Page
374
TRADES UNIONS IN BRITAIN
AND CHINA.
(Daily Press, November 26th.) The discussions with which the home papers teem, upou the subject of trade unions and the extraordinary powers which have been placed in their bands by recent legislation, are of special interest to those who have had an opportunity of watching the effects, in China, of the very system which has now obtained a recognised foot-unionists ing in England, and which is causing apprehension in the minds of many well informed persons.
In China, the system of Guilds, Unions and labour combinations has existed from time immemorial. Such institutions have become છૂ recognised element in social, commercial and political life. They have long been outside the power of the ordinary laws; and no attempt whatever is made now-a-days to restrain their action. Indeed it often enough happens that the Chinese authorities are glad to afford them their support, of course looking to a reasonable quid pro quo for the assistance thus rendered. The troubles which have arisen from arbitrary action of guilds are familiar and have been made the subject of treaty stipulations, but the clauses designed to prevent them bave for the most part proved to be of very little service. The same kind of combination exists among the Chinese labouring classes and indeed almost in every direction; and the rules of the different workmen's Guilds are enforced by means of what we suppose may be called peaceable picketing" with a rigour that might excite the envy of the staunchest trade unionist at home. The results of the system, however, are not very encouraging. It may be safely said that in no place is trade-unionism more rigidly carried out than in China, and in no place is there a larger number of what in any other country would be the " unemployed". The vast number of men in any given centre of the country who are ready to do anything for the means of scraping on from day to day
C
is notorious.
They do not, however, pose as unemployed and as mere objects for assistance either by direct charity or, by what is the same thing but slightly dis- guised, public works set on foot to relieve them. With the elasticity which is one of the Chinaman's characteristics, he manages to live where others would starve; but at best the life led by a vast number of men who are dependent upon their hands and muscles is a very poor affair, and would
never
be accepted by the class of men who form the unemployed in Europeau countries. The practical lesson which is taught by the working of a trade union system in China is that while it may keep up wages artificially, its effect is to increase the number of men who are thrown out of regular employment, and, bearing this in mind, it may be much questioned whether the system is in reality so much to the benefit of the working classes as a whole as is generally assumed.
Of the danger of allowing any class to bave privileges or powers outside the or- dinary law of the country, the system in China affords innumerable examples. They do not as a rule come to the notice of Eurpeans but every now and then a case arises which shows the nature of the methods adopted-a man who goes counter to the
rules is assaulted, thrown from a verandah to the street, or set upon in a tea shop to which he has been summoned to discuss the offence laid to his charge, or rather to receive sentence, as very little discussion is allowed in such cases. These amiable methods are apparently now being treely
[December 1, 1906. THE CROWN AGENT SYSTEM.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
adopted at home, not only against members of trade unions but as a means of inducing men to join such associations. The Specta- (Daily Press, 27th November.) tor, which has all along been a strong It is known that the exceedingly popular supporter of the Liberal Government, has Governor of Hongkong, Sir MATTHEW never hesitated to point out the soricusness NATHAN, fails to share the popular opinion of placing trade unions and all their doings of the Crown Agent svstein.
If he were practically above the law. That_paper | only in a position to share the views of gives an account of an accident in the another great man equally popular elsewhere Rhymuey Valley where, it states, a cam- -Sir FRANK SWETTENHAM, whose opinions paign bas been going to compel non- were quoted in our issue of yesterday
to enter the Federation by it would be hard to find a rift in the lute of methods which it mildly describes as "not his esteem. We have no doubt whatever far distant from terrorism". These methods that Sir FRANK SWETTENHAM's bold an were lassoing men and dragging them scathing denunciation of the system will through the streets, bound with ropes and
score a bull's-eye in this and every Crown carried to Union meetings, while some have Colony. Our Singapore contemporary, th been dressed up in women's clothes and Straits Times, positively chortles at this made a public spectacle. Could anything he Saul among the prophets. It has con more completely Chinese Barring the sistently taken up a position of most women's clothes (a refinement which the determine hostility to the Crown A rents. celestials have not yet hit upon) it is and has resolutely maintained it, by showing precisely the mode in which those in China the glaring inconsistencies and defects of who venture to go against unions are the system, and by pointing out some of the treated. And this is what is called “ pence- painful effects that system Las had up in the ful persuasion." But the analogy does Colony." Although the local Governor, not end here.
