WAGES IN PAISLEY.

Evening Star, Issue 7250, 29 June 1887, Page 3

WAGES IN PAISLEY.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir,—Mr Ni ii’.s letter lias not controverted my statement. In his discussion he said: “ While girls in Americi got 18s per week, as against 10s in England.” lam prepared to refer to tho books of either Messrs Coats’s or Clark’s firms in Pai-ley that eery many girls in their employ make as high a weekly wage as that quoted by Mr Neil. If this tie to, then let him be prepared to hand over his donation. But there is an old hook which speaks about sounding a trumpet when giving alms. . , 1 Now, as to -Mr Neills statement of facts. First, it is ncorreet to say that “ one reason, ii not the only one, 8 that the wo king head of tho firm (Mr W. Coats) is a Christ iin in deed ; but 1 am sorry to tny that the wages paid to ih; ir hands arc v. ry small, a-d not at all like those paid in A"i tiea." I challenge Mr Nul to prove it, and I am prtpvrcd to ask from those great firms extracts from thei • pay-sh vis in proof of my statement. There is not, nor lias there evsr been, a Mr W. Coats the working hod of the firm. The respected senior pa tners were the brothers Cheery hie, celebrated by one of cur English, novelEts-Messr# Peter and Thomas Coats. Tim latter is dead ; the former it now Sir Peter, having been Knighted by Her Majesty iu c oined ion with Ms munificent gift of a (;ee libraiy and museum tn Paiali y. The juuiots ate now tbiej sins of each of those gentlemen. Tneir ham s are Janies, Archibald, Peter, James jun., Tnoma", anil George. So much for Mr Noil’s accuracy. It must have keen a long’timo since Mr Neil was at Horn;', for then- has hicu no night shift for many years. When tho mill was running with a night shift there wore no g rls employed on tho mght shift. I have been familiar with the wo'ksami people for many yea-s. I never saw or heard of male workers comif-tC or going to their works bareheaded ; and if Mr NeU mcaiH three parts of a thousand had neither boots nor stockings on I believe he is correct; but if he means three quartos of a thousand, he is not comet. Mr Ntil is not gene.-ally vtry accurate in sp.cch. , ... Mr Neil mean to lead your readers to infer that a young woman going to work with liar beautifully dressed is a degradation ? I will back the brave lasses of Paisley are as well drvs-ed, eitiier for kirk or market, with any number of girls, in any rank of life, either in America or any of the colonies. It has never been a d- gradation in Scotland for women to go to «ork with the head uncovered ; and I wish to remind Mr Neil that the sale remark applies to the blue-coat boys of London, vie., and in Pans, in the height of the season, ho wiil tee in tho most fashionable boulevards ladies old and young, tf all ranks, promenading in the evening under escort of b-others, lovers, and husbands,' lightly attired and with bare h&idsperhaps. Mi*Neil woud have humanity lundo to his pattern, and labelled like patent medicine. C-t Mr Ntil prove that it was Protection in Aiiihtci that caused the firm of 11. P. Coats to open a mill in Axerica. I am prepared to stfirm, and challenge him to prove the contrary, that tho opening cf the Ameiiean mill wa) tho oitgtowth of tho Homo concern. Anyone who knows the Messrs Coats knows that they were remarkably capable financiers. Their trade, in consequence 'of tho iutrcdiictiou of the Eewing machine, grew to an enormous extent. They had both largu families, and the American rnul is but one of many undo takings in which they Here interested. lean tell Mr Neil, and pit haps he will prove my statement, that iliero arc certain fine qualities of thread which cannot bo spun in America because of tho dryness of its atmosphere, fO that Protection only makes tho inhabitants pay moie for it, to the profit of Erithh manufacturers.—l am, etc., • • Observer. Dunedin, June 29.