Wanganui Chronicle AND PATEA-RANGITIKEI ADVERTISER. "NULLA DIES SINE LINEA." THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 1892.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXXVII, Issue 11847, 19 July 1893, Page 2

Wanganui Chronicle AND PATEA-RANGITIKEI ADVERTISER. "NULLA DIES SINE LINEA." THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 1892.

If anyone were disposed to deliver a homily on strikes the history of the cotton dispute in Lancashire in tho early months of this year would supply an admirable text on which the discourse might be based.' A paper at the seat of the contest supplies some figures which serve to give an idea of the extent of the loss caused by the lock-out. The dispute lasted for twenty weeks, during ■which time scores of mills were stopped entirely, and many more were running short-time. The actual number of workers affected is not known, but it is estimated at 90,000. The average loss of wages per bead is calculated at a pound a week. This would give a gross loss to the men of £1,800,000. The loss to the employers, which must be added to the loss to the men, is, we are told, more difficult to estimate, because the losses for the short-time running are not procurable. But, talking all things into consideration, tho employers' loss is put down to £30,000 for each of the twenty weeks, or £600,000 in all, making a total loss of .£2,400,000 to the Lancashire cotton industry by this painful struggle. Tho end appears to have been brought about by a compromise which left the victory pretty evenly divided between tho contending parties. The workers rosumo at a reduction in wages of sevenpence in tho pouud, or a trifle over two and a half per cent., and tho employers have withdrawn tho trade Union clause. But this is only one position of tho arrangement coino to by employers and workers. Such agreements were made as if they are faithfully observed, will render impossible such disputes as the one lately ended. The understanding between the parties provides for tho appointment of a committee fully representing every interest in the cotton trade, which will sit and confer on all matters affecting trade, and watch its general interest and mako recommendations from time to time. Arrangements are also made, whereby proposals for a reduction or advance in wages cannot.be made until certain stipulated lapses of time. The amount of such proposal live per cent. — is also settled, and tfce proposals must go through a long and careful process of consideration by representatives of masters and men before the terrible arbitrament o! a Btrike or loek-o»t can take place. The eight clauses of the settlement appear to provide for every possible emergency or clause of ilisputo in tho future. The arrangements, the iirst of the sort, we believe, over made between

employers and;em»l6yGd, are justly' looked] upon with pride uda.hope by .those from whom t&y 'e'ttmiiateVi. It is' -hoped that strikes among lUo cotton workers' of Lahcashivcavc now attm end. Tho Manchester : City News, the paper from which, we have quoted the above, says : — " There is Rood hope that the splendid spirit shown on both ; sides will be continued, and that there will be an inflexible determination on the part ot everyone to carry out honourably and honestly the spirit aud letter of the settlemont. , If this is done, the Lancashire cotton trade will have seen- the last oi strikes i and lock-outs." The arrangement, so far as we can judge of it from the particulars we have seen, seems to be an excellent one, and if it' is honestly carried out it cannot fail to bo productive o£ great good. It is far superior to boards of conciliation so dear to the heart of -the present Gorcrumcnt of New Zealand. Its-superiority lies in the circumstance'that'if by U the - employers and workers do of their own free will what the motion of thir boards of conciliation seeks to make them- 5o by force. Mightnotweiu New Zealand profit by the example these longheaded men. of Lancashire have set?

Ye&teiidat an "idle and disordnrly" person, who was brought before tho Court had a complaint to make against the Charitable Aid Board. .It is the usual custom of the Wanganui Herald on such occasions to break out intj a cold sweat, brought on by the wicked cruelty of tho public in general and the Wnnganui Hospital and Charitable Aid Board in particular, How is it that our tenderhearted contemporary has made an exception in this case? Its "merits" are jußt about on a par with., others into which it has thrown itself with all the force it could command. ,Wfcy this silence, then ? Is it so crestfallen at the hopeless mess it made of its late attempt to blast the character of an innocent girl that it dare notlif tup its voice again ? Its backbone, or the frail apology doing duty therefor, has evidently been drawn clean out, and left it wobbling, painfully between rigHt and left, rrith a weak effort to go in the former direction Badly overbalanced by a natural tendency to topple over in the latter. The gentlemen of the Charitable Aid. Board will wonder what has come over things. They have actually had thq temerity to refuse relief to this "idle and disorderly" person, and : yet they have escaped the customary editorial sermon; However, if the Wanganui Herald, tho acknowledged backer of such characters, had nothing to say, the " idle and disorderly" himself was not dumb. He endeavouied to persuade the Magistrates that he was a very unfortunate' creature, whom the Charitable Aid Board had singled out for ill-treatment. Happily tlie'Secretary of the Board was in Court, and his evidence on the matter was hardly of tho sort calculated to influence the Bench in favour of the accused. As a matter of fact we happen to know that this man, in his time, has caused no little trouble at the Old Men's Home. He has a notion that the ■ public is bound to supply the money for his keep in that institution, and that however badly he behaves himself there he cannot be sent away. ' • He knows'as well as anybody, or should from his experience, that such an institution as the Jubilee Home cannot be maintained without proper rules, and as old men, however much ' they may deserve it, do not make convenient subjects for corporal punishment, the only way. of impressing upon them the inir portance of keeping rules is to .ask them to " resign " when they get into .the habit of breaking them. The individual in question has the rule-breaking disease in a chronic state, and as his presence in the Home is calculated to cause general discontent and insubordination, the Board very properly fof use to have anything to do with him. In short, from what we know of the man's character, we should say that his present quarters are much more congenial than any that could Be offered him elsewhere.