104
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mean something in the pantry. Newspaper men had had a busy day hu iting round for "copy that should give some relief to the situation; they were in for a far busier night. It was impossible to find out where the leaders of the employers and the operatives were to meet for the final stage in the negotiations-th signing of the Charter of the Cotton Trade, otherwise the Brooklands Agreement. Never was place better "coured than
Manchester was that evening, and apparently all to no
it look, d
if purpose, but just when
was impossible the news leaked
ners
■
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
| opportunities to put pressure on the mas- ters. This is merely our own deduction, and for anything we know, there may be some clause or clauses that prevent such an It gains colour, however, arrangemen', from the fact that the abrogation of the Brooklands Agreement was being urged by commentators at Home, and from the fact that the employers were ban led together and firm because they did not want that agreement to be broken, or to lose is force. With regard to the technical differences, the following extract comes as near illum ination as any we have seen:
+
It may be true that "the work of the ring spinners is the hardest and most exacting in the mill," and true even that ring spun yarn is a most unfair comp-titor in the market with muls ¦ spun yarn." These are technical prints upon which outsiders are not qualified to express very decided opinions. Bai what the operative society fails to acknowledge in i's manifesto is that the employers have offered to discuses basis of prices for ring-spinning. if the work- people, instead of engaging in sectional strikes, will conform to the methods of settlement provided under the Brooklands agreement, which is a mainal contract of old standing equally bading on employers and emploved, We have taken up the ring-spinners' ca sig the officials of the Card-room Workers' Soie
have taken, whatever be the con-rq jeuris. That is a trifle bombastic. The fault al' g d Against them is not that they are doing so in the wrong way when they are well aware that there is a right one, by which peaos and sat «- fretio i migl be assured.
背带
Finally, there is the inevitable political issue, of how far the general public, not directly concerned in each disputes, but standing to lose by them, should have power to intervene. This point is so well taken by the Times that we need do no more than quote it.
A great dispute in the coʻton trade will e rtain
bring to the front the question of the public interest in industrial peace, and wil illustrate more clearly than anything else the reactionary natur- of the principal social measure of the Government's first session. The Trad Dispa1es A gira irresponsibility to indasteral ay in. tions whether of employers or employed. Its spirit is that of leaving thes Unions fewer than before to fight out their own battle witheat The legi-lat on regard to the public interest. reenmmanded by the Royal Commission and the
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[February 17, 1908
ments, and the difficulty arose in the begin- ning not so much from unwillingness to punish as from failure to comprehend the new fashioned Regulations, and the want of adequate appreciation of the relative importance of the various misdemeanours ; sometimes for gross crimes the most nominal punishment being inflicted, while mere reaches of police regulations might be created with the most extreme rigour,-the the more likely depending on nola momentary condition of the Magistrate's stomach than of any appreciation of a just proportionment of punishment to the crime or malfe is ine *. Owing to the general want of provision fær an term of imprisonment, as well as the national character which affects the sudden and often capricious infliction of punishment, rather than
weighing of the evillence, deliberate imprisonment as a punishment can scarcely be siid to exist in China; most cases being met by corporal punishment or the inflic tion of irregular fine, so that when the Mixed Court was first est ildished within the Settlements, the sam system, which besides saved much trouble and expense, and was really popular amours: the people; was naturally adopted; aud in ordinary cases when applied to the usual criminal popula. tion of China was fund fairly effective, as no cruelties were permitted, and the prisoner waa well fol and in other respects kindly treated. In 1905 Reform was enthusiastı- cally taken up in Peking und everything, from the Imperial Court to the smallest police station in the Empire, was to be turned over, rejointed a id refurnished up to the very latest European model. Repro- s-nlation of the people, parliamentary government, reform of the currency, respons- ibility of government, &c.—all to the latest pattern, were to be the rule throughout; and above all the criminal law was to be amended, an i punishments, curiously in the | Chinese mind always
looked upon identical with law, put on a different footing. has always, Although
judicial torture nominally at least, ben deprecarol by the existing codes in China, it has been usually, made 1190 of in or rather invariably every ewirt in the empire; H. E. Wu Ting- FANG, well -killed in fore ga law, and who was, there is no reuson to doubt, sincerely desir us · f seeing this gross blot ou China'n
r-mo▼ «l, conmenced to reputati in
08
the task oat. Then there was a frantic rash for cabe t be driven to an hotel in a quiet residential dis trict some seven miles away from Manchester And the horses were made to go for all they were worth. For hours upon hours the duly appointed representatives to the all importan: conferenco discussed various points; they thrashed out clause after clause; there were many adjournments for private consultations; but it was all over by about five o'clock in the morning. The scene of this memorable gather. ing was the Brooklands Hotel, and that is why the term Brooklands was given to the Agree ment which had there been signed after many an anxious moment during the course of the negotiations. Has this document now to be torn beneficial up ater having exercised such influence in the years that have intervened?
