Lohnregulirungen.

463

ter die Rede sein wird. Es bestand in diesem Gewerbe 1805
ein Einigungsamt 1). Von der Aufhebung der Coalitionsgesetze
wurde die allgemeine Einrichtung freiwilliger Einigungsämter
vielfach erwartet, und man war im Stande, sich die Organisation
 derselben ganz detaillirt auszumalen.”)
1819 appellirten die Strumpfwirker von Howick vergeblich
 an die Magistrate um Lohnregulirung: sie wurden abgewiesen.?)
 1810—1817 fanden gemeinsame Lohnfeststellungen
durch die Arbeiter und Arbeitgeber bei den Kattundruckern
in Dublin statt.

1) S. Fourth Report on Artizans and Machinery S. 269: The men very
Seldom meet the hosiers: they meet by themselves and the frameworkknitters
 meet by themselves; and they transmit what they wish, to each
other, — A regulation of prices took place 1805; a statement was formed;
t was a regulation agreed upon by the masters.
2%) Second Report on Artizans and Machinery, S. 68. ;
3) Die charakteristische Antwort der Friedensrichter s. Fifth Re-Port
 on Artizans and Machinery S. 365:
Howick, 6th. May 1819.
The justices having taken into consideration the foregoing petition,
are perfectly sensible that the statement of grievances, which it exhibits,
 is not overcharged, and they are aware that they are such as must
interest every compassionate mind. They:are of opinion, however, that
any interference on their part, would not only be vain and nugatory but
might even eventually operate to the prejudice of the petitioners them-Selves,
 They think it neccessary to observe, that they are not imperatively
 commanded to do so; but to act, on all occasions of this nature,
as they themselves after enquiry may judge expedient. From the enqui-Ties
 which they have thought it their duty on this occasion to make they
are perfectly convinced that the master manufacturers, far from wishing
to keep down the wages of the operatives have, in the expectation that
Matters would soon return again %o their former channel, submitted to
a sacrifice on their part to maintain them at their present rates, No
Other conduct, indeed, was to have been expected from a set of men, who
In a case of peculiar distress, about two years ag0, still fresh in our
Memories, contrived by a wise and human .management, to maintain all
Ihe operatives in their service, when in many other of the manufacturing
towns the masters found themselves obliged to dismiss a considerable
part of their servants. In adverting to this period of distress, the justices
 think it ineumbent on them to state, at the same time, the meritori-OUs
 conAuct of the oneratives. who submitted, for a long period, to many