The fifth sitting of the National Congress of Trades' Unions,
held at Leeds on Friday week, was marked by an important in- cident. A distinct proposal was made to federate all the Trades' Unions in England—including, it was said, about 1,000,000 men —with a view to political action. The proposal was not very favourably received, on the ground that it would lead to wild schemes and cost too much, and though it was shown that a penny a head a quarter would yield an ample revenue, such a levy was pronounced impracticable, and the project was de- feated. So also was another one to make the limitation of the number of apprentices general, the Congress refusing to enter- tain it, apparently under the belief that the operation of supply and demand settled that question beat. They carried, however, a stupid vote against the competition of convict labour, which they seemed to think mere evil. So it is to the workman com- peted with, but it is mere good to the consumer, who gets a good article cheap,—and to the community, which is relieved of prison expenses.
Previous page
