Rensselaer Republican, Volume 20, Number 10, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 November 1887 — Trade Unions in China. [ARTICLE]

Trade Unions in China.

St. James Gazette. ’ - .j The trade unions are generally composed of retail traders and artizans, and are of a more modern date than the merchant guild, a few of them being a century old. With regard to the merchants,. the unions are generally composed of masters and workman, united as against society. In some trades where workmen are numerous journeymen have their organizations, but generally, when they have occasion to combine against employers (of which instances are rare), they meet at some temple, commence a strike, peacefully accomplish their object and disband. Occasionally theunions enforce their decrees in a terrible manner. The Goldbeaters Union’of’ Soochow—the Atnens •f China —some time ago wreaked a terrible vengeance on one of their craft. Gold leaf was needed to an unusual amount for the Emperor. One of the craft represented to the magistrate that if he were allowed to take a lot of apprentices the work would be greatly expedited, and, having obtained permission, he proceeded to engage a great many apprentices, violating thereby a law of the trade which disallowod an employer to take more than one apprentice at a time. His conduct infuriated the craft, and the word passed round: "Biting to death is not a capital offense.” One hundred and twenty three of them rushed onto the misera ble man, each taking , a bite. Death soon relieved the vicim of the fiendish rancor. To make sure that none shirked duty on that occasion, no one was allowed to quit the shop, whose bloody lips and gums did not attest to hia fidelity. The murderer who took the first bite wag discovered and beheaded.

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