The Sun.
London, England, 1859-08-10 00:00:00

THE NINE HOURS' 1110VE13IEN11

Yesterday Messrs. Trollope's firm intimated to
the public, by a notice posted outside their works
in the Belgrave-road, that they required no more
painters, having, as was stated, having obtained
sufficient men in that particular branch to suit
their present requirements. The smiths, it was
believed, would go in to-day, and the services of a
few labourers also have been accepted ; and all
these men—painters, smiths, and labourers—are to
work the ten hours and pledge themselves under
the declaration. It has been suggested on a
former occasion that whenever one set of trades-
men went to work at Messrs. Trollope's the other
builders might, under their resolution, open
their doors to the same branch ; but at the meeting
of the Central Association which was held
yesterday it was determined not to adopt that
course at present, at all events. It was felt that
such a step would be premature, that it would be
at best but an imperfect healing of the wound, and
that it was preferable, in the existing state of cir-
cumstances, to take no immediate action. Offers
which have been made to the Central Association
from two different parts of the country lead them
to believe that by the end of the week they will be
enabled to set more trades to work, and they deem
that it would be inexpedient therefore to open their
doors to the painters alone. Bricklayers and plas-
terers, they apprehend, may be had in sufficient
numbers, while the difficulty with regard to joiners
may be met possibly in another way.
Although the doors of the principal firms have
only been closed two days, and although no direct
advances have yet been made on either side, already
hopes begin to be entertained that the present la-
mentable state of affairs will not be long protracted.
So much caution and reserve have been displayed
both by masters and men and so little exacerbation
of feeling has been exhibited on either part that the
case would seem to be one peculiarly fitted for me-
diation ; and accordingly already in independent
circles propositions are freely canvassed which, it
is supposed, might be acceptable both to men and
masters, or whicn might be modified into such a
shape as that they would be distasteful to neither
of them.

As prior to this movement for the " nine hours",
no such thing as a " document" or a " declara-
tion" was ever known in the building trades, all
the propositions which we have heard discussed
proceed upon the basis that that must be with-
drawn. That once conceded, it is apprehended
that there will be little difficulty in perfect-
ing other arrangements. Among the gentle-
men who have offered themselves as mediators
is Mr. Marsh Nelson, an architect, who may
be regarded as occupying an independent posi-
tion between both parties. He has gone into the
whole case with much care and studied it with
great minuteness, and, as he had been in pretty
constant communication with the Conference of the
United Trades it may be supposed that his views,
if not exactly coincident with those of the men,
are, at least, not antagonistic to them. He puts
forth as the bases of an arrangement two general
propositions-1, the withdrawal of the declaration ;
and, 2, the payment by the hour at the rate of 6s.
per day of 10 hours for the skilled labourer, leav-
ing it to the men to work what hours they please.
These, bases agreed upon, he proposes a conference
between the heads of the two associations, to be
presided over by an impartial chairman, in whom
the public and parties interested should have con-
fidence. This conference would determine at what
time the new arrangement should come into opera-
tion, w howere to be regarded as "skilled labourers,'
and all the other details essential to .a permanent
settlement.

Another proposition has been put forth with some
degree of authority which bears a great resemblance
to the above, but which would probably meet with
more general favour from the masters. It proceeds
also upon the supposition that the declaration be
withdrawn ; then, that the wages be at the rate of
7d. per hour for skilled artisans and 41d. per hour
for labourers; that the men work 10 hours a day
for five days in the week ; and that they knock off
at 1 o'clock on Saturdays. These are the prelimi-
naries ; then a conference is proposed, with some
such well-known and esteemed public man as Sir
W. Page Wood or Lord Brougham as chairman, to
settle the details.

A third gentleman of eminence and position as a
contractor, who has recently retired from all con-
tracts, however, in this country, has also offered
his mediation. He yesterday morning had an in-
terview with the Committee of the Conference of
United Trades at the. Paviours' Arms, and there
shadowed out the nature of his views. He thence pro-
ceeded to the Freemasons"favern, where the Com-
mittee of the Central Association were sitting in
consultation. - Matters of urgency were being dis-
cussed at the moment of his arrival, and the com-
mittee deputed three of their body—representing
some of the largest firms in the country—to meet
this gentleman and to receive his communication.
He refused, however, to treat with the deputation,
and shortly after left without making known his
proposition.
The frets of these and other attempts at a recon-
ciliation being made in influential quarters leads to
the belief that not many days will elapse before the
men and their employers will be working as har-
moniously as ever. Possibly, if there were to be
such a meeting as has been suggested, presided over
by a man of eminence and worth, it might result in
mutual concessions, and the removal of many of
those disagreeables on bath sides which are said to
harass and perplex employers and employed alike.
At present, however, as has been intimated, no ad-
vance is made by the leaders on either side; no
communication has passed between the Central As-
sociation and the United Trades since the 27th of
July, and both seem to think that their strength
consists in silence. The men still stand by the nine
hours, and the masters still insist upon the decla-
ration ; but there are undoubtedly elements in the
case which clearly indicate that, if not at this mo-
ment, at all events in a very short time, it will be
rife for settlement.
With reference to the point raised touching the
distance which in some cases the men have to travel
to and from their work, and their claim to have the
time thus occupied included in their day's labour,
it has been ob,erved that this is by no means so im-
portant a matter as might at first appear. It is said
that of the 60,000 men engaged in the building
trades in London at least one-third are employed
by what may be termed "jobbing masters," whose
trade is for the most part purely local—that is to
say, that they do not undertake contracts at a dis-
tance from their homes, and that their " hands"
therefore never have to journey far to or from their
work, This reduces the 60,000 at once to 40,000.
Then again it is calculated that probably not more
than two-fifths of the building trade are itinerant.
The bricklayers, the plasterers, and the out-door
carpenters are necessarily itinerant trades—that is
to say, they follow the building, and those who
engage in those trades are perfectly aware that
this is one peculiarity of their vocation. But by
far the greater portion of the joiners' work and a
large share of the masons' work is done at the mas-
ter's permanent establishment, and is thence fqr-

warded in a completed shape to the building where
it is to be used. If this be a correct view, it reduces
the number of men who have to travel any distance
to and from their work from 60,000 to 16,000, and
inasmuch as these men know that the nature of
their business involves them in this necessity, the
hardship is by no means so great nor so generally
diffused as might be imagined. As a proof that a
large portion of the joiners' work is done on the
masters' premises, it may be stated that one very
large London firm of builders have the whole of
their joinery work done at Lowestoft, in Suffolk,
where the wages are only 255. a-week, instead of
335. as in town. This practice is evidently capable
of very wide extension, and it and others will, no
doubt, soon be had recourse to unless the present
dispute should be happily terminated.