282 LIFE OF SIR JOHN LUBBOCK oh. 



and Sir John Lubbock to confer with the Dock 

 Directors and the men, and attempt if possible 

 to arrange a settlement of the dispute. 



Accordingly, he wrote to the Lord Mayor and 

 the Governor of the Bank asking when they 

 could meet. Next morning he received from the 

 Lord Mayor a note asking him to come to the 

 Mansion House, which he did at once. 



Cardinal Manning, the Bishop of London (Dr. 

 Temple), and Mr. Buxton were there. 



The contention of the men was, that though 

 the nominal rate of wages might be sufficient, 

 yet, as a matter of fact they lost half their time 

 standing outside the Dock gates, and were not 

 actually in receipt of remuneration for more than 

 three days in the week. 



Cardinal Manning and Mr. Buxton contended, 

 therefore, that the demand for an increase, under 

 these circumstances, was reasonable. 



Sir John, however, urged that a mere increase 

 of wages would not meet the evil. It was not a 

 question of wages, but of organisation. A mere 

 increase would attract more hands, who could 

 then be employed for a still less proportion of 

 their time, so that though the expense to the Dock 

 Companies would be greater, the earnings of the 

 men might be no more than at present, because 

 they would spend even more time waiting idle at 

 the gates. 



He proposed, therefore, that in the first in- 

 stance they should confer with the Dock Directors. 

 This was rejected, but the Bishop of London was 

 in favour of submitting Sir John's suggestion to 

 the men. Eventually it was agreed that the 



