The Express.
London, England, 1868-06-26 00:00:00

[STAMPED Id. ADDITIONAL.) ONE PEN-NY.

711 E HOURS OF LABOUR REGULATION
BILL IN THE METROPOLIS.

A proof of the inefficiency of the new act
is supplied by the continued existence of the
child-labour market in Bethnal-green. The idea
of a metropolitan bazaar for the hire of chil-
dren may seem incredible to many, yet the market
has actually been in existence for many years—
for more than half a century. It is held near an
arch of the Great Eastern Railway, situate in
White-street, a humble-looking thoroughfare
leading from the Bethnal-green-road into White-
chard-road, and inhabited principally by silk-
weavers and other operatives. The market hours
are from 7to 8 or 9 on Monday and Tteselay
mornings. At these times, numbers of children,
belonging to both sexes, their ages ranging from
9 to 16, are to be found standing, or walking
about, on the pavement, waiting to be hired. The
number varies considerably, according to the period
of the year and the prevailing demand for labour,
but the average number of children to be met
with at any one tithe is seldom less than 40 or 30.
In former years the number was much larger.
The children are hired by the week, the wages
ranging from Is. 6d. to 2s. 81., with " 2d. for my-
self," and tea. No character is required on either
side; in fact, so far as the children are concerned,
there is often none to give. The girls are engaged
principally for the purpme of taking care of
infants while the mothers are at work ; the lads
are usually employed by the weavers and others,
the hours of labour being from 7 or it a.m. to
8 or 9 p.m., sometimes less and sometimes more.
The general character of these child-labourers is
described as being very bad. A woman engaged
in twisting chenille fur hair-nets told Mr. Lord
that she knew the market very well. "It is about
the worst thing ever introduced ; it is in every
way productive of evil to the children who go
there to be hired. Tho insults and language used
there are shocking ; no decent child can attend
without being contaminated." Dr. Sarvis, the
medical officer of health for the 1141m:ti-
gress district. says :—" The scene and lan-
guage while this market is going on are quite
disgraceful. I have several f Ls applied to the
police niagistnites, and have written to Sir Rielrinl
Mayne to endeavour to put a stop to it, and the
police have choked it a little; but after a short
time it is as bad as ever again." The r olio. are
unanimous in expressing their dislike of the fluty
thus imposed upon them. It is of a most annoy-
ing and disagreeable character. At the first
appearance of the police, children and hirers rush
shouting and swearing to another street. constantly
retreating or doubling back, according to cir-
cumstances. The workshops in which the children
thus hired are employed are wholly beyond the
reach of the law in its present inefficient condition.
Go where we will—east, north, or south—we find
the provisions of the act uniformly disregarded in
those place where its restraining powers arc most
needed. Among the majority of Irish and Jew
slop-workers of Whitochapel, Bethnal-green silk
weavers and fancy trimming makers, Shoreditch
cabinet workers, boot and shoe makers of the
Hackney-road and Bethnal-green, Islington arti-
ficial flower-makers, and a multitude of others,
little or no change hay been effected in
the long hours or unwholesome conditions
of labour. In many cases they profess to be
wholly ignorant of the provisions of the act ; in
others they express their disbelief in its ability to
reach them. T. properly enforce it in certain dis-
tricts, almost every house would require to be
placed under constant espionage. As to procuring
information from the workers themselves, it is
simply impossible. Whether they be children or
adults, it is difficult to make them fully compre-
hend that the act is intended for their benefit. All
that they can understand is that it timid& to limit
the amount of wages procurable by them, and
this in their eyes is amply sufficient to render the
act completely obnoxious. Besides, a workman
who turned round and gave evidence against his
employer would find the door of every workshop
henceforth ruthlessly dosed against him. It seems
to be pretty generally admitted that the only
effectual method of preventing the employment
of children under the ages of 10 or 11 consists in
the enforcement of a compulsory of educa-
tion. When the children are in Tete:heel, they
cannot be in the workshop. With respect
to the females employed in those workshops,
those accustomed to the use of sewing-machines
arc often tempted, by the desire to increase their
weekly gains, to improperly prolong their hours
of labour.. Where the work is performed at home,
they may be found at the machine from 6 or 7 in
the morning until 8,9, or 10 at night. This is
particularly the case in the tailoring trade. The
rapid mutations of fashion lately observable in this
country have operated very prejudicially upon the
interests of the workers employed in the manufac-
ture of female clothing. of preparing stocks
against sudden emergencies, employers, especially
those on a small scale, now prefer to execute
orders only; the consequence being alternate
periods of " slack " and " busy" times ; days of
idleness being followed by days and nights of
severe and exhausting labour. Tho decisions ob-
tained by Dr. Allis in the prosecutions instituted
by him have had some little influence upon the
better class of West-end milliners, but they have
affected very slightly the general character of the
trade, the act being evaded in many instances by
allowing the workers to take home materials to
make up, instead of compelling them to remain
in the workshop. A fashionable lady requiring
a dress curly in the morning, and only giving
the order lute on the previous evening, would, in
nut a few instances, experience little or no dilli-
eulty in procuring compliance with her wishes.
These and many other circumstances tend to show
that, however successful may have been the opera-
tion of the Factory Acts as applied to large esta-
blishments, the attempted application of the same
principle, as embodied in the Hours of Labour
Regulations Acts, to small workshops appeans
destined to ignominious defeat and failure.

