The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1877-11-17
AMERICAN MECHANICS rN LOrDoN.
The Reception they Met With ON Arriving n
Their New Field Of Labor.
From the London Standard, OCT. %.

From the London Standard, Oct %.
About sixty masons arrived IN London yes
terday by the steamship Elysia, OF the Anchor
Line, from New York. These men were met
ut Gravcsend by dcputation from the Master
Builders Association, and conveyed by special
steamer to the Temple pier, Immediately Oppo
site the Temple buildings, where they are to
be EMPLOYED, The arrival of SO large q body
of strangers soon called together a crowd and
the appearance of the men was scanned very
closely. They look a very fine body and some
of them have the appearance of being a very
superior class. At the Temple pier the men
were met by a deputation from the Masons
Central Strike Committee and at once an at
tempt was made by the parties on strike to in.
duce the Americans to abandon their project
As large crowd had by this time assembled.
the police at once ordered the dcputation off,
not, however, before they had induced one or
Two of the men to go with them to their head
quarters in Mason street. The works on which
they will be engaged are the new chambers
for barristers, facing the Thames cmbankment
which are being erected by Mr.. G. w. Booth
the contractor. When the works stopped in
July last eighty masons turned out, the job be
ing about half finished The present batch, if
they set themselves to work, will almost sup
ply the vacancies.
1t is stated that in America several hundreds
OF masons are engaged and will shortly arrive
10 fill up the large works in this country.
At the new Law Courts matters remain as
they were The whole of the sixty foreigners
take their meals inside the premises, and the
Germans only leave atnight. A huge canteen
has been set up in the basement of these large
buildings and Messrs. j. Ross and Netley have
been engaged to supply the men with their
meals After the newly arrived Americans had
partaken of dinner meeting took place at the
Sussex Hotel, which was addressed by several
of the masters and men,
Mr.. Booth informed the men that there was
plenty of work for them TO do and they could
work either nine, ten, or even twelve hours per
day itthey choose. They could work as long as
they liked. With respect to the works in pro-
gress in this country, there were many which
would take three or four years to finish, and
any one of those present could earn 600 a year
Tor that period. The men in England had been
in the habit of working 52l5 hours per week
and in that time they had been earning the
wages he had quoted.
one of the Americans asked if they would
he allowed TO have one Of their cOuntrymen as
foreman.
Mr. Booth-Yes: we will arrange that.
Mr. Bird then alluded to the complaints |
which had been made respecting the passage
10 England. He said arrangements had been
Line They paid fair price to the company, |
and lie extremely regretted that the men had
not been treated as they should have been.
Cries Of But they did not"
Mr.. Bird said the master builders could not
tell what sort Of ship it was they proposed to
bring the men over in, but he thought that Mr..
Abbot should have seen to that If the men
liked to get up a protest they could, and he
would see that it was sent to the proper author
ties.
An American--It is the chief steward we
complain Of. SO far rs the Anchor Line was
concerned he thought they were not to blame
but the chief steward of the vessel was man
unfit for the post. He assumed to be some
thing superhuman, and far removed above
He hoped that when the other
Americans came over they would be treated in
a better manner. When food was supplied to
them it was not handed to them, but pitched
at them as though they were dogs. IT was
then decided TO draw up memorial TO be for
Warded to the Anchor Line Company
Mr.. Ryan, an American, spoke few words
lie said his great complaint was against the
surgeon Ii man was uncomfortable and
wanted anything to keep his spirits up, all he
could get was dose Of salts. Il
Three cheers were then given 10 M Bird,
together with vote Of thanks, N American
fashion