THE SWEATING COMMISSION.

Press, Volume XLVII, Issue 7528, 18 April 1890, Page 5

THE SWEATING COMMISSION.

fpi-Bss A-aoc-A-ios T_-.*_onA_r.] ■• WELLrNGTON. April 17. The principal witness at the Sweat--V Commission this morning was «3. Loudon. Secretary of the Sail way Servants* Society* He said the first grievance the men had waa the non-payment of board andiodfri ings allowance, which used to bepaid,*.* one time, and the men felt its loss oil ths more as clerks, inspectors, foremen, __.« got from 7s 6d to 10s per night -ravelling allowance. They ; also* objected to the employment ot 'to many lads at the Wellington Seventy-five per cent, of the traffic handf on the platform were lads from sixteen t. nineteen. In consequence men weWf leaving whenever a good opportunity occurred. The guards complained thaf the hours were too long. They had t*f work 13J hours per day. Some engin. drivers were occasionally on duty eighteen hours at a stretch, and got no more -haa flve off duty. They contended they should always have a proper interval of at leasrtij eight hburs for sleep. These lon* h6_|_, occurred twice a week.' 'T o .^* A woman complained that her daughfe-i. had been employed dressmaking ma larg# establishment for twelve montns payment. She was then sent away on *__c grounds that the firm could not afford to 1

pay'her. ■ .-;.<_?* A young woman engaged in the manufacture of shirt, for various houses, said? she employed five girls in her house and; four outside. She received Gs Gd foi making cotton shirts, 7s 6d for TJnioaf and 9. 6d for Crimean, and She fouxuf all the buttons, cotton, and •___.. Tfcjg "feathering" and stitching, -hes_ppu_<_ the machines and all the material toiftiM the inside and outside hands, and paid them 4a per dozen for cotton shirts, 4s 3$ for Union, and 6s for Crimean. The #1-1* worked from 8.30 tos o'clock. The i_rl. could comfortably make a dozen -hilts* day. The actual cost of the cotton shirt, tcr her was 6s, leaving Is 6d for her own work and the responsibility. She did not think 1 the prices paid sutdoient, and approved of the efforts of the Tailoresses' v nioh t. raise them. It took a very smart shirt' hand to make Gd an hour. : '

A tailor stated that in his trade met* were supposed to work from 8 a.m. to f p.m., but often they began at 4 a.m. and worked till 11 p.m. They worked these hoixti each succeeding night. Work fluctuated a good deal, and they worked these h.ursin order to make as much as possible. H* could earn 9d an hour at some work, Ahdj Is 8d at other. Drapers received an orde. fora _J3 suit, the cost of material an. making was £1 2s. For a£s be do.t, th. material and making was _3_ Is 6d. Tb_| Tailors' Union had prevented a redttctioa in prices, and also the men taking; work home for the family to finish wbdle tbejt walked abont.

A young shirt maker said she made'__*ji week working twelve hours makingfidil. bags. She earned the same amount work*} ing from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. She was fcow* J _» piecework, and for a full week had _______ 10a.