A Shilling a Day.

Auckland Star, Volume XVII, Issue 142, 19 June 1886, Page 3

A Shilling a Day.

The " Christian World," in an article on the distress in England,'says: —"About a month ago a large manufacturer carrying on extensive works nearly 200 miles away from London said, in reference to the accounts of distress in London, ' I do not believe one tenth of it.' In a letter addressed to the Rev. Andrew Mearns, whose efforts to better the condition of the poor aro so well known, the same gentleman said,' You say repeatedly that respectable men are to be found lying hero and there in the cold or walking tho streets who would be glad to work at a shilling per day. Now, this is more especially what I disbelieve. I am convinced that they would not work three days at that price. Bad as trade is, no man need be out of work who will work for a shilling or eighteenpence a day.' Happily, this expression of scepticism as to the willingness of men to work was accompanied by an offer to engage 100 men at a shilling a day for unskilled labour, but work in which efficiency could easily be acquired, and by which other men had been able to rise to four, five, and even cix shillings a day. Tho writer then proceeds to explain how the arrangement was tested. At the following Sunday morning breakfast at Collier's ronts the matter was incidentally mentioned. In answer t_ tho question—" How many of you are willing to work for a shilling a day ?"—about seventy hands were held up. Thoso who really wanted work woro asked to attend tho following Wednesday. A sceptic doubted whether twenty out of the seventy would turn up, but as a matter of fact ovor 300 men who had heard of the chance of work at a shilling a day were at the place and time appointed eager to avail themselves of the offer. It waa put to tbe men that they must havo misunderstood the terms. The nature of the work waa more fully made known to them ; the rate of wages waa clearly stated ; the working imple-ment-a graving or turf-cutting spadewas exhibited ; specimens of peat wero shown ; and it was explained that all who accepted work would, in addition to the shilling a day, be provided with shelter at night, r.lonty of clean straw, and a blanket each. It was expected that when these announcements were made there would be a general exodus, but only four mon left tho hall, leaving upwards of 300 behind willing and anxious to undertake the work. To further test them they were told that tbo work was on tbo borders of Lincolnshire, and that the railway faro was about 15s. It was thought that this would stagger the men, and for a moment it did, but thoy quickly rallied to the roalastic and exclaimed, ' All right, sir, that doesn't matter ;we can walk down.' Some actually proposed to start that night. ' We can do it in a week if tho gentleman will keep tbo work open for us.' This was evidonco enough that tho mon wero in earnest, for not only woro they prepared to work for a shilling a day, but to tramp nearly '_-S0 miles to procure it. The mon, howover, wero not put to tho task of walking Arrangements were made for thoir convojanco to Lincolnshire, provision was made for their physical comfort, and at tho timo appointed not a man who had undertaken to go was missing -indeed, soveral extra men bad walked from tho borough to the railway station, hoping there might be a chance for them. The writer concludes his article with tho lollowing words :—" This experiment—the first of many to follow—has confirmed those who havo taken part in it of tho sincerity of tho majority of working men in rolation to tbo labour question. They are willing to work, and for small wage, rathor than bocomo paupors or criminals. These men have been loft entirely unfettered, free to mako thoir own contract in relation to labour. Possibly had somo of tho self-con-stituted loaders of the working men been consulted, they would have prevented such an arrangement being carried out."