The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1873-07-19 00:00:00

THE DISPUTE IN THE LONDON
BUILDING TRADE.

Contrary to general expectation, the conference held
on Monday between the committee of master builders
and the deputatione from the mesons and carpenters.
with the object, if possible, of effecting a peaceful
settlement of the existing diepute, resulted in • failure.
In accordance with previoue arrangement, at eleven
o'clock Messrs. liannen, Dines, Lucas, Trollope,
and Bird, on the part of the employers, met
the deputation from the maeons, c•insie•ing of
Mese,. Broadhuret, Bowman, Spenser, Kennard,
and Niebitt. The interview lasted two hours, and
the whole question was fully disctussed. In the
course of the discussion a compromise as to the
time when the jd. pis hour sivance ehould take place
si-emed possible, buttheemployere ineuited upon the men
going back from twelve to one o'clock as the hour for
leaving work on Saturday. This point was Argued at
so.ne length, the employers urging ae a reason for the
change the great expense and inconvenience they were
now put to by having to pay wagea to early as twelve
o'clock, especially upon the outdoor jibe • also adding,
that the men if they chose to do COUld stop work
at twelve o'clock, hut they would not be paid until one
o'clock. The derut /ion eotubatt. d the arguments of
the employers, and /laid while they had power to effect ;
settlement upon the wages question, they had no
power to agree to any increase in the boon of working a
and they a'so felt convinced that the trade as a body
would repudiate under any circurustanc. s an alteration
in the working hours on Saturday. The employers
then proposed that beth the wages question and
tee one hour time on Saturday should be referred to au
independent atLitration. This proposal was declined
by the deputation, en the ground that they had no in.
struct io Bto con sent to any arbitration, and also knowing
the trade as a body were opposed to outside arbitrieion
upon trade 'disputes. l'hey etatsd, however, that tht y
would lay the proposal. of the employers for the one
o'clock on Saturday and arbitration thereon before a
general meeting of the b cly of masons to be held that
evening, but they could not promise to recommend their
acceptance by the meeting. After some further dies
CIII.IOII, the employers said it was nine prolonging the
interview, and the deputation at once retired, each body
expressing its regret that the ccnfarence bad hem at-
tended with such unsatisfactory rePults.
. .

At three o'clock the same committee of employers
met the deputation from the carpenters and joinere,
consisting of Messrs. Harrison, Birch, Sydenhava,
Davin, .nd C. Matkin, the interview laming nearly four
hours. Precisely the same grounds and argumenta were
gone over aa with the mums' deputations, and with
the same unsatisfactory results. 'rhe deputation
positively refuned to go back from twelve to one o'clock
on Saturdays, and also an ',Artisan declined any arbi-
tration upon the question. They were, however,
prepared to make a compromise aa to the time at
which the payment of the extra id, per hour should
commence, but the employers refused to go into that
question unlesa the men in the meantime either ac•
cepted the one o'clock or arbitration thereon. This
was again declined by the men; and after some
desultory discussion about a code of working rules, the
deputation retired, without effecting any settlement
upon a single point in dispute.

A mass meeting of the London maaona wan held on
Monday evening at Wilcox'a Rooms, Westminster-
road, for the purpose of receiving the report from the
deputation who had waited upon the committee of
employers in the earlier part ot the day. The room,
the largest that could be obtained in the neighbourhood,
was densely packed by about 800 men, and fully Ile many
more were outside unable to obtain admittance. Mr.
Earle occupied the chair, and brietly opened the pro
ceedings. Mr. Broadhurst then reported the remit of
the interview of the deputation with the employers'
committee. He wished the men before him toexpreas by
a show of handa whether they were willing to glee up
the twelve o'clock on Saturday, or have the question
referred to arbitration. In rely, a shoat of "No one
o'clock or arbitration" leaounded from the: meeting,
followed by great cheering. The following resolutioa
was then adopt,d. af c-v considerable discussion, in
which a general feeling was displayed to resist, under
any circumstances, any attempt of the employeis to
enforce the one o'clock on Saturday :
. _ .

That two delegates be appointed in each yard and shop
to watt upon their employere, for the purowe of escort dnlng
whether tiny ere trepared to pay the advawv required by
the men, of d. per hour. lb. delegates to report the re-
sults of their Interview, to an adjourned meeting.'