THE RE(IENT'S-PARK OILNAMEST.ti, WATER.. -
At the Marylebone vestry yesterday Mr. T. Id Browning,
the chief surveyor, reported on the works now carried on
by the Ffist Comuihmoner in preparing the slopes for the
future lake. He said the side of the proposed lake, from
the bottom up to winter level, is formed of concrete six
inches thick, laid at an inclination of 2to 1. On the top
of this concrete is another slope, with an inclination of
to 1, and is constructed of brick and stone iu Portland
cement. He found by experiment that it was exceedingly
difficult to walk up tho 'sides, and was of opinion that
after the water ts in the lake it will be alumet
impossible for even an adult to come out without
assistance. lie recommended that the sides be increased
in width, in order to lessen the steep gradient of the
slopes, which would entail an extra expense of about 400!.
The depth at summer level will be 4 feet 9 inches at the
foot of the slope, and slightly increasing in depth to the
middle of the lake. This depth the pariah surveyor thinks
is too much. In winter the depth will be 3 foot 9 inches.
Mr. Thomson Hawkey, M.P., Mr. George Bird. Mr. Verev,
and others concurred in thinking the lake, if constructed
according to the government plan, will be extremely dan-
gerous, and a resolution was passed that the chief say-
veyor's report be sent to the First Commissioner of Works,
together with an amended plan suggested by the
11111TPV0T.

N ew ern, Orvicru.--A new officer is about to
be appointed by the corporation to make periodical and
iyitetratc surveys of the City propel ty. The 4,:lection of
five from the candidates who awly will rout with the
joint committers of City Lands and Bridge-house Estat44.
Ile Wary is 40W. per 11111211111.
DysrErsia, Cosauurrios, &C., CURED tor Du
RTVALTATA ARADICA FOOD TO THLBTODArIf, nerytat,
lung., and liter of old and , earlas, without nued:aine or en•
la yet, tI7 apapala (indigo, oanatipatton, diarrhnts, aald;ty,
14va.ltarha, neuralgia, hyatarat, palpitation, aleeftleavora,
weninr, seat,. arthms, freers, anta,ulnTatoo, law 40,0.0
ems which bad rwafatad all atedlino, inelnallts that of his Holt.
sic,. the Papa It aataa fifty i taw,. t* n..tt nth,
llt, h Id.: 19b., ; Lllw, tea. or Id. oar steal. Alm lb*
le,Tollnto Cl onclata Powder, mom strengthening than OP Wen.
tented bert.—Lla Barry sad Co., 77, Rwatqaadraat, Landon:
alma Fortnum and ,31amaa • sad at .4rapicharal,atroot ;4. MOW-
side ; sad 180. Oztaid4treet.-4Ad ralisaaeot.l

oU It CON TEM volt A itl6-3.
(THIS DAY.)