The Sun.
London, England, 1864-08-16 00:00:00

GREAT STRIKE OF DOCK WOEICO

LATEST PARTICULARS THIS DAY. „I
A number of men, variously estimated at between ev
and 1,200, are this morning wandering about Rotherhitbe'
and the Grand Surrey and Commercial Docks, havil3gin-
dulged in ono of these " strikes" hich have proved, &°
formidable in past times in other trades.
On this occasion the strike does not arise out of
nnY
difficulties with regard to time or hours of labour, but airs?'
a Forquestion of wages.
some months past there seems to have been s greWills
spirit of dissatisfaction amongst the class of mell are
t
known as deal porters, landing sorters and Piler'
ae
these large establishments, and as their services ka
been of a very important ; character in the Prose-
cution of the business, as well as of a very ardu°ll.!
nature, many attempts have been made by the autherlt
ties to conciliate them, but the number allwef:
whom the dissatisfaction originally arose has rapidly
creased, until at length it has culminated in the strike. a
Some of the best of these workmen formerly reeeit",,„
about 5s a day, but as business became more pressing
i
amount of pay was increased until it reached as re r
some cases as 7s 10d a day. So large an amount, howeuveo;
was only received during about half the Year', '4-ks, is
what may be called the working business of the and
conducted by contractors, acting under the directors,
and the large amount of business they undertake seem°to
k.
have impressed the men with the idea that they were rat'
ing large fortunes out of their labour, and that they shoo
d
more fully participate in these advantages. The oontractoti
however, took a different view of the case, and concede
fu
that the wages they allowed were ample, refused y fur

ther increase. -
The men who have struck seem likely to be thrown into
a very deplorable position. At present they are not sufferlb
i
ing from absolute destitution, as in some cases some ICI
portions of their last week's wages are unspent. A differen
state of things, however, will necessarily have arisen at thof
end of this week, if they persevere in remaining cut °
their employment. They have no trades unions of their
own, and no funds on which they can draw during the
strike. It is said that other societies and trades to wilt)°
these men lent aid when they were in a similar position 'will,
aid them, but such contributions will necessarily be Yell
small.
This morning about half a dozen of the men who stitic
have gone into the docks with their tools, and havo re-
commenced work. They have been received without ADY
remarks being made upon theft conduct, and the contractor°
have determined on adopting the most conciliatory tons
towards all who wish to return. At the same time, thei
have expressed their determination not to yield a siogia
inch, and this morning they have transferred men free'
other departments to do the work which the men out on
strike have left unperformed. There are foreign workmen,
too, whom the contractors will be compelled to put on, u°
the business of the docks is just now very heavy.
The police report that no disturbances have yet taken
place, and that the men seem disposed to be quiet. A strong:
force of police, however, is scattered about in the event 01
any violent measures being adopted.
rape r ot ;11
great l' erosee
drawbackms toto b o
then
businessdo übt o f
that t
hthe d strike
fore oi k will
re-
but that difficulty the contractors express themselvo9 P
pared to meet at whatever cost.
s

