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TRADES SOCIETIES: THEIR OB3ECTS AND POLICY. 105
of Commons should endeavour to detine the law of conspimay
e relating to Trades Societies"ahou1d distinguish as far as
possible between legal per+~siotl and illegal intimidation, 60
that, while every unionist may aid his fellow-man in truly
voluntary association, he will know accurately when is
infringiug tho liberty which is the most sacrcred possessiou of
every ono of us.
111.
Coming to tho chief subject of my lucturc, what I wish most
strongly to point ouk is t,lm fact that Trades Societius. have
usually three dbtinct lsintlx of object in riew.
Neither the societies themselves, nor the public, sufliciontly
distinguish these very diverso objects. It is sufficiontly apparent
indeed that Unions usually combino tho character of
Weucfit' and Friendly Societies with those of strict Trados
Societies; but I have not wen it sufficiently pointod out t.hat,,
even in strikes and trdu disputes there is ofton a twofold
object in view, the 0110 relating simply to the rate of wages,
the othcr to the hours of labour, thc he:blth, safety, comfort,
alld mors1 condition of the operative. Now 1 must insist that
the rate of wages is n question to bc: kept distinct frotu dl
others, a d I proceed to conuidcr tho three separate objects
which Unions fulfil.
1 v.
Tho first and most obvious way in which Trades Societies
strive to confer benefit upon their members is in acting as
Benefit or Friendly Societies. So far as they relieve the necessitous
and unfortunate at the expense of tbe prosperous they
confer an unmitigated benefit, and act as insurance societies of
most efficient character. Friendly Societies, such as the Odd
. Fellows, t,he Foresters, the Hearts of Oak, the Royal Liver
Society, etc., are very excellent things in their way, but men
of 8 trade have peculiar facilities for giving each other legitimate
and jndicions aid from the intimate knowledge which
they naturally possese or can easily gain of each other's circnmstances.
Lord Elcho well observed in his speech st Dalkeith