The worst feature in the Sir JOHN ANDERSON, and some others, are case has been says the Spectator, "that expected to accuse it of having been rather there has been no attempt to curb the too hard upon "these presumably intelligent disorders on the part of those Apostles of and possibly amiable gentlemen," the Peace, the Labour Leaders." This is the Crown Agents, which fault, if it be a fault, natural result of placing any class of men this journal has to share, our contemporary actually above the law; and if things go recklessly rejoices over the support of so on as they are, the mischief will not end distinguished an official and so capable au here. Once let a mob get the upper hand authority as Sir JOHN ANDERSON's predeces- and the result, as all experience shows, is sor in the gubernatorial office. Our con that in the event of any disturbance, the temporary wants to distribute in pamphlet sympathy of the masses is with those who form Sir FRANK SWETTENHAM's testimony go against law and order in place of heing among the members of both Houses of on the side of those who maintain it, and Parliament, to inform the legislators and by degrees the spirit of fairplay, which has their constituents how completely the always characterised Englishmen, is certain Crown Colonies are at the mercy of the "inroads of the Crown Agents." It is u good idea. It is true that the autocratic powers vested in the Crown Agents are quite out of line with the general principles of British government and administration, and that they depend for their semi-official position upon no greater security of tenure than that afforded by what in China 18 called "olo custom.” Officialism alone has given them their cachet; red tape only holds them to the giddy pedestal from which one spasm of common-sense in the Home country could hurl them to arise never more. It is a grateful contemplation, and if Sir FBANK SWETTENHAM'S shrewd remarks bring the necessary public scorn and indig nation nearer to the point of eruption, few will regret the emphasis that is being given to them. As our contemporary fiually remarks, "every year, somebody in Parlia went has a slap at this close oligarchy of monopolists; and, though they still retain their power and their unbalance-sheeted revenue, such repeated atracks must tell in time upon them and ultimately induce the country to intervene and get rid of them. No establishment which exists as an official or semi-official institution, should be allowed to retain the full patronage of its app sint- ments or escape the necessity of publishing an annual stafeinent of accuust Especially when, as Sir FRANK SWETTEN- HAM has pointel out, it is such an extra- vagant establishment, extravagant both in time and money, and so heedless of local criticism, so indifferent to results. Just as in the Federated Malay States the need for the proposed introduction of the Crown Agent systein must have been difficult to explain", so its continuance in the Crown Colonies, under such persistent protests, is only be offered such isolated but suggestive a mystery toward the solution of whịch can
like. It is as well sometimes to turn our words as "influence", squeeze', and the
$
to be undermined if the present state of things is allowed to continue. Mr. KEIR Hardie, who rants about liberty, sees no invasion of the liberty of the non-unionist men who were bound and dragged along the streets. The whole of bis sympathies are absorbed in the Chinese on the Rand whose contracts contain "servile conditions. It would be difficult for confirme muddle- leadedness to go further. That Trade Unious, it conducted with fairness and moderation, may he not only legitimate but of substantial use both to employer and employed, the paper from which we have quoted fully admits; but so far from its being desirable to give them special powers which place them legally above the Law (if we may be permitted the Irishism) the object of legislation should be in precisely the opposite direction, and should aim at restraining the undue exercise of the excess of power they already possess by virtue of combination. What Trade Unions should aim at is to induce tuen to join them by offering privileges and assistance to those who do so, which they would not accord to any who chose to keep without their pale. They have, however, bitherto gone upon the brute principle of using force both moral and physical against those who are not of their number, which is manifestly nothing more nor less than an invasion of individual freedom. That a British House of Commons could be found to give its sanction by a large majority to such a system, and in fact to strengthen it, is surely one of the most astounding things that has ever been done in the name of Liberty. It is enough to turn Mill in bis grave.
of the binese railway from Swalow to Chiu
We are informed that the official opening chow took place on Nov. 25th, when a crowded train made a successful trial trip. There was a considerable party of foreigners present, including some German naval visitors.
14
11
I
;
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.