Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1868-09-04
Chiidren's Labor in the Welsh Mining
DiSfriets

One of the Welsh school inspectors, Mr..
Binns, in, his last report, adverts to the
employment Of boys in the colleries as a
great hindrance to the spread of educa-
ton. The condition of children amid the
iron works and coal mines of Glamorgan-
shire is, he observes, sad to contemplate,
and one that calls loudly for sympathy and
redress. They are brought up amid dirt
and squalor, in dwellings, for the most part
crowded and unhealthy, and without any
better place for recreation than the adjoin-
ing roadway or cinder heap. They are
further doomed from too early an age to
dangerous aud protracted toll in mines. r
The mines regulation act, which prohibits
boys under ten years OF age under any CIR
cumstances from being employed under
ground, il he Iears, sometimes eyaded.
The avaIiee and selhshness of parents will
not unfrequently tempt them to make
false statements of their sons ages
in order to secure their admission to the
coal pit, even for some years before they
are physically able to endure the long
hours and laboTions work which are reY,
CURED OF them; and hence accidents, many
of which are fatal, unayoidably result. In
the coal mines Of South Wales these acct
dents are more frequent and calamitous
than elsewhere. In 1866 one person Was
killed for every 243 who We're employed,
and one life was lost for every rs, l37 tons
of coal raised.
The reports of Measrs. Brough and
Wales the inspectors of mines in this
neighborhood for the last two years, give
the details OF no fewer than forty-tive fatal
accidents, which happened TO boys whose
ages in no case exceeded thirteen years.
The former Of these gentlemen states: In
my district boys of too tender an age are
sometimes appointed haulers when really
they possess neither the strength of body
or-mind sufficient for such responsible and
dangerous employment More
over when boys. are too young they are
physically unequal to the long hours nsu-
assigned to tIappers."
The latter gentleman also concurs in
these opinions, and while recording the
loss OF twenty-five lives by trans, he states
that of these no less than sixteen befe1l
boys. and he then adds: "The practice
throughout almost the whole of the col
lieries in the AberdaTe valley is for the door
bows. generally from ten to fifteen years of
age to travel in front of the horses, haul
ing the full and empty trains to and from
the shaft, instead of each remaining OF his
door. Boys of such tender years
are utterly incapable of performing such
IaDOflOuS WOfk lOf tN6iNe nous ana Ills, i
have no hesitation in stating, is, III my opin-
ion, the chief cause of the great fatality
under this head Should it be necessary
for the haulers to have boys to travel with
them, such boys ought to be older and
stronger than those now ut work.
On this subject Mr.. Binns quotes letter
from the Rev. G.. Harries. rector Of Gelli-
gaer, and honorary secretary of the Liam
DAFT Diocesan Board OF Education, in which
that gentleman says; 81 have known par
ticnlilr instance in which little boy under
age was very nearly burnt to death in this
neighborhood. 1t is frequently my lot to
expostulate with the parents Oh this subject,
when find boys under agcare put to work;
and III some instances 1 have succeeded in
getting them sent back to school for little
longer time, but they are soon again taken
away andput TO work. lam frequently met
with the reply, '.Tne boy is of iullage, aud
am compelled to be silent. although at the
same time feel sure such IS not really the
case"