box minders, men, '■ nightBotany (for 2 boxes) 0 18 0 Jtedium =.... 0 18 0 English (for i boxes) 0 19 0 Women, day, English... 0 12 0 Women, day, Botany 0 12 0 Jlaking-up box minders, men, night 0 18 0 Jlaking-up box minders, women, day •■,•■• 0 12 0 Jlen jobbers, night, English ... 1 G 0 Jlen jobbers, night, Botany ... 14 0 Jfen jobbers, day, English 10 0 Jlen jobbers, day, Botany 10 0 One man taking noils and cans out of i combs 10 0 SLACKNESS STILL DOMINATES THE » MARKET. Conditions in Bradford still Temain very quiet, and there is nothing to indicate a return to anything like good business. All alike are complaining bitterly at the absence of trade, and unless thesis more doing prices cannot but suffer, especially at tho raw material end of the trade. A largo number of sorters have been stopped until the woolcombers get to work, and this is only what could be expected. If tops aro not combed, then it means that wool simply accumulates, and with imports coming forward on a larger scale than last year, some pretty heavy stocks exist. Taking things on the whole, there is a good deal of dissatisfaction expressed at the position of things, and althoimh prices aro retried steady and firm Mill. that reallv nnlv obtains in merinos. I have seen'offered this week a decent Ms at 27'jd.. and if combing establishments were working I am certain a bid of 27d. would have, secured tho spot lot. Ihe fact of eight or ten firms working means that an important Sfction of the spinning trade can be kept going, and as yet there has been no "squeal" far tops. When things turn quiet, there is always a likelihood of more stocks being available than when everybody is busy and prepared to take in a few hundred pac.vS on spec. There aro as yet no tangible signs of any firm coming to the end ot their tether, and spinners aro still working full time, and will do for some weeks to come. Topmakers aro.not kem sellers, and as I have stated in past letters, the majority are so well sold forward that they think it policy to oblige their rcular customers in preference to selling nflv packs here and there to an outsido firm. Taking things on tho whole, nothin" but an absence of business can be reported, and the outlook at tho moment is not very bright for the forthcoming series of London Allies.