The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-06-29 00:00:00

THE LOCK-OUT IN THE BUILDING
TRADE.

The Daily News gives the following account of the
progress of the Builders Strike in Loridon
_ .

The close of last week must have been anticipated with
equal impatience and anxiety both by the employers and the
workmen. ihni would then be to a position to estimate
the number mho were likely to act up to the lock rout
resolution of the 7th Instant; and the other to form
some reliable idea of the amount of exertion to ho matte
to finance the in., ment iu its more formidable propor-
tions. It now appears to he authoritatively stated by
the honorary secretary of the Central Association of Master
Rulloers, whoa have fixed their headquarters in West-
minster-chambers, Victoria street, that 64 firms have closed
their shops, works, and jobs, and in this list are included the
principal London establishments that directly employ to a
very—probably the most—considerable extent 111148011.,
carpenters, joiners, bricklayers, plasterers, paint, rs,
plumbers, glaziers, blacksmiths, tilers, and labourers. Os
the other hand, there are many noteworthy firms, ii hose
names II"W are conspicuous by their absence, and the total
is for below at ird ut the trade that presented a united front
against the demands of the workmen in 1859.

The next figures the public are curious to learn would
have rriereute to the strength of the industrial army thus
thrown upon their own resources; but either the masters
nor the men seem at all wilibm to furnish the information,
supposing it to be in their power to du to. They pr fer to
leave it for " outsiders" to make their own calculations on
that head ; awl to assist them in to doing it will not be for
short of the mark to assert that upwards of a thousand
stonemasons alone have been withdrawn from the new Post.
orrice Savings flank, the new Colonial Oft., Midland Rail-
way Hotel, B 3 at Academy. and Lambeth new Workhonse,
all works so situated as to have been for some time familiar
to the public eye.

Then again the question is being everywhere asked, "flow
long will the etruggle continue ? ' "Which side can hobl
out the most?" The masters must be in a position to com-
mand the "sinews of war," but can or will they be suffered
to bide their time? As for the nice, it has been public y
announced in one demo • strative quarter that no strike or
lock-out was ever more effectaally provided for in a pecuniary
sense than the present.

The masons met again on Saturday at the "Sun Tavern,"
Westminster bridge-road Mr. Broadhurst (in the chair)
congratulating his comrades upon the alacrity and unani-
mity with which they had to a ntan conic out. The minutes
of the previous day's proceedings having been read and
confirmed, the secretary said by Monday there would be 5::0
levy sheets and as many subscription books in circulation
Misers. Broadhurst and Bray were added to the Central
Committee. It was then stabil that a leading member of the
Engineer's Society wanted to know whether, for the purpose
of obtaining general subscriptions, the masons intended to
mix themselves up with the carpenters and joiners, or any
other branch of the building trade, mil in order to put the
question at rest a remlution was passed deciarng that for
financial purees,' the masons would net independently of
all other sections. The Chairman remarked the trades
concerned in the movement would present a common front
to the public at large upon the nine hours an, nine-
pence point. There would be no playing at cross pur-
poses about it, and the Central Committee were pre-
paring a short address to masons and the country gene-
rally, which he hoped would prove to be a' clear and
succinct explanation if the position the masons of 1.11.
don were now in. Each trade, however, would be left to
make its own appeal for money help, and to collect and
distil, rite its own funds in the manner it thought best.
The Masons' Central C.dniulttee intendet to confer with
the "Brown Bear" Committee as to the hest mode of at-
taining the first reject. The ChairmAll, at the close
of some matters of detail, stated that he and "brother'
Baldwin had succeeded the previous night in finding
a sympathising member of the House of Commons to
whom they related' the rumour afloat respecting an ex-
tension of time for the completion of the new Colonial,
office and the new Posteotlice savings limk. Teat gentle-
nxin ill the kindest manner undertook to speak privately to
Mr. Ayrton on the subject, and it was tin n ascertained there
had been no undue extension ot time granted either to Mr.
Brass Cr Messrs. Jackson and Shaw, and there lout urn, and
would lee, no departure from the ordinary course laid down
in the usual condition of all contracts providing for the even-
tuality of
.a strike or lock-out.
. .

The r.,11 of men wa.s then called over, which ceremony
will have to be repeated every day until the termination of
the dispute.

