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16
In June, a circular-letter was received from the Vestry of
Bermondsey, requesting the Board to appoint three delegates
to attend a Conference of Delegates from the Metropolitan
Vestries and Districts Boards, the Commissioners of Sewers
of the City of London, the Vestries' Employes' Union, and
the London Trades' Council, at the Town Hall, Bermondsey,
on Monday, the 13th June, for the purpose of affirming
certain resolutions previously agreed to at a Conference held
at St. Luke's on the subject of the rate of wages, and the
Board appointed Messrs. Carter, Grattan and Sinclair, who
attended the Conference on the day appointed, when the
following resolutions were passed:—
"That it is desirable to establish a uniform rate of wages throughout
the metropolis for all Vestry and District Boards' employes; and
that, in the case of skilled mechanics, such rate should be the one
current in each trade union.
"That this Conference, believing that the scalo of wages put forward
by the Vestry Employes' Union is a right and reasonable one.
expresses the opinion that the London Vestries and the Local
Boards should adopt that scale of remuneration for their
employes."
The Conference adjourned until Monday, the 25th July, and
a further invitation was received from the Vestry to appoint
delegates to attend it; but, after hearing a statement from the
former delegates to the effect that the number of Vestry
representatives present at the last Conference was 25, and of
the London Trades' Council and Vestry Employes' Union, 1G,
and that only ten Vestries and District Boards were represented,
and on the delegates asking to be relieved from further
attendance, the Board unanimously resolved to discharge them
and not to appoint others in their place.
Subways.
On the motion of Mr. Meikle, the Board, in March last,
caused a letter to be addressed to the London County Council,
asking them to include in their next Parliamentary Bill, a
clause compelling Water, Gas, and other Companies wishing
to lay or re-lay pipes, wires, Ac., in Southwark Street, to use
the Subway for that purpose. It transpired, however, that
the Council was already promoting a Bill with respect to
Subways, which, if passed, would have answered the purpose
in view, but the same was suspended until the following Session.
Gallery of
Art.
In April, the Board expressed its concurrence with the
following resolution, a copy of which had been fonvarded by
the Vestry of St. Marylebone:—
"That this Vestry regret to hear that a suitable site has not yet
been found for the Gallery of British Art offered to the nation
by Mr. Tate (a gift of the value of £150,000), and trust that the
Chancellor of the Exchequer will yet endeavour to find such
site in a central position; or, failing that, that the London
County Council will give a site, and endeavour to obtain from
Mr. Tate a reconsideration of his withdrawal, that London may
yet secure his magnificent offer."