Facsimile PDF - Online Library of Liberty

1 j0 2WETJfOD-S OF SOCIAL REFORM.
por cent. in the terms. The lecturer had also anticipated
some of the advantages of the industrial partnership system.
He had referred to the prophecies of Mr. Babbage, one of
which was, that the best workmen would be glad to work on a
principle of tho kind. This had been justified within the last
few woeks. He had gone down a fern weeks since to the
Cleveland iron district as arbitrator between thepmasters and
the men, on a question of the advance of wages. There he had
found that the Mcssrs. Briggs had determined on starting a new
experiment in tho iron trdc in that district. The senior partner
had had great juto works in Dunilee, and, being an enthusiast
in the matter of industrial partnerships, llad been very anxious
to convert the works at Dundce into one, but had not been able
to persuade his partners to do so, probably because Scotchmen
were very hard to convince. He had therefore determined to
give up his partnership and to colde to the Cleveland district
to start these ironworks. The chief secretary of the Trades
Unions t,here had told him (Mr. Hughes) that since it was
known that the experiment was to be tried, all the best
workmen had said that they mould come and work for him,
while many (and some of these had saved as much as g200)
had expressed a wish to invest capital in the undertaking.
He had been offered a complete staff of workmen all teetotalers.
Thus it was clear that the northern workmen
appreciat,ed this movement. He could also confirm the
remarks of the lecturer on another point. TlThen he was down
there, some fourteen or fifteen men sat at one side opposite to
foartoen or fift.een masters at the other, and the only factory
in the district not represented was that of tho Messrs. Fox,
Head & Co., and from them they had a communication,
stating that they had just divided o. bonus for the past year
and were perfectly contented. He might also mention as an
instance of faith that was felt in the system of the Messrs.
Briggs, that Mr. Briggs had had offers from many of the
oo-operative societies of capital for his new undertaking.
The Halifax Society had applied for shares to the amount
of Sl0,OOO. The lecturer had alluded to the Report of
the Trades Union Commissioners. He (Nr. Hughes) was