20O 



The Review of Reviews. 



LABOUR'S REAL TROUBLES. 



Mr. T. Good, writing as an old workman, offers 

 some " plain facts and comments " on the labour 

 troubles of to-day in an article in the August number 

 of the World's Work. 



EFFECTS OF SPEEDINC-UP. 



The first fact of the present turmoil is that the 

 average workman is getting too small a wage and is 

 paying too high a taxation upon the things he purchases 

 to maintain the standard of living he desires. In 

 short, he is convinced beyond all doubt or question 

 that he is not getting a fair share of the world's good 

 things ; and this is the bedrock fact upon which we 

 must base our theories, our policies, and our legislation. 

 Unfortunately, the workers have not yet learnt how 

 to use their trade unionism or their franchise to their 

 best advantage. Why is there at this time pronounced 

 retrogression in labour affairs ? Much of the discontent 

 is due to " speeding up," not only hustling the workman 

 over his job, but including in its train unemploj'ment, 

 or more casual employment, and possibly less pay. 

 Within the last dozen years many industries have 

 been well-nigh revolutionised, and labour has been 

 economised to an extent hardly dreamt of by the 

 outside public. 



FEWER MEN AND LESS PAY. 



Not only have many firms Americanised their works, 

 but there came the Workmen's Compensation Act, 

 which had as one result the weeding-out of aged and 

 delicate men — to make room for the reckless and 

 inexperienced, with the further result that accidents 

 increased. The Minimum Wage Act will have the 

 same effect in the coal trade, argues Mr. Good. But 

 the chief point he makes is that our employers, 

 becoming alarmed at the prospects of an American 

 invasion, set about introducing hustle and grind, and 

 our workshops were converted into prisons, if not 

 hells. Concurrently with these harsher conditions 

 there has been reduced pay. Little by little the pay 

 and the conditions have worsened. The Board of 

 'i'rade Reports tell us that the rate of wages has 

 increased, but fail to record that the actual earnings 

 have declined. There is more broken time as well as 

 more bustle, racket, and danger compared with fifteen 

 years ago. At the docks and wharves gangs are 

 reduced in numbers, and cargoes are loaded and dis- 

 charged not only with fewer men, but in less time and 

 for smaller wages. To these causes of discontent must 

 be added the increased burden in higher rents, rates 

 and taxes, and higher prices of food. And there is 

 one other cause, a very human one, which cannot be 

 ignored — the contrast between the lot of the working 

 classes and the growing luxury among the people whom 

 the workers arc expected to look upon as their 

 " betters." 



POET AND WORKMAN. 



.Some Browning memories are contributed by W. G. 

 Kingsland to the Contemporary Rniew for .\ugust. 

 Mr. Kingsland was a young compositor who wrote a 

 letter of admiration to the poet. In a kindh' reply, 

 given in full. Browning said :^ 



I can have but little doubt that my writing has been, in the 

 main, too hard for many I should have been pleased to com- 

 municate with ; but I never designedly tried to puzzle people, 

 as some of my critics have supposed. On the other hand, I 

 never pretended to offer such literature as should be a substitute 

 for a cigar or game at dominoes to an idle man. 



browning's KINDHEARTEDNESS. 



The writer bears willing witness when he says ;— 



In a friendship of over twenty years, one thing stands out 

 clearly — the exceeding kindness of heart ever shown by the 

 poet. His courtesy and consideration, his noble bearing, his 

 helpful spirit, his solicitude for your welfare and comfovl — these 

 things were part and parcel of the man. He would put himself 

 to no end of inconvenience and trouble to oblige his fiiends or 

 do them a service, while his generous and affectionate nature 

 was always apparent to those who knew him. 



" NEVER DISCOURAGED." 



Here is a glimpse of the dauntless spirit in which the 

 poet encountered opposition : — 



I asked him once wliether he had not been discouraged by 

 the indifference or hostility of the critics. "Nevei," he replied. 

 " Why, I had the approbation of Fox, of Mill, of Forster, and 

 I was content with their verdict." Yet on one occasion he did 

 express his indignation that Forster should have kept hidden for 

 thirty years a letter from Dickens, expressing in passionate 

 terms the great novelist's admiration of the " Hlot in the 

 'Scutcheon." "Had it been brought before the literary 

 public, as Dickens no doubt intended it should have been, il 

 would have rendered inv.iluable help to my work at that time," 

 said Browning. 



HELPING A DKINKEN MAN ALONG. 



Here is another \aluable sidelight on the character 

 of the poet : — - 



Browning had the true democratic spirit, and was concerned 

 in all that appertained to the welfare of the people. I call to 

 mind one summer evening, in company with M. Milsmd, the 

 poet taking us into the little square patch of garden ground at 

 the back of the house in Warwick Crescent. The conversation 

 ranged round many topics — from Sunday schools to ragged 

 schools ; " temperance work " also largely coming. The ])oel 

 spoke with something like vehemence on this topic, and related 

 how, but a few evenings since, he had come across a woiking 

 man who was so drunk he could scarcely stand. "I helped 

 him along for some distance as best I could," said the poet, 

 "but he was gelling unmanageable, and I was gl.ad when 

 anolher individual, apparently a fellow-worker, came to my 

 assistance with (he remark, ' I think you had better leave hiii'i 

 to me, sir.' And as he seemed to understand more about it than 

 I did, I thought that was the best thing to do," he added. 



Mr. Kingsland, recalling conversations in the later 

 years of the poet's life, declares that he spoke with 

 rapt certainly of the soul's immortality, expressing his 

 concurrence with the vital doctrines of the Christian 

 faith. " I have no hesitation, from converse with him, 

 in placing Browning among those who hold to the 

 Uivinitv ol Christ." 



