The Sun.
London, England, 1859-09-20 00:00:00

THE OPERA

TIVE BUILDERS' STRILE.

Yesterday the Trades' Conference sitting at the
Paviors' Arms distributed among the men on strike
no less a sum in the aggregate that £1,330 odd, the
dividend being 4s. per man, the largest they have
yet paid. Trollope's merf were paid 12s. skilled,
and Bs. unskilled, each. The total number of the
-recipients was 6,955, or 21 less than the previous
week, and the sum distributed was larger by up-
wards of £162.

Subjoined is an official return of the sums paid
by the Conference :

Masons ~ ~
Bricklayers
Carpenters ,
Plasterers ..
Painters .. . •

Woolwich men ..
Stone sawyers • .
Labourers —Lodge 1
31 '2
), 1) 3
7/ „ 4
~ )) 5
)) 6
»
~ )7 7
)) 8
~
9
1,7,
1, „ 10
» „ 11
)7 „ 12
' „ 13
Stone' polishers ..

£ s. d.
450 90 0 0
825 105 0 0
2,203 441 12 0
650 130 0 0
110 22 0 0

221 44 4 0
87 17 8 0
335 67 0 0
227 45 1 0
143 28 12 0
270 54 0 0
87 17 0 0
495 99 0 0
160 32 0 0
43 8 12 0
391 78 4 0
170 34 0 0
50 10 0 0
23 4 12 0
8 1 12 0
20 8 0

6,955 £1,330 12 0
This dividend is in addition to the weekly allow-
ance which the men on strike receive from their
various trade societies, and which varies from ss. to
12s.

Nothing can well be more conclusive that the
men as a body are still holding out than the num-
ber of the recipients of the dividend yesterday—
namely 6,955, being only 21 less than that of the
previous Monday, when the shops and yards of the
master builders were reopened. Notwithstanding
this, the returns furnished by some of the leading
building firms connected withthe Central Association
of Masters show that about 2,270 are now at work
with them under the declaration. Yesterday
Messrs. W. Cubitt and Co, returned 663 men at
work ; Mr. Kelk 272 ; " late" T. Cubitt, 270 ; Mr.
Smith, 150 ; Piper and Son, 200 ; Mr. Higgs, 110 ;
Holland and Hannen, 104 ; Mansfield and Son, 70 ;
Lawrence, 80 ; Arding and Son, 90 ; and Lucas,
Brothers, 60. It was also reported yesterday that
a considerable number of men were at work with
other builders, including Messrs. Jay, Moxon, Ashby
and Horner, Pritchard and Co., Waller, Soward,
Bird, Williams, and others.
At first sight the two statements, furnished from
opposite quarters, appear wholly irreconcilable.
The number of men who shared in the dividend at
the Paviors' Arms yesterday was only 21 less than
on the preceding week, and yet the returns from
some of the principal masters indicate that between
2,000 and 3,000 men are at work. The discrepancy,
we think, nevertheless, is capable of explanation.
It is certain that a considerable number of brick-

layers, carpenters, and masons have arrived in Lon-
don from the provinces and obtained employment.
These, of course, are all included in the numbers
sent in by the masters, and probably the rest are
non-society men, whom privation has driven to
succumb.

Three more firms were reported yesterday by the
Conference as having abandone,l the declaration—
namely, that of Oxford, Wilson-street, Finsbury ;
Jackson, Kensington ; Ayres, Mile-end ; and the
men were accordingly elated with the additional
prospect thus afforded of ultimate success.
An unqualified contradiction has been given to a
statement that has appeared in certaia newspapers,
that Mr. Austin's men have been required to make
the " declaration." So far from this being the case,
no foreman or workman in Mr. Austin's establish-
ment has been asked to assent to any " documeat "
whatever, as Mr. Austin trusts more to the good
feelings of the men in his employ to heal these
unhappy differences between master and man than
to any " declaration."