The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-10-27 00:00:00

and now; owing to the resolutions of the society, no men
would be found to take the places of these men who hid
been thus dismissed, which would be the salvation of the
lives and properties of hundreds, by rendering it necessary
that every ship should be properly finished. (Hear, hear,
and cheers). There were shipbuilders who told them, when
they went to solicit and to buy a coffin for a deceased man,
go to your association. This showed the necessity for an
association of the kind. They were wanted to strike—it
was the masters who wanted them to do so. (Hear, hear).
Their society was never formed for a strike. (Cheers).
Mr. MEAGHER and Mr. FISHER supported the resolution,
the former commenting strongly upon the conduct of the ship-
builders, and the latter declaring that they might as well
attempt to turn back the tide of the Mersey in twenty-fonr
hours as to stop that society in three weeks, and saying that the
calumnies against them had been uttered.by persons, some of
whom were worse than ever had graced the Newgate calendar.
(Cheers.)
The CHAIRMAN then put the resolution, which was carried
amid loud applause. Ths Chairman said that their business
was now concluded, and, they would hear any gentleman who
wished to contradict any statement which had been made.
They would give him the opportunity which had been denied
to them at the meeting upon last Wednesday. (Cheers.)
Mr. Jon& WILSON GREENE then came upon the platform,
and proceeded, after some interruption had subsided, to address
the meeting. He said : Mr. Chairman and gentlemen,
would not have attended this meeting had I not been requested
by a very agreeable note from the Secretary of this association,
and I was desired in consequence of it, to attend upon behalf of
teh Shipbuilder's Association. I will first, before going into
the general subject, make an illusion in reference to the remark
made of me in respect to first standing by the men and then
deserting them. I mention it now because it is perhaps better
than to pass it over until a later period. I did some twelve
months back employ strangers in preference to Liverpool men,
and I will acquaint you how that preference originated. At
the time I had two ships in dock-bolt requiring to be finished
by a ceatain period of time, but in consequence of the scarcity
of men, or from the circumstance of their keeping out of the
way, I could not get the work done. In addition to that a few
men whom I had employed in one ship were so idle, and so
frequently absented themselves from work altogether, still de-
manding payment, that before the ship was half finished, she
cost more money in wages, than a ship of her size
ought to have cost when. finished. The consequence was,
I frequently mentioned to the men how indignant I was at the
course they pursued, not only to me but to others, but more
particularly I allude to myself. I have been as long amongst
them as almost any man in the town, and no man had a
higher opinion a year ago of the Liverpool shipwrights than
I entertained, and with regard to associations there is no
man to whom I would yield, or who has a higher opinion of
any association. club, or combination of men, whose exer-
tions are combined for their own benefit, without prejudice
to the community. (Hear, hear, and cheers.) But if the
combination embodies itself in a club of which the majority
will not allow the others to work when they are inclined to
work, then the consequence is that business is slackened, and
I will yield to no man in saying that I will not allow busi-
ness to stop. I did, therefore, employ strangers to do the
work. It has been said that I went to the officers of this
association, and besought them to come and work for me. I

