70 POLITICAL ECONOMY 



proposed Act drawn up by the conferenca of amalgamated 

 trades. 1 



In addition to the above restrictions, we would forbid all 

 sudden strikes; that is to say, we would require that no con- 

 tract should be terminated suddenly either by masters or men, 

 but that a notice of from three to six months should always be 

 required. By this we do not mean that a master shall not be 

 at liberty to discharge a workman, or a workman to leave his 

 master, with any notice agreed to under the rules ; but that 

 when given rules are accepted by masters and men, neither party 

 shall be at liberty to require a change without a notice of from 

 three to six months. The above restrictions should all apply to 

 associations of masters, or to single masters, treated as the 

 purchasers of labour. Thus they would be prevented from 

 stipulating that union men should not work for other masters 

 who might happen to be obnoxious to the leading employers ; 

 and the penalty for any illegal agreement should be equally 

 enforced against master and man, whether proposed in the 

 interest of the former or of the latter. 



What then shall be these penalties ? We answer without 

 hesitation, Fines levied on both parties to the illegal contract, 

 if this has been completed, and levied on the party proposing 

 the illegal contract, if this has not been completed. To fine a 

 s'ngle workman is a farce. To imprison him is a hardship, 

 unless he has committed a crime or misdemeanour, for which, 

 by the law as it stands, he would be personally liable. Nor do 

 the unimprisoned 999 suffer very much from the imprisonment 

 of their herald or representative ; they feel very angry, sub- 

 scribe large sums for him and for his relations, but vicarious 

 suffering touches them little. If unions are to be restrained as 

 a body, they must be punished as a body. The fines may be 

 equal for masters and men, and should be heavy enough to be 

 really felt. It will be said that the unions will never take any 

 collective action in wrong-doing, but will use some scapegoat 

 of a man to commit illegal actions, and that thus they will 



1 This Bill aims at protecting the funds of the societies, and freeing them 

 from liability under the law of conspiracy ; it contains a provision as to the 

 selection of juries in cases of offences committed by trade-unions which tlio 

 men had better abandon forthwith. 



