Article from a paper in 1872 The gas was rather low in private houses on Monday evening,and the occupants abused the companies for some time, but the arrival of the Pall Mall Gazette explained that this time the fault was not with them.The stokers of certain companies had struck, without notice or reason,and we were invited to be economical,in the interest of the streets. This movement will have to be dealt with in a decisive way. The men brag that they can, if united, put London into darkness. In that case the roughs and thieves, whose deadliest foe is the gas-lamp,will have all their own way, and the stokers will be their accomplices in crime. Now we concede a good deal to our flesh and blood, but the whole magnificent system of street illumination is not to be put out of gear because a number of ignorant coke-stokers have a grievance, or are told by delegates that there is one. The labour, being of the coarsest and easiest kind, may easily be performed, and there are hosts of men who will be glad to undertake it; but arrangements cannot be made in an hour, and in a single winter night of darkness, wilfully caused,with notice duly given to scoundrelism, the most outrageous things be done.Society has a perfect right to protect itself against a malicious conspiracy to throw it into disorder. Somebody should endeavour to make the stupid stokes understand that the public would consider them criminals, were they not ignorant .

Hi Jeff Which paper did this come from? Regards Bob Mawby Rugby (UK) On 6 Oct 2007 at 14:56, Jeff Butler wrote: > Article from a paper in 1872 > > The gas was rather low in private houses on Monday evening,and the occupants abused the companies for some time, but the arrival of the Pall Mall Gazette explained that this time the fault was not with them.The stokers of certain companies had struck, without notice or reason,and we were invited to be economical,in the interest of the streets. This movement will have to be dealt with in a decisive way. The men brag that they can, if united, put London into darkness. In that case the roughs and thieves, whose deadliest foe is the gas-lamp,will have all their own way, and the stokers will be their accomplices in crime. Now we concede a good deal to our flesh and blood, but the whole magnificent system of street illumination is not to be put out of gear because a number of ignorant coke-stokers have a grievance, or are told by delegates that there is one. The labour, being of the coarsest and easiest kind, may easily be performed, and there are hosts of men who will be glad ! to! > undertake it; but arrangements cannot be made in an hour, and in a single winter night of darkness, wilfully caused,with notice duly given to scoundrelism, the most outrageous things be done.Society has a perfect right to protect itself against a malicious conspiracy to throw it into disorder. Somebody should endeavour to make the stupid stokes understand that the public would consider them criminals, were they not ignorant . > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to WARWICK-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message