DISPUTE ENDED.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 7292, 23 November 1910, Page 5

DISPUTE ENDED.

PEACE IN THE COTTON TRADE. FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT. LONDON. October 7. To the infinite satisfaction of everybody peace has been declared to-day in connection with the great Lancashire cotton trad© dispute, and the mills that have been dosed will re-open on Monday. High hopes were entertained for an even speedier settlement of the trouble. On Saturday last it appeared more than probable that as the result of the intervention of the Board of Trade the mills would re-open on the following Monday. So strong, indeed, was the belief of the majority of people that the dispute was virtually settled that the evening service in many of the churches on Sunday took the form of thanksgiving, and at a ministerial reference to the f Tiappy issue” in one Wesleyan church at Bolton the congregation at once rose and sang the Boxology. Even some of those most nearly concerned in the dispute—mas tore and men —were fully convinced that all was well. In several districts operatives turned up at the mills on Monday morning quite expecting to start work, only to find the doors locked against them. In some others the employers, labouring under the delusion that all the trouble was over, onened the doors and the mills actually started work, only to be stopped again when the true state of affairs became known. , , The disappointment caused by the failure of the negotiations was well nigh drowned by the anger felt at the’ tnvial nature of the obstacle which master and operatives have permitted, to block the path of peace. , . The matter in dispute, trivial enough before, had been whittled down to almost infinitesimal proportions. Here in brief are the terms which the operatives accepted at the suggestion of Mr AskY.'itli, of tile Hoard of Trade, and the answers of the employers : Terms proposed—A joint conference to be followed by arbitration is necessary. Employers’ reply—Yes. Terms proposed—That the Fern Mi 1 should restart on the employers own terms. Employers’ reply—les. • Terms proposed —That the employers should find George Howe another job in the Shaw distinct. Employers reply— Refuse to promise, but would use influence to get him the first vacancy that offered. lt , . , ~ „ The last point is the one on which the split occurred Should George Howe be assured of work in a particular district, or should thousands suffer i was the question which faced the employers and operatives. Their answer was contained in the fact that 700 mills were still closed, and 130,000 operatives, with thousands of women and children dependent on them, remained idle. The situation would have been grotesque had it not been so terribly serious. With tho dispute narrowed down to such a small issue, it was difficult lor outsiders to understand how it could be worth .the while of oven the masters or mon to stand out over this point. Both sides, said it was vital. Possibly both parties would have viewed the matter differently if it were not for two facts. The first was that r&any of the men would be nearly as well on on lock-out pay as they have been with the short time wages of recent tames, jand that probably had some effect on their decision. On the other hand, tlie price of raw cotton was not without influence on the masters. It is practically certain that raw cotton will be -considerably cheaper a month or six weeks hence than it is now, and there were people who declared that it would suit tho books of many of the masters to shut down until the new and cheaper stocks of raw material became available. Happllv, however, a very simple solution of the George Howe problem presented itself, and last night an agreement was ratified whereby the Duke Spinning Company engaged George Howe, and the Fern Spinning Company, which discharged George Howe, _ offered to engage the man who be displaced by How© at the Duke mill. And with George How© the 130.000 operatives involved in the dispute return to work, and what threatened to become the, most disastrous industrial war of the century concludes, ere any appreciable mischief has been done.

"THE LITTLE SPARK.” “How great a fire the little spark kindleth." Look at the history in brief ot this fight between capital and labour. On June 14th the operatives at Pern Mill, in the Shaw district,/ struck because George Howe, a grinder, was ordered to pick flats, which he declared was not grinders* work. Tlie Brooklands Agreement provides that in the case of a. firm making a change in the work or rate of wages of an operative, and objection is taken, “ the firm. shall. at once place the matter in -the hands of their association/* who are to ask for a joint meeting with the men's association to discuss the matter. Howe brought the matter before his association, who ordered him not to do the work. He obeyed his Trade Union and was discharged. Since then the mill has been hn strike. The men say the Brooklands Agreement was broken by the discharge of iiowe. The masters, as long ago as August 3rd, offered to submit the point to arbitration, but the men refused, on the ground that the firm must first put itself right under th© agreement before a discussion could take place. On September 9th the Federation of Employers repeated their offer of arbitration, and said that if this were not accepted they would close their mills on October Ist. During some negotiations of an informal kind the masters offered _to open the Fern Mill with the exception of Howe's cards, and at the same time to put him on wages pending a discussion between masters and men as to the method of working the mill. The men insisted that the mill should be opened under the old conditions pending discussion, and that Howe should go back to work. The masters refused to take Howe back until the point whether he was justifiably dismissed was settled. Hence all the trouble. The men, however,, gave way on arbitration, which they original ly refused. They gave way on th© opening of the Fern Mill without George Howe, but they demanded finally that he should be found a place near home. To that demand the employers refused at first to yield, but in the end they practically gave way, and peace was assured.

The restoration of peace is unquestionably mainly due to the tact and untiring efforts of Mr G. R. Askwith, of the Hoard of X’rade, but it is certain also that the vehement demonstration of public opinion against a lock-out on such flimsy grounds had a good influence on both sides.