1824.] vn Arthans an 



Ifgatc, aiiJ llicy elect five otlicr tlele- 

 jiHtes, who are teeliiiicatly Cisllcd Uie 

 Town. Ill many cases, the power of 

 these five nien is almost unlimited over 

 the trade, and obedience follows as 

 mutter of course. 'I'he whole body 

 never, in any instance, discuss the pro- 

 priety of a strike, as that would suhject 

 them to prosecution under the Combina- 

 tion Laws. Unlimited conlidence is, 

 therefore, given to the Five; and this it 

 is which constitutes their power. 



Do the men generally know who are 

 the regiihilors? — No. It is whispered 

 among them that there is to be a strike ; 

 but they never discuss the subject; 

 they strike when bid. 



What would be tiie ed'cct upon this 

 combination, if all the laws against 

 conibinHlion of workmen were repealed ? 

 — In time, the combination, as it now 

 exists, would cease. 



By whom is the rate of wages (i\ed ? 

 — By the men. The Towii, as it is 

 called, announce the suui, to which the 

 men conform. 



Will you explain why the masters 

 never sutler; suppose the Town should 

 say, that it is necessary to have 7s. for a 

 day's work, instead of 6«? — They have 

 never struck for wages but when circum- 

 stances have justified tijcm. They have 

 never demanded an unreasonable sum, 

 as compared with the actual value of the 

 sum they formerly received. 



Or with wages in other brandies of 

 business? — Tailois' wages are nomi- 

 nally higher tiian most other common 

 businesses; but tlicii real wages, I mean 

 the actual amount in money, does not 

 exceed that of other trades, on an 

 average. Tliey are liable to be fre- 

 quently without employment; an<l a 

 man cannot work continually as a tailor 

 in a shop ; it would kill him.i 



Do you think the repeal of the Com- 

 bination Laws would lower wages? — 

 No. I think the wages of journeymen 

 tailors, and other workmen, would be 

 just what they now are, except in some 

 few cases, where t!ie Combination Laws 

 have kept them too low. In general 

 the men have evaded the law, and set it 

 totally aside. 



Then joii Ihiiik the only effect of the 

 Combination Laws has been, to create 

 irritated feelings between the masters 

 and men? — Just so. 



Have you known instances of combi- 

 nations of the journeymen in other 

 trades? — Yes. When I was a journey- 

 man, I assisted to form combinations 



d Machinery. 421 



among journeymen in other trades, and 

 acted as secretary to them. 



What trades? — Carpenters and 

 plumljers. 



Do all journeymen tailors receive the 

 same wages per day, whether they are 

 good or bad workmen? — I'lieie are 

 several ways of settling wages among 

 tailors. They arc divided into two 

 classes, called (lints and dungs. I'he 

 Hints all work by the day, and all re- 

 ceive the same wages; the dungs work 

 by the day, or the |)iece, but generally 

 by the piece. No inconvenience to the 

 master arises from any of their arrange- 

 ments; they all get a day's work lor a 

 day's pay. 



Are the dungs promoted to be flints? 

 — Some dungs become flints. Day- 

 work, in our business, may be called 

 piece-work, with this limitation, that a 

 man will only do a certain quantity in a 

 day. We have books ruled in columns, 

 in which are inserted the name of the 

 workman, the name of the garment, the 

 name of the person it is intended for, 

 and the time the man is employed upon 

 it. Thus a complete check upon the 

 men is established, and every one of 

 iheni must do his stated quantity. 



Do the dungs then try to compensate 

 for a less degree of skill, by a greater 

 quantity of time? — Most of them work 

 by the piece ; some of them are capital 

 workmen, and do a great quantity of 

 work. Some undertake to do the 

 whole work of a small master; they 

 work a great many hours, and their 

 families assist them. They often earn 

 a large sum of money. This vvas my 

 case for several years when I was a 

 journeyman. 



What proportion is there of dungs to 

 flints? — 1 think about one in four. 



Do the Town, or Delegates, take any 

 notice of the moral conduct of the 

 flints ? — No ; but if the question is in- 

 tended to lead to an opinion as to their 

 moral conduct, I should say, they, like 

 all other journeymen, are greatly im- 

 proved in morals. Twenty years ago, 

 few tailors' shops were without a bottle 

 of gin; the men drank as they liked; 

 one kc|)t the score, and the publican 

 came at certain times to replenish the 

 gin-bottle. I suppose there is not a 

 shop in London that has one now. 



Do all the masters in London pay the 

 same wages? — All the principal masters 

 employ flints, and they pay the same 

 rate of wages, and in the same manner. 



What is the general state of feeling 

 between 



