The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-04-12 00:00:00

THE BIRKENHEAD DOCKS.

THE Sub-Committee appointed to confer with the repre-
sentatives of the Birkenhead Docks are to meet in London
to-morrow (Wednesday), on the subject of the suggested
amalgamation. Some doubts have been thrown on the
practicability of making any arrangement, but it is to be
hoped that both parties will see the advantage of effecting
it, if possible, and therefore throw no unnecessary obstacle
in the way through over-anxiety to get the best of the
bargain. Liverpool will by this means be enabled to
increase her Dock accommodation, which is much wanted,
at a far less cost than can be done at this side of the
Mersey ; and Birkenhead will receive an impetus which
must be felt by all interested in her prosperity. It should
also not be forgotten that Liverpool is much in need of
additional facilities for Ship-building—a trade which might
have been enjoyed to a considerably greater extent, had
not the space been confined by so great a length of the
river coast being occupied with the Docks. The energies
of Liverpool are cramped by her adhesion to one bank
of the Mersey, and the only practicable remedy is a resort
to the opposite bank.

STRIKE OF THE TAILORS.

THE " SLOP-SHOP" SYSTEM,

The journeymen tailors of Liverpool, who have been
suffering for some few years past, have at length deter-
mined to organise themselves for the relief of their griev-
ances, and a meeting has been called for this evening
(Tuesday) at the Circus-street School-room, in order to
consider the best means of accomplishing their object.
The ordinary wages paid by respectable masters have been
at the rate of 4s. 6d. per day, besides which the master
provides the workshop as well as fire and candles.
Against this arrangement there is no complaint, nor is
any attempt made to alter the terms ; but, within the last
few years, there has arisen a number of so-called cheap
clothes-shops, wherein defective materials, put together
by ill-paid labour, are sold to the public at a greater
profit to the vender than the goods sold in respectable
warehouses. The poor working tailors have long been
the victims of this system, as in many cases they have not
been paid more than a shilling for twelve hours' labour,
while they have to find their own workshop and other
necessaries for carrying on their work. The consequence
of this state of things is, that they often have to eke out
a subsistence by a resort to the relieving officer, and in
almost every instance of sickness, &c., their maintenance
is thrown upon the ratepayers. Much of this has been
produced by unwholesome competition, of which the
cheap clothes-men and contractors have been only too
ready to take advantage ; but as the true interest of the
public is that the industrious should receive a fair remu-
neration for their labour, they calculate upon receiving a
share of public sympathy upon this occasion, the more
especially as no movement is made or contemplated
against the respectable masters in the trade. We under-
stand that the objects immediately proposed to be carried
out by the meeting are as follow :

To-have one uniform scale of wages at the rate now
paid by all respectable master tailors in this town.
That all workmen shall be provided with suitable work-
shops and implements for their work, such as existed
previous to the present system of cheap ready• made
clothing.

To equalise, as far as possible, the distribution of
labour, so that every man may have a fair share, accord-
ing to his ability.

In endeavouring to accomplish these objects, the men
consider they are but doing justice to those employers
who pay good wages, and treat their men liberally and
fairly.

IMPORTANT TO EMIGRANTS..—An arrangement, which
is likely to prove of considerable advantage to emigrants
for the United States and Canada, has just been entered
into by Mr. Jones, of this town, by which passengers
arriving in New York can be forwarded at once to their
ultimate destination. Full particulars will be found in
gur advertising columns.