.m...-----------"="---"-"---'------.
READING ALOUD.—There is no position in which
civilised man can possibly feel less complacent thas
when he undertakes to read his own effusions aloud before
a literary censor. In giving readings in public, he is co
ra"
paratively at ease, since by their very presence the audielice
tacitly confess their inferiority, and he knows that he would
on
not return the compliment by listening to one o f them
any account whatever. But when a critical individual has
the right of saying : "I don't quite follow you there;" or
" I doubt whether that scene be not somewhat coarse;" or
(heavens and earth 1), "Excuse me, but do you not thing
that that last chapter was just little tedious ?" I say th at'
under such circumstances, there is no man more to be pit icd
than the sucking author. Only imagine if the critical pal
should be drowsy, and te unhappy reader be cot:W.lle_
to resort to unworthy devices to recall him to a sense of 11
situation—such as dropping the manuscript with agr jAtn
deal of noise and fluttering; inquiring with anxiety to '0;
whether the wretch found himself quite comfortable;
even remarking with meaning : " Be so good, lklr Critic?, ",
to give me your best attention during the ensuing ePis' cle't
. eE Iwo-
Can any position be more humiliating ? Can self r
er
be destroyed by any more appalling method ? 1 allhB,:' -: gb,
No ; not at least within the limits of probability. Alt: ~,eila
perhaps, a parallel situation may be found in 8°1337, „oc-
eff,irt of the imagination, such as the being appointe' -ow
tioneer while our infants are being disposed. of 11.1,Pieillders
roup, when the depreciatory remarks of very sntall "-- , in
might perhaps produce an equal pain. A tragedial
big
want of an engagement, giving a private specials° ,iLcif ;' as
Leah,
before an audience of one, before a manager—apostroand phisi
that one,ng the alsPer"ine),-,01 8,
10
Jew bankrupt—must find it trying work.
, -'is
not uttering his own sentiments, the self-chesen larTh
weighed
of his own heart, each carefully-coined and well- ,
.iago
word of which is dear to him. One's proposal a nlrs. per'
to some beautiful and accomplished young fen' a bace
haps as embarrassing: but then it is soon over.
ile -.'e °ur 100
not to plead for a couple of hours or so, wh-- • °,,,igages
makes no sign, either ono way or the other, but roc will
do. In particular, . But then tea
herself indifferently, with a toothpick, " your eprootrY to
any advantage under such circumstances. l'ilera lc I th."
it is impossible to read orlebai;
ehoiot.
wheels jar in the gate through which,we
bdri" Jtournal,.
From Married Beneath. Him, in eltain-irs. ,s na mr. Y. a•
KILLED BY A WAGGON.--Lust eveu' eat al; 08
Richards, the deputy coroner, held an inclu'' v,,,, It
London Hospital as to the death of a woman unkno ,est
appeared by the evidence that on Thursday aorninglir
the deceased was standing at the corner of Great Gard,
,„
self up by leaning
street, Whitechapel, in a state of intoxiation, holding. het'
street,
her dress ; sh‘' e
with several hogsheads of sugar touched steP
into the carriageway, and before the driver had time to .
jell
the horses the wheels passed over her body and arws, NY.R..,,i_
against a post, when a waggon 1 gads it
were fearfully crushed. She was removed to the hosPll7;
whore she died from severe internal injuries. The driy.
was driving with reins and was going at a walking Pa
,e,l
After the evidence of the house-surgeon thd jury return
a verdict of " Accidental death."
THE DROUGHT AT THE IRON AND COAL W°:81;:5d.
--The scarcity of water is so great at the iron,
and coal works of South Wales, that at taanY
stand'otaimanta the principal departments are at a complete et
still. Hundreds of hands are in consequence thrown Quio
of employ, and both masters and Men are suffering bly of
drought. The rain that fell last week brought a suPE Jcb,
water for a day or two, but the reappearance of the CO
ing hot weather has caused a seoond drought, a' ibs
severer than the one a fortnight ago. As instances /I:Led
great loss to trade from want of water, it may be nicat'° ~,f,
that at several works the make of iron and tin-patcs foreie;,
L 0:),..
last six weeks could have been turned out in one
ft`le so
with an ample supply of water. Even the canals.
tor
short of water that the boats are unable to accomplish
journeys within the usual time.
CO
severely
COMPENSATION FROM A RAILWAY 1'A141.---'
We understand that Mr. Hodgson, who Was 8° .8 ,;oe,
injured by the accidmt which occurred on the Peeebifteestie'd A
near Peuicuick, at the back end of last year, lies effected
compromise with the North British
lieu of 'ilwaYd,,inage, „ad
who undertake to pay him £l,OOO in
expeneee.—Debiesshire 44coraser.