The Cotton-weavers of Blackburn and East Lancashire pub- lished on
Monday a very able and extremely temperate defence of the strike against the ten-per-cent. reduction in wages of which notice has been given by the employers. We have discussed Messrs. Whalley and Birtwistle's general view of the issue with some care in another column, but may explain here that they concede with the fullest candour the immense losses of the manu- facturers at present, and the necessity of some remedy. They are willing to accept a reduction in the rate of wages, on con- dition that it be accompanied by a proportional reduction of the supply, i.e., by a proportional reduction in the weekly hours of labour, for they believe the crisis to be due to a reduction of demand not followed by any corresponding reduction of supply,. and assert that a reduction of wages, unaccompanied by any reduction of supply, will only make matters worse. They pooh- pooh in the most cavalier manner the assertion that American manufacturers can compete with the English on equal terms in relation to cost of production. Finally, they invite arbitration.
Previous page
