THE "SWEATING SYSTEM" AND THE POOR.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 79, 11 April 1885, Page 5

THE "SWEATING SYSTEM" AND THE POOR.

Wrotchod Pay of English Workers,

On the hearts and consciences of many philanthropic people the "sweating system " is a sort of chronic night-mare. Never, I suppose, in the history of the metropolis has there been so much strenuous effort in the interest of the poor as thero has been during tho past year ; but it will be very generally agreed by all who havo been engaged in such effort that thoro is no hopo of ameliorating the condition of a largo section of the people until the sweating system can in somo way or othor be broken down. This system is denounced on all hands and on every ground except the solitary one that it is the arrangement of things by which the greatest possible amount of labour may bo wrung out for tho smallest possible amount of pay. Apart from this ono consideration nobody has a word in defence of it} nobody speaks of it except in torms of hatred and execration. And yet with all tho execration, we have, during the past 12 months of agitation in the press and on platforms and pulpits, taken not one single practical step to put this evil down or in any measure to mitigate tho mischief ol" it.

Nnw,it seems to me that, whether in town or country, thia matter of the work and the wages of the peoplo must have attention us the very basis of all sound social reform. A fair day's work and a fair day's pay, and yet you havo a foundation for something like manly independence and self-respect. Depend upon it, we are on the verge of a grent battle-field ovor this question of earnings, and tho pooplo themselves, and all who have at heart the welfare of the people, must be prepared to ongago in it. The field will have to be fought inch by inch, and if those who are earnoet in the matter will thus fight it, victory may bo won.

Incrcdiblo as it may soom, when we consider how long this sweating system has been a burden on the public conscience, it is nevertheless a fact that a part of the work that is flung down among the people for them to scramble for and toil over in homos of squalor and destitution is Government work. I am informed on good authority that policemen's overcoats are being mado in the East End for 2s 6d each. The writors of tho " Bitter Cry " refer to a case whore a man and his wife wore found engaged on theso garments, at which, by working from half-past 6 in tho morning till 10 at night, they could togethor earn lis lOd in two days. I myself recently found a woman employed in making official clothing, Sho had the work from her sister, who had it from a middleman, who had it from acontraetor with Government. Whon I lirstmethersho looked a poor, jadod, draggletail creature, and had wandered in quest of a job of work down from the oast of London in tho vicinity of Lincoln's Inn-fields, whero I afterwards found her in a back room, up four or fivo pairs of stairs. Sho paid, I think sho said, 4s fid a wook rent, and had the greatost difficulty in keeping body nnd soul together, bhe was just ono of the class over whom so many meetings havo beon hold of lato, and for whom tho Gospel and fervent prayers have been «o largely proscribed as tho only means of relief. Yet this woman, by her incessant labour, waspartly keeping hersistor, she waa partly keeping the middleman, ahe was partly keeping tho contractor, and sho was partly paying tho expenses of tho British Government. Thero was sho, " Stitch, stitch, stitch, in poverty, hungor, and dirt," and they wero all wringing a profit out of her. And substantially tho samo thing is going on all ovor London. If we—the British public -have need of this woman's services, why cannot we employ hor ourselves? At the Army Clothing Factory at Pimlico I find that Is is tho price for making a pair of trousors, and here the people aro, comparatively speaking, all well o(F, and might bo a great deal hotter but for tho folly which planted this factory in the midst of London. Ablobodiod noedloworkors may bo quito sure of oarning 15s a weok all tho

your round without any deduction whatever, and thoy may earn a good deal more. Thoy havo, moreovor, a splendid place to work in, nnd thoy got their meals at cost prico on tho co-operative system. Thoy havo their machines found for them, and driven by steam : thoy havo a sort of Crystal Palaco to work in ; thoir hours aro not excossive, though thoy aro long ; their work is regular, and thoy may havo first-r.-ito food cooked at a cheap rate. They, in fact, aro tolorably thriving on a pay of

1« a pair for trousers-making, whorcas people outside who do similar work for Is Id aro in tho dopths of destitution. Throughout tlio length and breadth of tho land there are thousands of poople thus ongagod upon what is really a public work, but who are subjected to the crudest presurc—Bv ono of their frionds in tho " Pall Mall Gazette."