replied when that was said " No," and I now reply "No,"
I did not. But upon the occasion of my going to the regu-
lating office for a ship which required a great number of
men, the secretary met me and asked me what I was going
do, as the strangers whom I employed had been offered an
advance of wages and had gone away. I said to give up
the business if I could not get men. " You need not do
that," said he, "for we will go with you." "Very well,"
said I, "go to the ship." I never was an enemy to the
men. I did no join the ship owner's asociation until last
year, and I was led to so, as otherwise it would have
been almost impossible that I could exercise my busi-
ness on account of the reprehensible conduct of the
men. (Hear, hear.) Idleness was the masterpicee
and he who was most idle was the best man. I mention this
in the face of this association. I then joined the shipbuilders,
society. The shipbnilders wished me to take a leading part,
and 1 did so. There was no intention upon the part of that
body to endeavour to destroy this association, as a benefit
society, but merely as regarded the monopoly which it exercises
over its members, and which is injurious to the port, and even
to the men connected with the society. If there be a sufficient
number of men in your club to do the business of the port, let
them do it, and 1 would be the last man in the world to
oppose them. (Loud cheers.) I would support them rather.
But if I am employed to do work, and if I have on my list
50 or 60 men, and only find ten or a dozen about the ship,
that will, of course, set me against those men, and induce me
to employ strangers. Now, it is a fact, that during the last
twelvemonths, lam almost certain there have been as many
men in public-houses in the day as were to be found alongside
the ship—men whom I employed, and demanded their pay.
(No, no.) I can say, and I believe I may speak for the
association, that if you will make restrictions, by which men
will be prevented from going from one mate to another, and
compel them to attend to their work when the bell rings, I,
for one, will give the higher wages. (Cheers.) Bs. is
better for me than 75., if the men would consent to do that.
(Cheers.) I am far frombeing opposed to this association, my dis-
position is more for good order than anything, but all the powers
upon earth should not make me go away from what I felt was
right and what my common sense approved of. The associa-
tion will not admit strangers. 1 have as much respect for
strangers as they have; but if there are not men enough in the
club to carry on the work of this great town, we must get them
to do it. If there are men enough here no one in Liverpool
would feel more proud of it than I would ; but if a monopo-
lizing club like this—for I cannot resist using the expression—
will not employ strangers, and will not give me men to do the
work, what then am Itodo ? You were told that after em-
ploying Liverpool men I left them and employed strangers
again. Now I will explain that, if it deserves explanation.
Very recently a ship of mine, which is now again in dock, was
docked by Liverpool men, and when I wanted 40 or 50 men I
could not obtain more than 8, and next morning I could not
find one. I have no doubt that the men were there. Then
because I got strangers to do the work and could not get
Liverpool men I took them. If the club has sufficient men
to do the work, how is it that every ship in port wants men?
There are ships in the docks of Liverpoal which have 4 or 6
men where they should have 40 or 60. If there are sufficient
men, how is it that they do not show themselves ? Why is it
that they are to be found in the streets and not in the docks ?
Is it not to keep up wages? (Loud cries of "no," "no.") I am
very glad to hear that answer. Bring your men to the docks,
and I care not what your wages are. Mr. Green told the
meeting that he felt sure he spoke the sentiments of the Liver-
pool ship-builders when he declared that he had no desire to
employ strangers. And having concluded his statement, left
the platform.
The CHAIRMAN, Mr. Neill, Mr. Hughes, and Mr. Hansen
briefly addressed the meeting in reply to Mr. Green, contend-
ing that there was not the demand for labour which the ship-
builders pretended, expressing a doubt) whether Mr. Green
represented the feelings of the general body, and declaring a
wish that all bickering and bad feeling should be avoided.

Thanks were then voted to the Chairman, and the meeting
separated.

DEATH BY DROWNING:—James Shaw, master of
the flat Egerton, was .going on board his vessel in
the Bramley Moore dock, for the purpose of moving
her to the other side of the dock gate, assisted by
Edward Walker. There ladder resting on the
deck of the flat, which Shaw laid down to get on
board ; the flat was about ten feet from the edge
of the Quay, and almost directly after Shaw got on
the ladder it canted and he fell down between the
flat and the wall. Walker jumped down at .once,
with a boat-hook, but deceased did not rise again,
and it was half-an-hour before his body was found.
An inquest was held yesterday, and a verdict of ac-
cidental aeatn returne d. •

DEATH FROM EXPOSURE TO COLD.—Last Monday
afternoon, as Police Constable Thomas Smith was
on duty at the Seacombe slip, he received informa-
tion, that the dead body of a female had just been
brought in a boat. He went down to the boat, and
had the body removed to the dead-house. Ho
was told that it was brought from the ship Guid-
ing Star, in the river, outward bound. Mr. George
Kemp, surgeon, afterwards made a post mortem
examination of the body, and found the cause. of
death to 'have been congestion of the lungs, most
propably brought on by exposure to cold and want of
suitable clothing. An inquest was held yesterday,
and a verdict of death from natural causes returned.

THE FATAL ACCIDENT DURING THE FIRE OF YES-
TERDAY MORNING—An inquest was held yesterday,
touching the death of John Willa,n, a Fire Police
Officer, which occurred during the fire on board
the steam-tug Dreadnought, in the King's Dock,
the same morning. John Kilsey, Police Inspec-
tor, deposed that he was assisting at the fire at the
King's Pier Head, when the deceased came up. An
engine was playing on the flames, when a fireman
on board passed the word along for more hose.
The man unscrewed the hose from the engine, and
after attaching another length, was passing along
the hose. The deceased still had the rope in his
hand, as the word was given " there is enough,"
Ind they were taking a round turn, as firemen do,
to prevent the hose bursting ; his back was to the
water, and he was very near the edge of the Quay;
a person sang out to him, " Mind ynu don't fall
over," and as he spoke, the unfortunate man
fell over the edge of the pier into the river. A
zope was immediately thrown, but he did not seem
to have power to take hold of it. When the grap-
ples were got it was 25 minutes before he could
be got out. He was then dead. A verdict of
accidentally drowned was returned. The jury
made a presentment to the effect that there
was not sufficient lamp lights along the King's
Pier, to protect life, and that there was no life
buoys at the Custom House hut, King's Parade.