The “Living-in” System.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLII, Issue 14, 7 April 1909, Page 10

The “Living-in” System.

ONE CLEAN SHEET A FORTNIGHT. A graphic story of the evil side of the living-in system is - included in the voluminous evidence given before the Truck Committee, which was issued recently in the form of two large Blue Books (says a London paper). The story was told by a young woman described as Miss X because she said she would “get the swap at a minute’s notice” if her employer knew she was appearing before the committee. Her story, as it was drawn from her by the questions of the members of the committee,-was as follows: — She is employed in a large draper's shop in a Yorkshire town. There are 120 assistants in all. The hours are from 8.45 a.m. to 8 p.m., except on Saturdays, when she works till 10 p.m.‘ There is no half-day holiday. On the floor where she sleeps there are 15 young women. They have no bath, and there is only one washbasin available for all 15 to wash in. The girls make their own beds, and get one clean sheet a fortnight. The meals are as follows: — Breakfast: Bread and margarine and eoffee. I Dinner: Aliout two spoonfuls of soup; , beef, .mutton', or ham, often so l« tainted that they cannot eat it, ’ and vegetables; sago pudding and F rhubarb tart. I Tea: Bread and margarine and tea. | Supper: and cheese and coffee.

The employer always takes his break, fast with the assistants, but he has bacon and eggs, which, as one member of the committee remarked. “Is rather tantalising.”

The girl’s wages are £35 a year, and she saw the situation advertised in the “Christian World.’.’ Fines and Deductions. The evidence gives a remarkable insight iitjo the systems of fines and deductions for damage carried on in many of the industries of "the country. One of the witnesses. Miss R. E. Squires, an inspector of factories, told of the extraordinary. ciistoms.,, prevailing in the wholesale clothing districts of Leeds. Bristol and London. Not only are the workpeople fined foy innumerable offences, but they are forced to purchase all the work they spoil. This is especially hard on the women who are employed in factories where men’s clothing is made, as the goods they are compelled to buy are of no value to them. In other industries the same system prevails. In the case of a patent huttonholemaker two dozen and four hunting ties were charged to one Woman because the holes were too far apart. The wage earned on them was 5/5, and she was charged 14/7. A collarmaker stitched 12 dozeji collars wrongly. The was 1/9, but she was charged £1 0/6. Dozens of similar cases .were detailed, and it was stated that the result was that most of the workers are permanently in debt to their employers, and suffer a deduction in their wages every week. Deductions made from wages for materials and other services formed the subject of other remarkable evidence. In one ease 100 girls were employed by a firm of blousemakers, and each girl had to pay 2d a week for the service of the kitchen girl. The kitchen girl only received 8/0 a week, so that the other 8/2 went into the firm’s pocket. In another case 400 machinists at a ladies’ tailor’s paid 2d a week to the cook. The cook received 14/ a week, while the girls paid £3 0/8.