H.—s

8

fifteen. That is about seven months ago. Their ages were about fifteen to twenty-five. No men or boys. There was a pants machine used, but not regularly. 136. I was on piecework all the time. There was only one girl on set wages. I earned from 9s. to 10s. all the time—that is, taking the breakages out of it. I was better than an ordinary worker. We mostly made socks at Is. 6d. a dozen. I could make a dozen and two or a dozen and four a day. We worked the regular hours—B to 5. Some girls took the work home—that is, to sew the toes. They received 2s. a dozen for sewing the toes. That was the average rate in the town at that time. The rate of wages was higher at the beginning : first it was 2s. 3d. a dozen, then 25., then Is. 9d., and when I left it was Is. 6d. 137. The reason was, that our employer did not get so much, so she could not pay us so much. Mrs. C. was getting contracts from the warehouses. 138. I never remember ever seeing the Factory Inspector in our room. We worked in a very large room, and good ventilation, and ali the necessary conveniences. I had no complaint to make at all. 139. There was often illness among the girls from working too hard. The general health was affected. 140. The machine was worked with the right hand. 141. Out of our salary we had to pay breakages, which would average from 9d. to Is. a week for the whole year. I was very constantly employed. 142. I could not earn enough; that is why I left. 143. I have got a machine of my own at home. I am working for Mr. Jamieson, in the Octagon. lam getting 2s. 3d. a dozen. I have to provide my own winders. 144. I am obliged to stick to the trade because I learnt it. 145. I have not seen them making the socks in the large factories. I like working at home better because I can work longer hours. I work twelve hours a day—from 6 till 6. I must make two dozen and finish them to make a living. 146. I am employed the whole year through. 147. The machines cost £9 10s. It has cost me 10s. in seven months. Mrs. B. examined. 148. I am a widow. I was a machinist for over two years, working at a clothing-factory. Ever since my husband died I have had to work, on and off. I worked in the same way for years before I was married. After working for some years I bought a machine and took work in different places. Altogether I have worked as a machinist for about eight years—partly before I was married and partly since my husband's death. I worked at home for Mrs. Mayer, and a good deal for Mrs. Wilson. The work was in making shirts and flannels. When I worked at home, before I was married —fully four years ago—l had a little girl that worked for me. 149. I took the work from two persons, whose names I have mentioned. The price for shirts was 4s. Bd., another 2s. 10d., and another Is. 9d. or Is. lOd. per dozen. For Crimean shirts I got 4s. Bd., but I believe that was for finishing and all. Single-seam shirts were 2s. 10d., and the youths' Is. 9d. or Is. lOd. for machining alone. I have done no shirts since that time. 150. About six months after the death of my husband, which occurred about two years ago, I worked for Mr. Moore, who keeps a knitting-factory in Walker Street. I took the work, which consisted of machining and finishing knitted pants, home with me. For the pants I first got 7s. a dozen, and some time afterwards I made them for 6s. 6d., though there was more work in finishing the bottoms of the pants than in doing the others. 151. I kept a little girl to do the hand-sewing on the top of the pants. That was work that would not pay any one who wanted to earn money. My sister helped me sometimes, and I also had a girl aged twenty-nine working with me. To the little girl who did the hand-sewing I first gave 4s. a week, and then ss. a little later on. She had to feed herself, and lived with her mother, who had a family of eight in Cannongate. 152. I did not let out work otherwise. Mr. Moore got the work from the warehouse and sublet it to me. 153. It would be hard to say what hours we worked, but the little girl, who was about fourteen years of age, worked the hours. 154. I have started work at half-past 6 in the morning, and worked till all hours. 155. The most we could earn on guernseys was 2s. 3d. a day till dinner-time. I got 4£d. each for guernseys, and would not do one in less than an hour and three-quarters. By " the lot " I meant myself, Miss 8., and the little girl; my sister, who kept house, working also occasionally. 156. We began work at from half-past 6 to 7 o'clock in the morning, and had intervals for meals. If we were not busy we would take most of the hour, and if we were busy we would take a quarter of an hour, or return to work at once. The girl had her hour ; she went home to her lunch. We went on working then till 5 o'clock; then would have tea, and always worked an hour or two after—sometimes till 10 and after. 157. Working eight hours a day I should not have earned 12s. a week. If I earned more it was by working almost double time. 158. The cost of living to myself would not be less than 10s. a week ; including clothing and rent it would cost me 15s. Ido not think a single woman living in lodgings could live on less than 10s. or 15s. a week, and ss. a week would not more than keep her in clothes and boots. I cannot speak positively on that point, as I have never lived alone or with strangers. 159. I have not been working since the Union started. I told Mr. Moore that unless I had the pants I could not earn food. He said he could not get pants, but would try to give me guernseys. I said if I got 6d. for them I could not earn wages. I had to give the guernseys up, and they sent for what I had unfinished, as they could do them in the factory at 4Jd. by having little girls to do them ; so I have not had any since.