The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1846-04-07 00:00:00

THE STRIKE IN THE BUILDING TRADES.

Up to the hour at'which we write, we hear of nothing
to show that this unfortunate strike is drawing to a con-
clusion. A considerable number have signed the declar-
ation proposed by the masters. In one large concern,
that of Samuel and James Holme, above 50 joiners have
signed and are now at work. A number of bricklayers
have also signed, and about 100 labourers—a class, the
least able to endure deprivation of work, snd therefore
the most cruelly situated, bring totally dependent upon
the course taken by the other trades. The masters con-
tinue firm, with the exception of one gentleman—Mr.
Haigh—who has addressed the following letter to his bro-
ther tradesmen :
"TO THE MASTER TRADESMEN IN THE BUILDING
DEPARTMENT.

" GENTLENIEN.—Upon the assembling of my workmen last
evening, pursuant to the resolutions adopted by your body at
the late meeting, and subsequently by myself, I found that there
did not exist among them the alleged evil ' the resolutions' were
intended to cure. .

" That amongst the men in my employ there was no dissatis-
faction nor any encouragement or support given to the dissatis-
fied, or the ' turn outs,' in their own or any other branch of the
building trade, either in this town or Birkenhead ; that, more-
over, having been solicited to support the joiners of Birkenhead
curing their strike, they had positively refused to do s
"I further received the strongest assurance, written and
otherwise expressed, that they had no such intentions as those
by which, in the terms of your second resolution, they had been
judged. Therefore I did not add inkistice to error, I mean my
own.) which the certain consequence of requiring them to sub-
scribe the reso!utio,s ' woo d have involved, namely, that of
throwing the unoffending and content out of employment.
" I am, gentlemen, respectfuliy, yours.
"THOMAS HAIGH."

On Tuesday night an overflowing puolic meeting of the
operative trades was held in the Commercial Hall, Glou-
cester-street, at which r. solutions were passed upholding
trades unions and their principles, and determined not to
accede to the demands of the masters. The masters met
on Thursday at the Portico, Newington, in great force,
about 100 being present, Mr. Tornkinson in the chair,
very firm resolutions were passed on the subject of the de-
claration, and the speeches in support of them were of a
most determined character. A deputation from the Man-
chester Association attended, one of whom, Mr. D. Bell-
house, gave some accounts of the proceedings in Man-
chester. It was stated that numbers of workmen were
kept out by fear of the acts of others. It was determined
to print the proceedings of the meeting fur distribution
among the workmen. On Tuesday, a workman n,med
Raeburn was taken before Mr. Rushton, on a charge of
having violently assaulted Wm. Davies, a painter who
had continued at work, and the charge being trade out,
he was committed for trial at the sessions, the magis-
trates making some very severe remarks for the informa-
tion of the turn-outs. It will be seen from a paragraph
that another case of assault was heard before Mr. Rush-
ton yesterday.
At Bradford, in 'Yorkshire, the strike still continues.
The dine asked 4s. a-week in the first instance, but have
since made overtures, by advice, to their masters, to take
25.; a meeting was the consequence, but the negotiation
ended unsatisfactorily. On Tuesday last, the labourers
employed on the Bo ton and Blackburn railway turned
out for an advance of 6d. and 9d. per day : they yet re-
main on the strike. The various trades in the neigh-
bouring towns of Manchester get worse every week.
Up to Saturday it was estimated that 200 men had
signed the dec:aration.at Manchester, about half of whom
were turn-outs. Tne joint rs nn strike at Manchester are
783, and the other trades are dependent on them, so that,
though the plasterers, painters, and plumbers, are able to
get hands, the advantage is of little benefit to the masters.
One of the first building firms in Manchester has engaged
a number of men, and is about to bring over many more
from Cornwall. It is said that one or two of the firms in
that town have received threatening letters.

It is expected that the men engaged in the various
branches of the building trade in Birmingham will very
soon be out on strike for an advance of wages. The
bricklayers have already demanded an advance of 3a. per
week, and most of them have struck work. The strike
is said to be the result of an understanding with the men
in other parts of the country. It seems that there has
been a considerable demand for men at the Birkenhead
works and Manchester, and that this demand has led to
an inducement on the part of the general committee of
the building trade to effect an advance of wages through-
out the kingdom. The master builders of Birmingham
held a meeting on Thursday, and considered the demand
unreasonable, but it was stated that there was a great
scarcity of bricks, and it was eventually resolved that the
demands made by the bricklayers are greater than the
price of provisions or the state of trade warrant, but that
the builders are willing to advance the bricklayers one
shiiling per week upon their present rate of wages, en
condition that they comply with this offer on or before
Monday.