A meeting was held at the "Brown Bear," Blooms-
bury, on Saturday night, which is thus reported by the
Doily News:—
Mr. T. Sadler took the chair at the appointed hour, and,
after the confirmation of minutes, a violent dispute took
place as to whether the levy of Os. a man upon all men in
work should be made for the past week. A vote was taken
and carried that it simald. It was then proposed and
seconded to rescind the resolution "that any caroenter or
joiner who has c•mtributed to this movement be entitled to
support from the fund upon being discharged from employ-
ment, cold he can again obtain work, providing he brings a
clear card..".

Mr. Smith (Jackson and Shaw's) supported the mollon.
It was the duty of such men to find empleyment in the
ordinary way flow could the committee tall for what rues, n
they had been discharged, or what means had they of
meoertalt, ? (Uproar ) A delegate said two men had been
discharged from his shop, owing to the slackness of work ;
were they, having subscribed to the in, e.emerit all along, en-
[Met to participate of the fund I (" Yes, yes.) He did not
think so, it was only men b.cked out on strike, or discharged
throats She strike or lock-out. who should receive pay. ('' No,
no.) Another delegate contended that if they r,fnseil to admit
such men it would occasion no werprlve t find them going
over to the enemy. (Cheers.) Mr Sydenham (committee-
man) said that very day forty men, discOarsed in the ordinary
course of Mutual*, bad ip lied to be put on the toad. (" Quite
right, too.") PO in was wrong. (" No, it isn't')
Th 1544 ha Nen NV On support ol lib abort tba

--
movement, end that alone. (Tunic.lt.) A delegate insisted
that IS one agent of the mOnement lead been to disarrange
the trade of London, men must continue to be discharged.
(kiear.) Now haring placed these men ou an Lalauti, sur-
rounded by broad and deep waters, could they refuse them
robust to compel ("No, no," "Bravo, "Go it.")
In thin strain the noisy altercation 1,5 kept up, the conf a-
lign rising to such a height that it is impossible to say nail
certainty what Ireeanie of the motion, but it is supposed to
have ten carried. Then followed the reeeption of deleaates•
credentials who had never appeared before. One came with
fl Os. from some ; ainters arid £2 128. from carpenters soul
juicers, and he wished to know if the painters would hove a
claim on the committee. The Chairman said they were open
to receive money from any quarter, but the movement there
was confined to carpenters and joiners otly ; and he told
only Worm the delegate a committee had been appoiLted to
confer with any committee nominated by otter trades, to
deaide upon a future coons of united or separate action.
That committee bad not yet had time to make a report.

A motion woe made, and negatived by 43 to 34, to call out
the men at Allan's, Tabirnaele-row ; and a :ok-gate indig-
nantly protested they might to take steps to prevent the car
pouters and j. errors of Lucas Brothers working at Lewestott,
where that tam make up most of their window frames and
smiles. They could derl with it as a London job. More slims ot
confusion becoming visible, the Cheirman obtained partial
silence by stating that he had an official list of the masters
who had locked out, as certified by Mr. Stanley G. Bird,
their honorary secretary. Tire mention of oh
name produced ariother explosion, and muldsthootiug, whist-
ling, and hissing, the clefirman read a liet of about fifty
firms. /The names of which are riven by the Daily Netra.
Several of the I klegatcs pronounced at to at a dorm if
these to be wholly untrue, and others to be only partial
lock-outs. Mr. Ililiper stated that Coleman's men were
going to work again on Monday. The head of the firm had
Intimated that, taking into consideration the fact that moat
of hie men had been with him for many rears, slid had
enabled Him to build uphis fortune, he had reconsidered his
decision, and should withdraw from the look-out. This
announeement appeared to have the effect of restoring order;
but the uproar was aeon renewed by the Chairman stating the
committee wanted the delegates to answer the three fol-
lowing questions—lit Are we to recognise the men
who have not subscribed to this movement previous to the
, look-out? (Stentorian answer "No.") end. Are the men
locked out to be paid the same ailment as the men on strike
in proportion to time 3. What officers shall be appointed
to the District Committee., and what power are you prepared
to give to the Central Committee? (Renewed stentorian
auswer, "None at all '') Mr. Sinclair, from the South London
District, courageously proceeded to illustrate the hardship
of the first answer to lots of deserving aged nil-it oho bad
passed their lives, and almost got beyond work, iu large locked-
out firms, slid never thought they could be expected to
support the movement If it auceeeied they had very little
chasee of being taken back, and if they were refused present
relief front this fund there was nothing but atiavation or
the parish workhou..e before theta. The effect produced
by this charitable supplication was a scene of the wildest
confusion. Men shouted themselves hoarse with crying,
"Same 'em right ; why didn't they join the mien In their
youth? There are hundreds of young fellows not thirty
in the same plight. Let 'ern take warning, and become
society M. before its too late." Above the stone could be
heard the North Conntry ace -sits of the Chairman's voice,
tied:wing the meeting dissolved. Seeing Die situation was
erowleg worse and worse, a member of the committee
hurriedly moved an adjeurnment till Monday night: a dumb
show vote was taken, the Chairman left the choir, and the
meeting broke up, In utter confusion, affording a striking
contrast to the orderly di. position anti quiet term nation of
the masons' gathering in the morning on the other side of
the water.

