A case recently cropped up of men, in the employ of a wealthy business
house, receiving their board and six shillings per week for six working
days of sixteen hours each. The sandwich men get fourteenpence per day
and find themselves. The average weekly earnings of the hawkers and
costermongers are not more than ten to twelve shillings. The average of
all common labourers, outside the dockers, is less than sixteen shillings
per week, while the dockers average from eight to nine shillings. These
figures are taken from a royal commission report and are authentic.
Conceive of an old woman, broken and dying, supporting herself and four
children, and paying three shillings per week rent, by making match boxes
at 2.25d. per gross. Twelve dozen boxes for 2.25d., and, in addition,
finding her own paste and thread! She never knew a clay off, either for
sickness, rest, or recreation. Each day and every day, Sundays as well,
she toiled fourteen hours. Her day's stint was seven gross, for which
she received 1s. 3.75d. In the week of ninety-eight hours' work, she
made 7066 match boxes, and earned 4s. 10.25d., less per paste and thread.
Last year, Mr. Thomas Holmes, a police-court missionary of note, after
writing about the condition of the women workers, received the following
letter, dated April 18, 1901:-
Sir,--Pardon the liberty I am taking, but, having read what you said
about poor women working fourteen hours a day for ten shillings per
week, I beg to state my case.
Pages:
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190