THE BIGGEST TRADE UNION.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1266, 4 June 1886, Page 4

THE BIGGEST TRADE UNION.

The annual dinner of the Executive Council of the Amalgamated Society of Engineers, Machinists, Millwrights, and Patternmakers, was held on January '2lst, at the London Tavern, when the Secretary referred to the depression of trade, and said that in their own special trade the exports had decreased from 13 millions to 11 millions la-t year The payments had been increased by 23 per cent daring the past quarter of a year, iu order to keep up ‘he funds and they would probably have to meet an expenditure on the whole year of L 190,000 wilh an income of not more than L 152.000. To provide for the deficiency the accumulated balance would be reduced to L 124,000 The society now had 435 branches and nearly 52,000 members Mr Joseph Arch was amongst the guests, and responded to I ho toast of the House of Commons. He said the leader of any trade society had far greater weight when he had a seat in the House of Commons. No one could have been better r* ceived there than he had by gentlemen on both sides. Only the other night he was invited to meet several noblemen to discuss the best melhod of getting back to the land laborers who had been driven into the towns. If he had remained outside the House of Commons it would have been a miracle for ahodv of live lords to consult; with a laborer. They might rest assured that, the larger the representation of labor iu the House of Commons, the more would capitalists be found to respect it. Some time ago the farmers declined to sit at an arbitration board with a laborer ; now the farmers of Norfolk had elected him on the Norfolk Chamber of Agriculture. He contended that the most important question for Parliament to consider was the land question. He urged that, with proper ■security, the cultivation of the laud might be made pros Stable, and that foreign competition need not be feared. If they wanted their trade to be permanently prosperous they rau-t .frst establish their agricultural structure on a sound and firm foundation.—(Cheers).