The Sun.
London, England, 1842-11-17 00:00:00

DISTRESSED SHIRT-MAKERS.

A meeting was held on Tuesday, at the School-room,
Totton-street, Stepney Church-yard, to take into
consideration the case of the shirt-makers of that part
of the metropolis, and the inadequate payment which
they receive for their labour.
The chair was taken by the Rev. W. Allen.
Mr. W. S. CUMMING, surgeon, then stated the ob-
ject for which this meeting had been called. It ap-
peared that his attention had been first called to the
subject from having attended a woman who had
taken vitriol for the purpose of destroying herself,
and, on inquiring the cause which led her to take
such a step, he learnt that her husband was a sailor,
and that she, not being able to receive any part of his
wages in his absence, had endeavoured to earn her sub-
sistence by making sailors' shirts, but finding that
though she worked from six in the morning till eleven
at night, and sometimes all night, she could not earn
enough to enable her to procure the necessaries of
life, she had been induced to pawn the work which
she had in hand. To avoid being apprehended she
had taken the vitriol, and it was from having at-
tended this woman that his attention had first
been called to the subject. He was informed that
for making a shirt the workwomen received only one
penny, and that out of this penny they were obliged
to find thread, which reduced the sum paid for making
a shirt to little more than three farthings, and that it
took a good hand fully two hours to make a shirt of
that particular sort. He felt horrified when he found
that in this country women worked thirteen hours a
day for about 6d., and he was assured that there were
many thousands employed in this manner who did not
earn more than 4id. a day each. He asked the women
present whether he had not stated the truth. He be-
lieved he was right in saying that out of the sum paid
them they had to find their own thread.—(One of the
women said, "Needles, too, Sir.") As the shirts were
generally made for sailors, he thought the trade could
easily afford to raise the price, because sailors would
never grudge the additional penny. Something ought
to be done to relieve them, and this, he thought, was
the fairest way of doing it. All that they required
was to have 2d. instead of ld. for making a shirt, and
this addition would never be felt either by the pur-
chaser or by the trader. If this was not done, the
guardians of the poor ought to assist them.
A woman in the meeting here stated that the
guardians rather did them an injury, because they
took shirting into the workhouse, and, without pay-
ing anything, employed the inmates in making it into
shirts.

A decent-looking woman then came forward, and
showed to the Chairman and meeting a shirt of a su-.
perior kind, which she was employed in making.. She
declared that it took a good hand fourteen hours to
make such a shirt, and that the, price paid for making
it was only 6d.
Mr. SINDALL, a parishioner of Limehouse parish,
thought they ought to inquire into the statement re-
lative to the Guardians allowing work to be taken into
the workhouse. They ought also to inquire whether
these shirts were not made for exportation.
Mr. COLEMAN believed that there were middlemen
who, in consideration of their becoming security to
the warehouses, got a profit which ought to go to the
trader and the persons employed in making the shirts.
In answer to questions put to one of the women by
Mr. T. Roberts, it appeared that one penny was the
price paid for making a sailor's shirt, and that it took
a good hand to make six of these shirts in thirteen
hours; that the price paid for making, the finer sort
of shirts was 6d., but that the same time was required
to make one of the finer sort as was required to make
six of the common kind ; there were about 500 females
employed in that parish, at about 6d. a day, and there
were eight or nine slop houses that employed them.
Mr. ROBERTS then said that he had no doubt a great
part of the shirts made were exported; but still he
did not think the lowness of the wages was caused
by any competition in the making of shirts between
this and a foreign country, but that it arose front a
domestic competition—a competition of house against
house, anxious for an extension of business, but re-
gardless of the sufferings of the working people.
In answer to a question, one of the women stated
that in some shops there were middlemen employed,
hut they were only employed where fine
shirting was given out ; and, in considera-
tion of their becoming security, they received a half-
penny out of the sixpence paid for the making of each
fine shirt.

A resolution was then moved and carried, to the
effect that a Committee be appointed to collect fur-
ther information on the subject, to make representa-
tions to the persons engaged in the trade, and, if ne-
cessary, to call a public meeting on the subject.
Thanks having been voted to the Chairman, the
meeting separated.

Dean Park, the hospitable seat of the Earl of
Cardigan, is now full of visitors. The sports of the
field occupy the mornings, cards and music fill the
evenings. Prince George of Cambridge, who has
been staying on a visit to Lord Forester, at Willey
Park, was expected to join the circle. Mr. and Mrs.
De Burgh, sister to the Countess, are among the
visitants.
The Marquis and Marchioness of Westminster
have returned to Eaton Hall, near Chester, from Hal-
kin Castle, Flintshire. The improvements and em-
bellishments at Grosvenor House, by the removal of
the mansions lately occupied by the United States
Minister and Lord Trimlestown, have already com-
menced, the workmen having nearly razed those
edifices to the ground.
A subscription has been entered into at Brighton
in';,behalf of the family of Nicholas Humphrey, who
it will be remembered lost his life by his fishing-boat
being run down by the steam-packet Albion. It
already amounts to 611.
SYMBOLICAL EPITAPIL—In a recent number of the
Cambridge Chronicle is the following typographical
nwrceau :—"Death of a Printer.—George Woodcock,
the * of his profession,
ILO
the type of honesty, the ! of
all; and, although the
of death has put a . to
his existence, every E 3 of his life was without a 11.