“A HUNDRED YEARS AGO'

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 6844, 23 February 1929, Page 11

“A HUNDRED YEARS AGO'

W.EA Lecture

The conditions under which children worked 100 years ago during the industrial revolution aud even later, were described by Mr A. Ernest Mander in the second of a series of lectures under the auspices of the W.E.A. given in St. Andrew’s memorial hall on Thursday evening. The lecturer described the nature of ■what is known as the industrial revolution, the great change which occurred following the inventions of industrial machinery, tho. harnessing of v r aterpower and then steam to drive that machinery, and the growth of the factory system. “Revolution is certainly not too strong a word for it; the whole form of society, the whole lifo of the people, the whole character of the people is changed,’’ he said. “ What really happens is that one civilisation comes to an end and a new civilisation begins. Under the best conditions, such a change in the struc-

ture of civilisation is bound to be accompanied by great hardship for many. But as things are, the situation is enormously complicated by the unprecedented increase of population, the flood or Irish immigrants, the effect on England of the French revolution, and the ■ fact that this stupendous change is taking place at the same time as all the stress and dislocation and loss of the long war with Napoleon. It is no wbnder that 1790 to 1830 is ono of the most lurid, frightful and" demoralised periods in the whole of history.’’

Growth of Industry. The lecturer outlined the stages in the invention of industrial machinery, the discovery of various ways of harnessing power, and. the development of the factory system. Ho showed how tho old cottage industries were thus ruined, and how, while the village hand-weavers and their kind were left derelict, two new kinds of labour were required in- the new factory industries, a great deal of the cheapest unskilled labour for working with the machines, and a small proportion of highly skilled mechanics. The bulk of this new labour in factories and mills was furnished by women and children. “Child labour,’’ said Mr. Mander, “is by no means a new thing in history. Indeed, childhood, as we understand it, a time for education and play —childhood beyond the age of four or five is a modern invention. Certainly in! England before tho industrial revotion all the children in the cottages were obliged to earn their keep. Daniel Defoe noted that in tho England of his day, there was scarcely anyone above four years old, “but his hands were sufficient' for' his own support. ’ ’ So has it been- always —until almost yesterday. That women and children should bo free from the obligations of helping to earn the family livelihood, would have seemed a merely silly idea to ail the generations of our forefathers until about 60 for 70 years ago.” Mr. Mauder described the way in which "supplies, of child labour were obtained by the early mill-owners —large-ly-by making contracts with the parish authorities to relieve them of their pauper- children.- He described the appallibg 'conditions under which these children lived and worked, evidence beng quoted from various commissions which investigated the matter. 4 These children —ranging in age from live or six and upwards—were working twelve,, sometimes fourteen, sometimes sixteen hours a day, six days a week. A picture was drawn of the conditions in these early factories and mills, and . of- the offect of this life upon the children.

' Mr. Maader quoted many facts to prove tho horrible conditions of child labour in the coal mines. As late as • IS4I, little children of seven or eight years - 'old, sometimes' six, sometimes five years' old, were working underground for as long as 16 hours a day. A vivid word-picture was given of conditions in the coal mines, where women were working, almost naked, harnessed by chains to trucks of coal which they dragged along the tunnels, often having to proceed on “all fours” where the roof of the gallery was low. . The third typical kind of child slavery described was that of the climbing boys of the chimney sweeps. Mr. Mander showed how these pitiful children lived, worked, and suffered. Tlje use of climbing boys was not absolutely prohibited until 1850. Then, abruptly, the lecturer turned to another picture, describing the scene in the House of Lords, when the Bill was being, discussed, the Bill, for prohibiting the use of climbing boys. He quoted the Parliamentary report of tho speech of the Earl of Lauderdale: ‘'His lordship objected to this Bill because it was not fit for the legislature to lay down rules of humanity for individuals. By doing so, the very principles of humanity would be uprooted. It was impossible, without great injustice, to legislate on subjects of this kind. It was somewhat of the same nature as that other Bill for regulating the labour of children in the cotton factories, and it originated in

the same mistaken spirit of humanity.” The lecturer closed with a description of the groat crusade for reform. It was announced that next week's subject would bo “Unrest and the danger of revolution a hundred years ago. ’ ’