The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1859-03-22 00:00:00

BRIDPOItt

The parish -church of Bridport, on account of in-
sufficient accommodation, and of the general decay
and itharrangement of the pawing, is about to be
re.seated, enlarged, and restored, at a cost of about
.C 1,5011 which is to be met by voluntary subscrip-
tions and grants from the Incorporated and Diocesan
Church Building Societies.
TEMP/MANCE Boor-m
-0n Tuesday and Wed-
nesday last. Mr. Atkin (agent of the Bristol and
West of England Total Abstinence Association)
delivered two very interesting lectures at the Town.
hall, in advocacy of the cause of temperance. The
attendance nn each occasion was exceedingly good.
The chair was occupied on the first evening hy Mr.
Monteith, and on the second by Mr. C. Clinker,
hon. secretary. Amongst other things the lecturer
spoke of the many millions that were annually ex-
pended in intoxicating liquors, and afterwards
informed his audience that the immense quantity of
liquor consumed every year was sufficient to make
a river thive feet deep, thirty feet wide, and I6N miles
long. Ile showed how that the working classes
spend thirty millions • year in strong drinks. It
had been said, " when a man begins thinking. he
leaves off drinking," and he maintained that if they
could get people to think for themselves, there would
soon be a falling off front the publicans. Mr. Atkin
was frequently applauded in the course of his lecture,
and the amusing anecdotes with which it was inter-
spersed, elicited the approbation of his hearers.

STRIKE AMONG THE NIAHONS OE BRIDPORT.—A
ineeting of the jounieymen maamis of this two was
held at the Hope and Anchor Inn, St Alit:hael's lane,
on Tuesday evening last, to consider what steps
should lie taken in order to obtain an advance upon'
their prtsent rate of wages. There were between
twenty sad thirty masons present the proceedings
were of the most orderly character, and the utmost
good feeling wm displayed throughout the entire
evening. From a statement made, it appeared that
the fraternity were of opinion that the present rate
of wages (which averaged 2s. fid, per day) paid by
their employers was too low, and that they were
determined not to work unless an advance was made.
---George Squibb was desirous of knowing the amount
of
the
l ~3c peratvaucet week."heywis The cd ti:uth.nnal wishedtaihaiii. —Several‘
the
ree
meeting to understand that, if they determined
m a upon an
n would t v
obtaince
au, they
i
tw. mustper
rweek. notsulppmvh.: ththeaytweinvicierya
was this, that where a man WAS receiving 125., 145.,
or 13.. per week, lie should receive an advance of
3s. Imr week upon either sum. It would not be right
for them to compel masters to pay ISs. per week.—
Alfred Tuck said, of coons it was no Use for them to
conic there thinking that every man's rate of wages
Was going to be equAlmed, because such a thing had !
' never been, nor ever would take place. If they went to
London, or any large town, they would never find
when a number of men came to tlie pay
table, that they all received alike. It was
no use for them .to think that a man who
was now receiving 128. per week wit 3 going
to have his wages raised to las. Ile thought it
right to make that observation, in order that they
might the more clearly understand for what purpose
they were met together. If a man was receiving 12s.
this week, his master might eventually see fit, per-
haps to advance him to His. or even las. He did
not disdain any man who was receiving only 12s. per
week ; but his desire was for every man to be paid
according to his ability. (Hear, hear.) If one MA
was more skilful than another, let him be paid
wages accordingly. He inaintaiued that if masters
were only to act upon that plan, there would be less
grumbling among the employed. They did not
come there to exercise any arbitrary power over their
masters—far from it; their only desire was to re- 1!
ceive fair remuneration for their labour. If they I
demanded more wages, masters must raise their
charges in the same proportion. —George Squibb did
not like the idea of a man going out to work for
2s. fid. per day ; and he also complained of the
system of performing work for parties finding their
own materiaL It was admitted that the system !
was a bad one, and required remedying.—George
Lull reminded the meeting that the object for
which they were met together was to see whether
they should determine upon demanding an
advance of 35. per week or not; he wished
them to keep to the question, and not discuss
matters apart from it. After some further dis-
cussion, in which the speakers expressed themselves
in favonr of an advance of 3s. per week, the Chair.
man observed that he believed they were all agreed
that after Saturday next, they should not work
unless an advance of fid. per day, or as. per week,
was made upon their present rate of wages. (Hear,
hear). It was not their wish to ask any man whether
he was receiving 124., 145., or ltis., per week,
because that was a matter of no consequence. Nl'b'ut.
ever a man was receiving would be embodied in the
advance of 3s. per week—that is to say, where he was
now receiving 125. per week, he would hereafter
obtain 155., where 145., 17a, and so on. —A resolu-
tion in favour of an advance of 3s. per week, was
ultimately proposed, seconded, and carried unaiii•
moitaly. —The following gave in their nanies as sup.
wters of the resolution :—The Chairman; John
Lull, Joseph Brake, John Itockutt, T11,011E41 Grant,
James Laity, Daniel Williams. Richard Symes,
8 'in Ihibins, Henry Cornielt, Robert Patten, Eli
lalthey, Samuel Meech, Henry Patten, Alfred Tuck,
Reuben Cornick, I:corgu Squibb, Join, Ib.unsvil,
Charles Phillips, George Lull, Frederick Connek,
and Robert Pomeroy. This concluded the business
of the meeting.