It is further necessary to give, what that picturesque reminiscence omits, an idea of the main principle of that agreement, which" and we cannot recada from the at itale we now 20verns the while of those engaged in the cotton spinuing industry in Lancashire. It was that the operatives should not elim any increase of pay within a year of one being granted, such increase tib limit d. On the other hand, the masters agreed not to make any decrease within a year of the date of one taking effect, the amount to be similarly limited. The ring spin- who received an increase in June last bad therefore, on the letter of the bond, been preinature in demanding another. The issue, however, was not quite so simple as that. The strikers in the first instance, composel quite a small fraction of the total number of operatives who subsequently decided to support them, and their claims were based on a technic point that seems impossible of explan to for outsiders, beyond the fact ta' a comparison of two kinds of work is involved, What are called "ring spinucis" claimed that the Brooklands Agreement dit apply to them. If it did, they would admittedly have had no cate. The vast majo-ity to whom it did admittedly apply were striking or threatening to strike purely in sympathy with the demands of these "ing spioners." These sympathetic and disinterested strikes are one result and evidence of the ligh state of organization to which Trade Unio is amply become has attained in this industry. Ring spin- ning as a process was in use when the Brooklands Agreement was made, and it is said this was the first tim that there had ever been any claim that it was not pov rel by that agreement, and the ring spinners are said to have shared pari passu with all the other operatives But they claimed that they were entitled to special consideration. Without being familiar with the led con. ditions, we are inclined to suspect that opportunity, and that will be, in all pro. the workmen have discovered that thality, just the time when the trade can famous agreement has become out of date, lest afford a disturbance. and have been using this opportunity to try to get it abolsed and a ue w one made. It is not difficult to see how such an
itself, and the entire movement for the agreement could be used by the masters, who could voluntarily grant a small iu.. Daily Press. February 13/h.
time being collapsel; and affairs foll back crease at any time when trade seemed to An instructive instance of the difficulty of int, the r'old groove, and all talk of Reform warrant it, and then enter into large con tacking new methods on to old establuhel | became a punishable offence. tracts feeling safe for a whole year. There ist tutions is being afforded in the would be nothing unreusouable in that, but ́cilled Mixed Court in Shanghai. it is also easy to see that the demagogues institution established to meet the who advise the other aide would observe, difficulty that arose in old days of obtaining | that it practically prevented them from a lequate punishment by the native officials availing themselves of the most favourable of crimes committed in the Foreign Settle.
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I
1
required by the times was inspired by exactly contrary spirit of recognising industrial
combination 88
•
force to be optrolled and as
with due regard to the common welfare. I cannot by doubted that soner or star the stan backward of the Trade Dispates Ant will need to be retraced, in spirit, if not in form, and the power of Unions, whether of employers or OCCA more compd with responsibility for the method of their use.
As the readers of our spial telegram will rein mber, this dispute was settled by the operatives giving way. The Brook. lands Agreement stands, and now applies to all the operatives. How far the severity of the winter was responsible for their climb-down, the future may show. We fear, if our ides of it as being in favour of the employers is n correct one, taf Union will revive it at the first favourabl
te
more
van-
the Imperial Court on the subject; auf an Imperial K serit approving generally the terms of a report by the Law Revision Commissiouers on a memorial by the kạng Vilery,
wis ismed in April 1905. The Report referral to th· abolition of torture, ad contained a suggestion for the substititi offis generally for blows.
1
It
was noto-moustat torture and cruelties of
LIKE LI "
ASOPISANY
the most the ninable nature were in or finary in the Empire; and ༈- མཙྩེ vame i maur of the best offi vals would have hvile ( their suppression by strong ma ures if !
The movement, however, was into unfortunately prema ure, and osme the world will-born. f. be effestire, it was soon we, P' king woull have to take the leul; and Peking, though it would wil. lingly s e the others reñoriasi, which it had an idea would be profitable to itself fiana- THE SHANGHAI MIXED CO URT. | cially, was by no means disp ad to reform
was
80-
Cuina is, however, at all tunes rendy and The willing to make terms with the oldd leaven of unright -usnes, especially if it can be done at the expense of someone else, we the bright idea struck someone in power, that if it were not feasible to incur the odium of