The Sun.
London, England, 1840-06-29 00:00:00

SHIPWRIGHTS.

We often see post:ng-bills for seamen, but it is a no-
velty that Government should in these days beat up for
recruits among the artisans and tradesmen of mcrchants'
yards, for the service of the public establishm nts—yet
it is so. An experienced officer has recently bccn to
Hull, and without success endeavoured to persuade the
workmen to leave their present masters. The following
posting-bill sets forth the advantages of the Queen's
employ :

" Admiralty, June 8,1840.
Wanted, some good shipwrights and caulkers, for
her Majesty's dockyards at Woolwich, Chatham, Ports-
mouth, and Shcerne-s. It will be required that they
shall have served a regular apprenticeship to the trade,
which must be proved by indentures, or by an affidavit
that the same were lost. The men must be under 35
years of age, of good bodily health and constitution, not
subject to any infirmity, and they must be willing to
pass a strict examination by a surgeon, and also as to
their qualifications as artificers. Pensions will be
granted to such men as may have become unfit to per-
form a dab's work, from 20 to 35 years, 20/., from 35
and upwards, 24/. ; facilities will be afforded for joining
the dockyard for which the men may have volunteered.
Constant wages at 4s. per day, and half that if unable
to work, through hurts in the service."
This officer was subsequently to go to Whitby, Sun-
derland, Shields, Newcastle, Leith, Glasgow, Carlisle,
and Liverpool, but did not anticipate much success.
As an answer to the advantages attempted to be held
out in the above placard, we extract from a Woolwich
newspaper the following comparative statement of the
wages and advantages of the shipwrights in the public
and private yards :
In the Government Yards. In the Mtrehant Yards.
The wages paid The wages paid
arc 3s. Gd., 45., and are ss. 6d, 6s , 75.,
some few 4s. Gd. and 7s. 6d. per day,
per day, averaging the mean average
4s.per day, amount- paid throughout
ing for 311 working the country being
days per annum to £62 4 6s. 6d. per day for
The benefit dcri- good workmen—
vable by medical at- however, we take
tendance and su- the average at Gd.
perannuation is ad- less ; thus allowing
mitted, on a gene- 63, only per day
rat average, to be to be the sum
nearly 2s. Gd. per paid for 311 days
week, amounting per annum, it
per annum to 6lO amounts ..... X9B
This balance is
the annual amount
paid less to every
Government ship-
wright than the
same class of men
receive in merchant
yards

.-£93 6 X 93 6
In most, indeed we are told in all, the private yards,
chips are allowed, which perquisite is worth 3s. a week.
As a confirmation of the above, we find, on looking
over some tables of the value of deferred annuities, that
by the annual payment of 21. 125., or Is. a week, a man
at 20 years of age may secure an annuity, to commence
when he is 50, of 91. I9s. 11d. ; if to commence when he
is 55 years of age, such annuity would be 151. 175.5 d. ;
and if to commence when he is 60 years of age, it
would be 26/. Is. Id. He has therefore only to double
his payments to secure an annuity or pension of 201., or
30 guineas a-year, or a pound a•week, at the several
ages above-mentioned ; and with regard to medical at-
tendance, sixpence per week from all the dockmen
would realize 451. per week in Portsmouth Yard,
which would give four taler ted men 500 guineas a-year
each, and ensure attendance not only on workmen, but
on their families also, and in addition fur a reserve
fund for casualties. We make these observations for
the purpose of drawing general attention, being appre-
hensive that the public yards will presently be found
woefully deficient in talent and efficiency.—Hampshire
Telegraph.