LINES ABOUT LABOUR

Evening Post, Volume LXXIII, Issue 129, 1 June 1907, Page 12

LINES ABOUT LABOUR

A man, aged 88, lately died at Shepsh2r.d,_ Leicestershire. Ho had worked in it hosiery factory since he was six yeais of ago. At eleven ho was put to work a plain stocking-machine, and remained ut the post till his death. Returns from the Central Committee of German Trad© Unions *how that in iwarljr hrlf of the oiganised trades of tho German Empire tho average daily wages is less than 3s, or less than 18s a week. Even the skilled workers of the tcxtilo and clothing industry do not avorag3 more than something between 2s 6d and 2j 9d a day. Tho German economists calculate the lowest living v/ago at 4s a day. In tho cass in Melbourne (reported in this column last week) of tho death of Frederick Sofcr, on 24th April, from the result of injuries received through being struck by the brace attached to a flywheel, Ul3 Coroner said tho deceased had contributed to his own death, but tho wheel might easily have been protect ad co that deceased could not have bson struck by v projection, and-thrt, ha considered, was criminal negligence. Tho jury returned a verdict of manslaughter against Thomas Timmins, the 1 manager. Tho Railway News (West Australia) thus summarises? tho main grievances of the railway employees of that State: — (1) Allowances to Hying gangs when away from homo; (2) Increments duo under old agreement, and not yet paid ; (3) Short payment of certain employees in Kalgoorlie ; (4) Tho classification of storemen and payment of proper wages to storemen in charge. The Arbitration Court, West Australia, fixed the minimum wages for miners in the Black Range district as follows: — Miners, hammer and drill men shafts 15s, winzes and risos 14s, in all othsr parts of the mine 13s 4d ; braccmen and platmen, 13s 6d ; shovellers, mullockers. and truckers working underground, 12s; men working in cyanide vats, 13s lOd ; snrfaco labourers, lls 8d ; pitmen, 15s ; timber men, 15a ; drill and tool sharpeners, 14s 4d ; boiler cleaners, 14s ; drivers of horse or horses, 110 8d ; if it bo portion of driver's duty to feed nnd groom his horse every day, including Sunday, ho shall bo paid Is per shift in addition, men working in wet 1 ground to bo paid to 3d per shift j extra. Thie award is fiom 2d to 2s I above the award of 1905, and is to 10main in forco from Ist June next to 3rd May, 1910. A small trader of Old Ford Road, London, gave evidence lately «»t p, cororicr'n inquc«t on a man of 29, who had been in his ■employ '"op and off for ten ysars," latt'ily as shop manager. According to the report in the Daily Mail, I tb.3 widow ctut?d that her husband's 1 hours vuvt; front B.ZO until 11. 61) overy I night except R. tin d«y, when he finished I at 12.15, and his wigos weic lffl a I week. Tha doctor who attended him ! iMi'd the man had c\idsntly been dr.ig-}-;iu;j himself to work when' ''totally unfit.' Ho had boen woiking ninety ! hours a \vo?k for 'M an hour ! Dcnth wjs duo to hjart failure, accel"r'it:d by , long hourj .'.ml hard woik. Tho cm- ' ployer cxausrd himself on the ground ; tint the man h«wl been "irrcgulsr on acI count of 1113 her.lth," whereupon tho 1 coronci rztortcd : "J3ut you certainly , h:id ft v^ry choap servant." I Th? report of tho Royal Commission ; on the wages and wnge-enrners of Tas- ■ nnnia ctatcs thrt forty-five diiforjnt iji.injh^s of titido wero enquirtd into. Tho comj'i^o;/hsr3 s;iy th'it tharc aro iinny Ir.idej which employ hands too long :ind 'for too low pay ; but they do not olfei 1 an suggestions to rem-ody what they look uponij.s evils. Among other m;ttt:rs that Iri-w'z been reported on were iho gratuitoiK employment of females in dressmaking, millinery, tailoring, and clothing catablishmonts from a month to twelve months, and thon 2> 6d per week for the next year. The periodical increase* to these' workers arc . considered low and 100 infrequent. Ths ! hours work6d by stoKers, firemen, and I Hour millerc, who in many caseu work I twenty-four hours in two shifts, aro ' strongly condomn-sd. The life journey • of thos? m»n is described as "all b-sd l and work." Bricklayers, who work 1 altern-itivc weeks of 77 and CO hours, I in weeks of seven days, aro considered excessively taxed for tho amount of I pay— viz., £2 4s. The hours of w-\it-rsssis and housemaids at the coffee palaces aro looked upon as too many from 60 to 84 being tho general rulo, wages ranging from 10& to 22s 6d per week and board. At tho Nsw South Wales ArbitraI tion Court, in the industrial dispute b?j tween^ tho Shop Assistants' Union and I tho Master Retailers' Association, Mr. I Bceby, counsel for th« union, stated in j his opening address that no standard 1 was recognised in ths trade at all. Th? wage 3of employees were practically regulated by their necessities. No fixed rate of \vag«s iwas lccogniscd in any shop. Th<> employment was haphazard. A man in ono shop received JK3 to £4 , n week, a man in another shop, handling the same department and occupying a position of equal value, received 35s to 40s. A great many men, who had to keep up appsaranco and dress, uncl must hnvo some •education, r^oit «f them married with families, workfld\for 35s to 45s and le»3. A grc, uumy worked for les3 than was paid to ft casual day labourer. Taking tho industry generally, tho small shop paid tho best wago, and tho conditions colling for relief occurred in tho larger establishments. Commenting on tho case of the drapery assistants in the Arbitration Court, tho Bulletin says: — Their pitiable story of genteel poverty, ,of decently-clothed destitution, of endless struggles, of lives without a gleam or semblnnce of hope on the farthest horizon, show that the Shirt is the samo old curse both to makor and seller. Hero is some of the evidence condensed: — ulerk in universal providery : Wages, 30s a week. Hns wifo and five children. Pays 10s a week rent and 1b a week tram-faros, which leaves 19s to support soven persons. Occasionally i-eceivcs chari^ablo aid. Evidently necdo it badly. Woman «t same place : Has boen olcven years in tho firm. Is cashier at 15s a week. Got a wholo £1 ns a present last Christmas. Livea in a room by herself and prepares her own food. Sort of hermit. [Women in mantle department: Served »v yoar at 5s a week j five years at 12s 6d ; about five years at 17s 6d ; and is now in receipt of the garish remuneration of onp wholo "quid" with about 3s 3d premiums on sales. Clerk to samo firm, in charge of 11 department, with 13 subordinate to look after : Gets 45a a woik. Saleswoman at sam« providery ; Hus been mm yoars without v, rise. Pay £1 n- week. Saleswoman in anotlior big prividory ia getting 12s 6d II week after boing four nnd a-h»lf years in tho position. Woman in diargo of a lnrgo department at same big omporium : about 25s 6d 11 week after 54 years with tho firm. Shopwalker (tho kingly apparition in tho frock coat who bob?' to you when you go in) : Receives 32s 6d it wock after four yean nhopwalkiiig. Thoro wero very mnny more witnossLn, but they all tola tho fcunio yarns of polite and tidy iniaciy. Tho only reason why Tho Bulletin doesn't givo tho muncf of tho linns which paid those wretched wages is that they nra described us about the best and tbe moit llbural in the S^ducy ittjuu.