EMPLOYMENT OF GIRLS IN PRINTING OFFICES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 8374, 30 September 1890, Page 3

EMPLOYMENT OF GIRLS IN PRINTING OFFICES.

TO THE EDITOR. Sib, Allow me a brief reply in re above matter. Ido not intend here to deal with Mr. Kelly's cowardly attack on me personally, which is as false as it is foul. I shall take legal proceedings against him upon two issues—(a) whether or no I called the girls immoral characters ; (6) whether or no I wrote with the object of getting thesa girls on the street. I wrote on behalf ol the girls, and will insist as far as advocacy goes that these girls get £2 10s per week, and not a miserable pittance. Ther« is no doubt that most of these girls are pure and highminded girls, guarded by the nicest discretion and modesty, but such fact does not affect my arguments—(a) that the work is unbecoming ; () that it is harmful; (c) that it is useless ;(d that domestic life is destroyed. And then as to the pay, the result is that men having families to support are ousted by girls who make money for their masters by taking 5s first year, 10s second, 15s third, 90s fourth, 25s fifth, and then leave for other apprentices to take their place. I want to know what do these girls then do ? I want to know what other calling- are they fib for, except the dangerous calling of a barmaid or a stage super. ? But let it be clearly understood that I will yield to no one in contending that girls are as much entitled to work as boys, provided they are capable, and the work is useful to them and moral, that it does not destroy domestic life, and is not questionable literature, and the market is nob undersold by cheap labour. Again, I say lam of opinion that the girls are pure as a rule, although they are the victims of a false and vicious system.—l am, etc., Hugh Siiortland, Solicitor. [This must end the correspondence on this subject.—Ed.]