The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1888-06-09 00:00:00

THE SWEATING SYSTEM.

On resuming on Tuesday, Lord Dunraven's Commit-
tee of the House of Lords took the evidence of a ladies'
tailor who worked with his wife and one little girl for
a particular firm which was, he said, the worst in the
sweating trade, but the name of which he weuld
rather not mention. Referring to a statement that
Poole's did not employ sweaters, he gave the name of
a foreigner in Garrard-street, who he maintained re-
ceived trousers from Poole's to make at ss. 6d. per
pair, and let them out to women to make at is. 3d.
per pair, and also employed men to finish at about a
pound a week. He added later that Poole's had en-
deavoured to check sweating, but had found it would
be cruel to withdraw all the work. Since this inquiry
began they had employed more men in their own
shops. He gave the name of a large firm of ladies'
tailors who he said executed orders for Princesses and
the aristocracy, and who employed women to make
jackets and bodices which were supposed to be made by
men. In answer to Lord Onslow, he did not agree that
ladies were aware that the work was only cut out by men.
He gave the names of several firms which he said gave
out work on the sweating system. He had been
offered 4s. for each good tailor he took into one shop;
but he was told a man whom he took was not a good
man, and he would only be paid 25., which he had
not yet got. The system of employing young women
in the same rooms with foreign men of different
degrees of intelligence conduced to immorality. Many
of the young tailoresses were immoral and addicted
to drink, and it was difficult to get them to work on
Mondays. In cross-examination on this point, he
said he had worked in a shop where there were 15
men and 25 women. Bad and obscene language was
commonly used in shops where men and women
worked together. The best firms did not employ
men and women together. In reply to Lord Derby,
he agreed that the low prices were due to coinpeti-
tion among the workers themselves, and he could
suggest no remedy except education of the men.
Asked as to co-operation, he said the conductors of
the Rochdale Co-operative Society acted in the same
way as the gentlemen conducting the Civil Service
Stores. W. J. Price, an English journeyman
tailor, whose physique and respectable dress con-
trasted most strikingly with the appearance of the
foreign sweaters, deposed that he had been employed
by large houses in the East-end to give out and take
in work. He had given out as many as 200 coats in
bundles of about six each to one man to be made at
2s. each. When they came in he had to see that the
work was satisfactory at the price. Commission was
often paid to foremen, and the man who paid the
biggest commission, which of course reduced the price,
got the most work. One house where he was engaged
for six months made 400 coats for discharged soldiers
for the Government at 2s. each. A superior sample
was sent in to the factory at Pimlico at 3s. 6d., but
the bulk was not of that class. When they found it
out the Government were very strict in enforcing the
penalty against employing sweaters. He did not know
what price was paid by the Government. In answer
to the Archbishop of Canterbury, witness said there
were plenty of people willing to make coats at 5d., or
even 4d. each. Samples were always paid more.
Samuel Miles, boot manufacturer for ten years, for
home and foreign use, believed the sweating system
had increased during that period. He did not em-
ploy sweaters, bnt gave his work direct to the
workmen. He objected to the long hours, the un-
sanitary condition of the work, and the middleman
of the sweating process, and he had written a
pamphlet against it. He suggested a sweating Act of
Parliament to prevent a man sub-letting the work
which he took from a factory, to prevent him work-
ing more than twelve hours a day, and to provide for
the registration of all workshops even when only a
man and his wife were employed. He agreed with
the chairman that if such an Act were passed this
country would probably lose the trade carried on by
sweaters, but some sacrifice must be made.