The Master Engineers And Their Workmen - Softcover

John Malcolm Forbes Ludlow

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0461995581 ISBN 13: 9780461995589

Publisher: HardPress

Synopsis

The Master Engineers And Their Workmen. by John Malcolm Forbes Ludlow. Three lectures from 1852 examine the relations of capital and labour in the iron trades, delivered at the Marylebone Literary and Scientific Institution at the request of the Society for Promoting Working Men’s Associations. Ludlow argues that while the interests of employers and employed often conflict, the broader public benefits from higher wages, better welfare, and more equitable distribution of wealth. He defends trade societies and cooperative associations as legitimate instruments for workers to improve conditions, and advocates legal recognition and regulation of such bodies, mirroring Friendly Societies. The text contrasts the employers’ view of a pure free bargain with the insights of political economy and moral consideration, criticizing over-time, piece-work, and the displacement of labour by machinery. It analyzes the Amalgamated Society of Engineers, Machinists, and others, discusses the Oldham case, and considers arbitration and the path toward peaceful resolution. The lectures propose arbitration, Prud’hommes-like tribunals, and cooperative workshops as means to reconcile capital and labour for the country’s benefit, warning against social conflict and urging constructive reform.

Edition details

• Publisher: HardPress
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0461995581
• ISBN 13: 9780461995589
• Binding: Paperback