The Liverpool Standard, and General Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1854-07-18 00:00:00

THE LIVERPOOL SAILKAKERS.

A MEETING of the Liverpool Master Sailmakers' Asso-
Elation was held in the Clarendon-rooms en Friday. The
Chair was occupied by Mr. John Murray Gladstone, of the
Arm of Gladstone, 'Oldham, and Co., and the meeting was
numerously attended.

The CHAIRMAr recapitulated what had taken place at
the previous meeting, arid said itsvorild no doubt be fresh
in the memories of all, that in: the fallof last year the men
-demanded an advance of 15 per cent on their wages, but
that, after some discussion, they agreed to take half that,
at the same time stating that -they would not ask for a
further advaneerer a lengthened period. Acting on that
promise, a number of masters entered into contracts for 1
supplying sails; r-hen they were a short time afterwards 1
surprised tocrecve another demand from the men for an
additional .20 per cent. (Hear.) As the trade was busy
at
ntlniedtnixtvanansd
ianngensewveerree
lsoscasrctec; -the
nvadnvlasanlceersw. given
Hear,
hear.) At a meeting of the master- Railmakers, held about
that time, a ocamnittee was formed with power to Watch
. the course of -events, and, when an opportunity offered,
to treat with -the men for their mutual advantage. A
short time Knee it was ascertained -that the men antici-
pated a reduction of their wages; and they (the men)
gave them to understand that if any reduction was
made, they world, as soon as trade improved, demand
• a lamer rate of wages than :they had ever before
i.received ; And • they even went .‘so far as to say that
they should req-aire £1 a-day. The committee, thinking
the better • course would be to rake an amicable ar-
rangement -dry which a permanent rate of wages should
be agreed upon, offered to continue-the then rate, with a
slight modification for piece work, for twelve mouths, the
• men not toasklor any increase nntil that period had ex-
pired. That, they conceived, was a liberal offer. (Hear,
' • hear.) The answer, however, received from the men was.
insolent and insulting. (Hear.) The committee then
thought that decidedly the only effective courseßveuld be
to attempt to-strike a blow at the vital principle of the
men's club, which was originally formed, nominally, as a
:benefit sick and burial society; its real object being.to
-coerce the masters ; and that they had-succeeded in doing
very well. (Hear, hear.) As they knew, the men res-
tricted the masters to three apprentioes, Now the trade
of the port was sl&eatly increasing, while the number of,
i;dourneymen -saiimakers was annually decreasing, many
dying, and others going to sea, in consequence of the high
sate of seamen's rages ; and the consecuenee was, that
these who remained exercised a monopoly, doing what
they ;liked, askingyvhat wages they liked—and getting
them, (hear, hear;) and giving expression to all kinds of
insolence to. their .etuployers, whom they refused to ac-
knowledge as their masters. (Hear, hear, -hear.) At a
meeting of the masters, held last Friday, a resolution was
passed unanimously,-" That, on the 17th July, each master
sail:ulcer shall.hind.one or more apprentices in 'addition
to those he has. already." (Hear, hear.) A second reso-
lation passed unanimously on that occasion was, " That
each waster sailtnalwr present, sign a paper binding'him-
self to act upon .such ‘motion ; and that a deputation of
two be.formed, for. the•purpose of calling upon those -mas-
ters not present, to obtain their signatures." in accord-
ance with that resolution, Mr. Wm. Maddock and he had
called swon the other saomakers in the town, sunny of,
whom were ainfortnnntely out ; but all whom they Saar,
signed the paper, and entered most cordially into the
subject. Their object (continued Mr. Gladstone) WAS to
do their duty to theirmeightours, to the shipowners,.and'
to the men .themselves;' for he was convinced that, in
raising their wages beyond a certain point, instead of
giving a blessing, they bestowed upon them a curse.
(Cheers, and "Hear, hear:") Ile had ascertained that a
number of steady, industrious men, not belonging to the
journey men's sib, were in towx. who would, no doubt,
work for them, and there are probably many who would
rather leave the dub-than put themselves out of work. They
(the masters) most;' therefore, not be intimidated- No
doubt the men weal(' roar; 'but the masters must strike
a good blow in a just cause, and :they would accomplish
their object. (Cheers.)
Resolutions in accordance with the sentiments were
then passed, and, after a vote of thruaks to the chairman,
the meeting separated.

MEETING OF THE OPERATIVE •SAILMAKERS.
Yesterday, a meeting of the Operative Sailmakers'
association was held in the Assembly-room, Circus-street,
for -the purpose of considering the resolutions adopted at
.the above meeting. The chair was occupied by Mr.
Wflliam Hewston, president of the association, and the
meeting was numerously attended. •
The CHAIRMAN explained that the present meeting
had been called in consequence of what professed to be
the report of a meeting held by the master sailraakers in
the-Clarendon-rooms, on Friday last, and published in the
Mail of.thelfollowing day. The purpose of their meeting
was to show to the merchants of Liverpool that the
.statements there made were false and totally groundless.
In that •report-the journeymen sailmakers, as a beady, were
charged with Wittig disorderly drunkards—as coming to
their work witb.aeblng heads, unsteady hands, and inso-
lent tongues. That statement was as untrue as it was
unfair ; but he deemed it only right to say the Mail was
not chargeable with its :untruth. In fact, the statement
was not in reality a report at all, but had been prepared
by. Mr. Gladstone in his ,off, and by him transmitted to
the Mail, the editor of wlgeh had had his mind prepared
to receive it.
Mr. HENRY YATES then said.he had been requested to
propose a resolution, pledging the meeting to oppose the
intention of the masters to take into their service as many
apprentices as they pleased. Before doing so, he would
read the resolution, which was as follows :—" That it is
the opinion of this meeting, that an unlimited number of
apprentices, desired by the masters, would be destructive
to the men, injurious to the masters, and unjust to the
shipowners; therefore, it is our determination to resist
them by every lawful means in our power." He then in
a lengthened address proceeded to argue that, if the mas-
ters were permitted to have as many apprentices as they
choose, it would be the means of enabling them to drag
down the working men
.to a state of thraldom approaching
Misery, by lowering wages, while the shipowners would
not only not receive the advantages of the reduced wages,
but would actually be worse off by having inferior work
put into their hands. It was, he said, quite easy to fill the
shops with dashing young apprentices, with-showy whis-
kers, but could they be expected to put work out of their
hands equal to that of men who had had great and long
experience ? He then went on to combat at great length
the averments of Mr. Gladstone, that the men were . ill,
behaved, and expressed a hope that no one at that meet-
ing would so far forget himself and gratify Mr. Gladstone
by. roaring at the masters ; but he sincerely hoped they
would offer a quiet, though so resolute a resistance to his
attempted blow at the principles of their association. Mr.
Gladstone, and those for whom he professed to speak,
appeared to forget that the journeymen were not the
drowsy, drunken, idle men they were represented to be, but
mon trained to their trade—men who could measure a
ship and draft her sails, and make them. (Cheers,) 'COuld
any one say as much for Mr. Gladstone. and the other
masters for whom he professed to speak ? (Cries of No !
No !) He next argued that if the masters were successful
pocket tl
in reducing the Inell's wages, they would