THE SWEATED INDUSTRIES EXHIBIT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13894, 4 May 1907, Page 141

THE SWEATED INDUSTRIES EXHIBIT.

Sir,—l take the liberty of penning my impressions of. the "sweated industries" exhibit. I'ermil mo to quote one or two instances out of this dire catalogue simplv to give an idea to your numerous distant waders who perhaps cannot avail themselves of ihc opportunity of seeintr tins heart re iding spectacle of modern Urit ish serfdom. " Hag-making, 4d per dozen; average working hours per day. 15; average earnings per week, 5s Bd. Such earnings, miserable as they are, do not always represent the work of a single person. Children of most tender years are called on !o assist the parent to keep t.'odv and soul together. Nor ire tlu hours limited to those above-meuti< r.cd. We read of women who work in such industries from 4 a.m. til! midnight, or who never go to bed ibe same day they Ket up. Kow is it Possible to keep the homo or the person in cleanliness and respectability when every iroment of the working day hss to be devoted to ceaseless and degrading toil?" And so forth. Everv g.irment. with its own appalling tale of woe. seemed to me like so many whirl in? sheets,

wir.li ("nr.; of blood. shed from tho glazed eves of tho _ poor emae'itrd victhrs ere their quivering souls hailed with joy Iho dawning relief awaiting liiom only in tho "(lark ysllov of tho shadow of death. Those accursed garments carried mo away to hovels reeking with flith ,-iul dirt, where puny ehildron'fmht for the meanest crust, where tho iron fist, of misery crushes and bloods, whore tho very air our dear sitters breathe. is stench-laden and poisono'is—a veritable prelude to tho gates of lioll. I suppose it is ncv over 80 voars since Hood wrote tho "Son? of l.lw shirt." While tho Driiisli flag flutters proudlv in t.lio broom o'er land art'! while v<< v occasionally assemble onr.-."lv<\s into hilarious molis. shouting hysterically, " Britons never will bo slaves," what a bitt.or shout, of irony—nav, what a sotil-e.loavinir insult to *ho firv] of FrWorn n"<l His creatures; while ru"li » orving, "rowing shame nr- tho "sweated industries 1 ' of Groat Britain raise til-'-ir grievous funereal plaint, to tho 'fates of heaven, inm'ovnur jnst'oo, >'"d leave t'-. breathe and livo! May He Who never sleeps nor slumberoth arouse a honvo.nlv burning gnle of holv indignation fhet ''.ill eradiate, both root and branch, tb's baneful Tniwrhl cancer, and mav every Urit.ctn worth live nnmo <lo his and lior most strenuous best!—l Mil, clc., A. C. Robertson*. Koslyn. .April 26.