WEDNESDAY.
No material change occurred in the position oi the dis-
pute in the building trade, but some of the results of the
meeting of the Masters Committee on Monday morning
transpired, and foreshadow a lengthened air .ggle. It ap-
pears that one of the resolutions adopted by the committee
was that every master builder be called upon to pay tile
seen if ft. per bed for every man he had in his em-
ploy on the 7th of June, ant thiv resolution was e mbodied
in as eirciVar and soot round the trade yesterday. The money
thus raised %Mg° to form a gintrintee fund out of which to
compensate those masters who may suffer sn cial pecuniary
loss from locking-out. Another printed document has been
sent to triune eniploy era who have not lucked out, for pre-
sentation to their men to sign, of which the following is a
Copy-
-- I hereby engage with Messrs.
any money, directly or in iirectly, to support those men who
are now on strike, or who are locked out through the demands
of the Trade's Union."

This document was presented for signature to the men
wetting in several tries, and in nearly every insane., the
men have given a refusal In some firms shore it was pre-
sented the men had not hitherto taken any part in the nine
hours movement or sulacribed a penny towards it, but as
their reply to this document at once sent k the Central COlll-
- at the "Brown Bear," for subseriptlon-aheets and
cards.

In connection with the Strikes, "C. E. T." has
sent the following letter to The Time., for publication,
and is woith a careful perusal by those who are in-
terested in the results :

Have not the London building operatives been misled by
a false analogy? As our iron and coal trades are in a state
of unprecedented activity, arising from a demand supported
by the whole world, ironmasters and pitowoers employ as
may hands as they Can get at continually ineraasing
rates of w,otes. But the London building trade is strictly
limited by local conditions. So far from th,re being
an urgent demand for new houses, nobody who ows the
environs exn doubt that London is already overbuilt, and
that the actual number of workmen is in excess of the real
requirements of the trade. Therefore, however much the
Laudon boil eye might desire to follow the t sample of the
Northern employers, it is not in their power to do no.
••• • -

„
A considerable trate in iron shipbuilding was formerly
conducted on the Thames, but it was carried on under diffi-
culties. because, Instead of having the iron and coal on tile
spot, they had to be brought, et great cost, front the North.
In this state of thiligs there se.. a a strike for higher wages,
with the result that the E ist of London was plunged
into distress from which it has not even yet recovered,
and the iron shipbuilding took wings for the banks of
Tyne a d Clyde. New buildings will, no doubt, always
be renuired in London, but who can say to what degree
the demand for them will be diminished by the
enhanced rates and embarrassing conditions demanded by the
workmen? Even without this the building trade has re-
ceived a severe check from the greatly increased coat of
tool,, nails, lion beams, and inttorials of every kind.
There is yet another grave consideration. For every
skilled artisan who goes out on strike, several unskilled
labourers are the.oa out of employ. The artisans have
the funds of their Trade Unions to fall back upon, but
who will support the labourers and their fantiliesi At
the Fast-cud they were thrown upon thq poor l,tw and
charity, to the miserable demmat.sation of our popii It' ion ;
but this will not be tolerated a second time. It there
into be a trade war, it must be supported by the resources
of the combatants, and not by those of the rest of the com-
nunth3b The disastrous cobsegneuees of a prolonged sue-
pension of the building trade tf Loud., supported out if
the inexlisust ',tie purse of London legal and charitable relief,
would be incaleulab'e.
. . .

If the strike continues, there must be an excelus of fin-
employed London workmen to the places where labour is so
flinch in demand, and to this extent good will be dune. The
sympteins of this change are already apparent.