Important Evidence before the Committee 



422 



between 11i€ masters and the men, in 

 respect to one iinotlici? — There is but 

 one state of feclinjj ; entire want of 

 cunfiilence. 



They look willi distrust on eacli 

 other? — Yes; and they annoy eacii 

 other in consefiuence of it. 



Do yon think the journeymen are 

 often unreasonaiile in their demands for 

 inereuse of waives? — No, I never knew 

 them unreasonable, except perhaps in 

 one case, many years ajjo. I remember 

 a case among the miiiwrijfJils, who, 

 being a small body, became unreasona- 

 ble, as 1 then iniderstood the matter ; 

 they succeeded f(jr a short tinie, but the 

 masters beat them ultimately. 



Do not the masters, in consequence 

 of a rise of wages, raise their prices? — 

 No; I believe Ihtrc is no prineijile of 

 political economy belter established 

 than tliis of wages; increase of wages 

 must come from prr)f]ts. 



Is it within your knowledge, (hat 

 masters in this town have combined 

 against the men? — Yes, on many oc- 

 casions. 



You think, llierefore, that the Com- 

 bination Laws press on the men, and 

 not npon tlie masters?— They are un- 

 equal and nnjiist. 



Are the feelings of irritation, which 

 you slate generally to exist between the 

 masters and the men, chielly occasioned 

 by the existence of those laws? — I have 

 nodonbt of it. 



Do you think, that if these laws were 

 repealed, that irritation would subside? 

 — It would gradually subside. 



In those cases in whirh there have 

 been strikes, have the masters yielded 

 without a struggle? — No ; sometimes 

 the masters have put down the combina- 

 tion ; but that has generally led to ano- 

 ther combination, to another strike, and 

 tlie men have generally carried their 

 point in the end. 



Is not the workman much more in the 

 power of the master, than the master is 

 hi the power of the man? — Whatever 

 there is of power, is with the master. 



What do you think is the general 

 opinion of the masters, respecting the 

 laws against combinations; will they be 

 favourable to their repeal?— They will 

 not generally be favoiuable to their 

 repeal ; they sup|)Ose, that if the laws 

 be repealed, wages will rise. The same 

 absurd opinion is entertained by the 

 men ; they think they shall receive 

 higher wages. 



Then the effect of the repeal of these 

 would, you think, be the putting an end 



[June I, 



to bad feelings?— Tliat would be the 

 eti'ect. • 



Ricliard Bateuson Dean, esq. 



What siluatiiin do you bold in t!:e 

 Customs ? — Chairman. 



What is your opinion with regard to 

 the etrieaey of those laws, as to prevent- 

 ing the emigration of ailizans? — I think 

 it nearly impossible to enforce them with 

 any eurrcctness. 



Is it your opinion that tiie laws 

 liilherto have not been ellieient for the 

 object for which they were intended, 

 that of preventing the emigration of 

 artizans? — Yes, I should say they have 

 not been so: I thin); it very dilficnlt for 

 any officer of the Customs, let him be 

 who he may, to determine who is an 

 artiiiccr. Various artiflcers have gone 

 in from time to time; had we known 

 they were artificers, it would have been 

 the duly of the Board of Customs to 

 make enquiry, with a view to enforcing 

 the Act of Parliament; but, us far as 

 my enquiries have gone, though I have 

 known repealed emigrations, both to 

 America and the Couiincnf, we have 

 very rarely haci any evidence of the par- 

 tics being artillcers ; they go out as hus- 

 bandmen, or as people not within tlio 

 contemplaiion of the Acts. 



In ytnir opinion, the laws have not 

 been eiricieut to the object intended ? — 

 No; that is my decided opinion. 



What is your opinion as to the effects 

 of the present laws against the exporta- 

 tion of machinery, in previnting those 

 articles that it is intended to prohibit, 

 being exported? — I think that doubt- 

 ful, and very doubtful. 



Why do you state it to be doubtful ? 

 — Inasmuch as all articles going out of 

 the country cannot undergo such slriet 

 examination as by possibility to enable 

 the officers to see, in the event of a very 

 large cargo going out, whether there is 

 any machinery among it that is prohi- 

 bited by the Acts. 



Is it your opinion, that tlie laws have 

 been evaded in different ways? — I 

 should think in numberless instances. 



The difficulties attending the strict 

 literal execution of these Acts, you con- 

 sider to be very great? — Yes, I do 

 cerlandy ; we have had perpetual ques- 

 tions before the Board as to machinery, 

 how far it comes within the particular 

 letter of the Act ; because we have 

 always considered it our duly to look at 

 these Acts according to the letter and 

 not the spirit, and to see whether the 

 machinery going out was according to 

 the letter of the Act; and, if not, we 



have 



