THE LONDON DRESSMAKER.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1061, 25 February 1911, Page 11

THE LONDON DRESSMAKER.

IN TIMES OF STRESS. Some interesting particulars have recently been given regarding .the dressmaking industry in London, and . tho evils which result from tho seasonal rushes. Women working for fust-class West-End dressmakeers cam no more Ss..' to 15s. n week. Beginners,. after, a year's work, only receivo 3s. Gd. to 7s. lh e legal hoursaro twelve, with one and a half hours off for meals. In onlv too many eases two hours' overtimo is a'd'ded. If tho factory inspector discovers tho evasion, the dressmaker is prosecuted. But it is worth her whilo to nay n small nno rather than disappoint a wealthy customer. During tho season many girls work until 10 or 11 at night. Only this ivcek' a H est-End firm was prosecuted for keeping its hands at .work until halfpast. 11 P.m. A dressmaker wlio hfis oxpenenced tho ordeal, writes thus:— Wuero I ain there aro twenty girls sitting round tlirco long tables, in a smallish Toom. lou can think what tho air is '. u l y » - w hen wo hava been working in it for twelvo hours." ' It is not difficult to imagine tho feolinga ?f girls when they arc told that they will have to stop two or three hours longer. Iho. writer goes on:—"I have seen the younger girls, put their heads cown and cry." In many cases tho chairs in which tho girls work aro without uac.cs. Iho lonß.Rowns have to bo worked at high tables, which 01-ligo tho dressmaker to stand for hours together. JJad as tho summer is, the winter months nro often moro trying: The inpsectors have found that tho tcmnoraturo 'bf a Uest-Lnd work-rocm is often only. dOdeg.-' Many of theso evils could bo remedied if sociotv women would onlv do their part, lhero is no justification .for demanding that a gqv.li should bo finished jwtmn n*week, as is dono in nmtiv eases, yueen Mary has set an excellent exainpln m this rcsnect by giving her orders for her toroimtion nnd Court dresses several months before they nro required. Then enable tho dressmaker (r, twV better 1° c I )r '® it West-End estabhshments seem very high. But credit, extending to months and even J ears,, is often domanded..-, Tho dressmaker fears to offend a customer by pressing for tho payment of a hill Tho prices paid to E omo Irish workers aro sufficient to show the evils which ariso from cutting tho dressmaker's nrofits too line, llandkorchieis aro embroidered with claborato sprays in each corner, tho pav to the worker being Is. Cd. a dozen, it ?• ? a to embroider two handkerchiefs. On another class of handkerchief 2, , m.P" French knots nro sowed for 3Jd. Plus is not poor pay. It is a starvation wage.