BELGIAN COLLIERIES.

Grey River Argus, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5801, 24 January 1887, Page 4

BELGIAN COLLIERIES.

Whatever may be said as to the unhappy lot of miners in Australia, their lot is a happy one compared with that of workers in the Belgian mines, If the report of the Commission of Inquiry into the state of the Belgian collerles is to be relied upon. There is no eight hours limit for the day's work. In some of the mines of Belgium men, women, and girls work eighteen hours a day, leaving only aix for reßt. The seams of coal are generally very thin, and much contorted. The putting is done by young men, who work at least fourteen hours a day for from 2b 4d to 2a 9d. Some of the workings are vertical and the mining singular as well aa laborious. In ordinary mining, from five to seven men work together ; earning from three to three and a quarter francs a piece. Each of the men has two females to wait upon him ; one collecting the coal . ; nto a heap, and the other, older and stronger, filling it into the tubs. These females work very long hours indeed, and earn about one and a half francs (la 3d) per day. In some of the mineß young girla are also employed in driving ponies or trapping. The state of thinga prevailing in Belgium is similar to that which existed in Scottish mines up to the time of the passing of Lord Ashley's Act, in 1843, which prohibited the employment of females of all ages, and boys under 10 years of age in mines. From the evidence taken by the Belgian commission it appears that a girl 17 years of age began work at 5 a m, and worked up to 9, and sometimes 11 at night. During this time she had to load from 60 to 70 cars ; and for this she received 2 francs. One girl made the startling statement that she had once known how to read, but had forgotten all about it. Other girls worked 1 from 5 a m to 11 p m for from Is 6d to Is Bd, while younger ones who only worked from 5 a m to 6 p m received Is 3d per day. The coal mines of Belgium are more costly to work than those of Australia or England, and the thinness of the seams is of course a great disadvantage. But now that the attention of the Belgian Government has been attracted to the question, it is to be hoped that some steps will be taken to remedy the evils which exist.