A SWEATED TRADE.

Wairarapa Age, 2 January 1913, Page 4

A SWEATED TRADE.

Tlie women, workers in the lmlVvware trade of the Black Country went on strike a few weeks ago in support of a demand for a wage of 10,s for a fifty-four hours' week. They have been earning from 5s to 8s a week at work of a particularly unhealthy character. A representative of the London "Daily Citiswai" went to the scene of the strike to learn the facts of the case for himself and he lias told some horrifying stories of the grievr _, ~es which hrought «bont the .strike. A ,:L 'lo middle-aged woman, a mother, had hr" face bandaged, and she kept her fingers pressed on her cheekbones while she talW to the pressman. She was a galvaniscr. ni'd the effect of her work had been to give her perpetual face-ache. "fjflb-.piUvV.r i\ not a-s lwwl asi enamelling." she said. "Their hair comes off. Tt comes, off nearly as soon a-s they start." The trouble in each case was caused by the fames and could hav o been prevented or at least largely reduced by the use of ventilating fans. But the law of Britabi does not go very far in protecting the workers from unhealthy conditions. "I was taken to a [house where a young woman, one of manv who do bright finning, is under medical treatment," writes the pressman. ".She Ip a strong youm? woman, full of srarit. Her owunation is to dip articles in a. en.ukb-on of boiling fat, and its effect is to arrest digestion. The do'\se fume..« of T?ns.s : an fat are as unwholesome in their way ng tho so-called 'smoke' of strong ac id that fills tliT> galvanif.nng shons." All t'w operations in thp .manufacture of hol-low-ware are destructive to olothinr. but the workers have to ■provide their own working garments. The onlv demand ( they are making now is for a "proper wture," which they estimate at iris a woek.