SWEATING SHOP SECRETS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 2 May 1907, Page 1

SWEATING SHOP SECRETS

TWO GUINEA SKIRTS MAJJE'cFOR ls 7d. ■"-':, > LONDON, . MkrchC JU. - Some remarkable statementfi.^hout.thß earnings of sweating shop . inaitera- <n the East End were .made yesterday .'during the hearing .of a case, aii./ the Shoreditch County Court. '-„ Edward Madden sued' Joseph Lewis, on behalf of the trustoesof , the Anial- . gamated Society oj/ Tailors .and Tailoresses, for £13 9s lOd, tho balance- of £27 Os lOd which it-was alleged '/Lewis collected for the Society....' ■ ■'...' ."'.. It was stated that Lewis 1 ;. ,was-, formerly treasurer of the East Eiid branch of tho Society, and that ha -.collected the money from the members, but failed to account for -the amount sued for. Instead of turning it over td.the {Society, it was alleged that he used- it 7 to establish himself as a master sweater. ... : .'.- ' '--■ Madden declared, in answer:' to queS; tions by his counsely • that- - a/, mart _in . Lewis' present position- ought -toC earn at least. £20 or £25 a.' week. -''■'_ "When he was a journeyman; .'he could cam £7 a week;" Madden said, "and now he is a master-ppresser and employs half-a-dozen pressere." •". ■ . "Instead of a, -pressor earning £7 a week it is starvation," said Lew??. * / "I have seen the -wage-book, and. the sirallest wages he made were £5 a week," said Madden. _' • „' r "A man would* have to work!. -nighti-=- 7 : and day <o earn that l 77.Loa!is^4eelS'red. Mr Silver, secretary of tie Society,' said thit Lewis employed five- men' at ' the worst, time of -the year, and/ when trade was gcod he employed .Hen men. Silver declared that his profits 7 would 7 range from £25 to £50 a week;- . "Do' you mean to say that" each »f these men would earn bim' £5 or £6 a week?" Judge SmrfyCiski^-r^j^rfr- --;,•- " "It is like this,' Silver replied." When Lewis was a journeyman he could earn £7 a week, but now that ..he is in the sweating business he p.ays'7hi__ men only a pound or two a \Veeky and ha pockets the profits." ; . , "How much do you say be. can' earn when he employs ten -me» ?".-., Judge Smyly asked. - "From £25 to £30' a week," teid-'Sil-ver; "in fact, more. When a man takes out work from the contractor as a sub-contractor, he mighty get. 7s 3d' or 7s for a skirt, or perhaps 6s ?d, bubr- to make that skirt complete would como toabout ls 2d or ls 23d— that is. labour only." , ' ■" ..;. - "Do you mean that flrnis will pay' 6s or 7s for making skirts that) ciiethally only cost ls 2d in the making!" tha_ u _ - Judge arked. . '„,...«-»-■ " "Yes; that is, medium wprki"- was the reply. "Then" why don't the firms thebi&elves employ people to make them?" (vfid'the Judge. ... - ~" 7 "They can't do it, br they would Bave. the trade union people down oii tliem for sweating," Madden s COunSel','replied. "This can only be carried 1 put in a secret way, and by sweating.-' "I know thati skirts are sold'Tfor -two' guineas that only cost ls 6Jd and Ib 7d to make- throughout," said SilVe... "The Exchequer would like to know something about this,." said Judge 1 Smyly. I An order for Lewis to pay £4 a mcmOi was made. i.' ' Shropshire rama-fetch"average prices ; higher than those obtained for .pany 1 other breed of sheep.. The -record price (£1155) was, however, paid ior a. I merino ram. i Herr Eenno Scherek is expected to arrive in New Zeajand-in- tbi course of a week or two to make arrangements for a concert season by Madame Teresa , Carreno, the famous pianist, which will commence about July. The export of poultry from Auckland continues to show a. '"'satisfactory increase, and the prospects of' this, industry were never more encouraging iv the Auckland province. An agitation has been started by the Patea branch of the Farmers' Union to urge the banks ,to remove their halfyearly fee for keeping curreiib : ;aecount_. A remit on the subject is ro be/sent to the Farmers' Union Confere_.ee. The publication of Sunday papers has* now ceased in Toronto/ and Montreal. ' ' ' ..' An agitation is now on fqbt in Timaru for a new technical school,' to coat £3000 or £4000. .' • -_v "It will be generations before farmers can be made to coma to- meetings ahd discuss matters," said a leading? meniber of a northern branch of "theCFarmers* Union. From Liverpool to San ' Francisco by sea is at present 14,084 miles.' "When the Panama Canal is opened the distance will be reduced to 8034 miles I—a1 — a saving " v of over 6000 miles. A start has been made in' Timaru with the no-license campaign, and as the result of a canvass ■jna^'by Mr G. B. N icholls ' for a "fighUng r f und the sum of £370 has already" been gharan- - teed. - : Owing to the great activity of the building trade in New Plytao'uth there is an unsatisfied demand ■ fpr carpenters and other tradesmen; France has over five million- acres of vineyards, and stands firsfc^as a. wineproducing country, .'ltaly bf ing a good I second. ".'' ■':,