The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1868-09-03
Chiidren's Labor in the Welsh Mining
Districts.

One of the welsh school inspectors, M.
Binns, in his last report, adverts 10 the
employment of boys in the c~olleries ns u
grent hindrNnce to the spread OF educn-
ton. The condition of children amid the
iron works aud conl mines of Glamorgnu.
shire is, he observes. sad to Contemplated
and one that calls loudly for ~syIupatlry and
redress. They ARE brought up amid dit
and squalor, in dwellings for the most part
crowded and unhealthy and without any
better place for recreation than the Rdioin-
ing roadway on cinder heap They are
further doomed from too early au age to
dangerous aud prohEcted toll in mines.
The mines regulation act, which prohibits
boys under ten years Of nge under any cir
cumsianees from being employed lmdcr.
grormd, il he fears, sometimes eyadad.-
The ONirico and selhshness Of parents will
not unhrequently tempt them to imke
false statements OF their sons Rges
IN. order 10 secure their admission TO the
coal pit, even for some yenrs before they
are physically able TO endure the long
hours and laborious work which are re-
quired Of them; and hence accidents, mauy
of which are fatal, unayoidablv result, In
the coal mines Of South Wales thesB aoci-
tdentS are more frequent and calamitaus.
than elsewhere. In 1866 one person was
killed Tor every 2i3 who were employed,
and one life waE lost for every 1917 ions
OF cunl raisel r01 .ffG. r-r s. r..
The reports of Messrs. Brough and
Walesr the inspectors OF mines In tltis
neighborhood for the last two years. give
the details of no fewer than fOrty-Rve fatal
accidents, which happened to boys whose
ages in no case EXCEEDED thirteen years.
The former Of these gentlemen states, Mn
my district boys Of too tender an AGE are
sometimes appointed hauleri when really.
they possess neither the strength of body
OF mind sufficient for such responsible md
dangerous employment. More
over Wien Boys are too Young they are
physically unequal to the long hours usu-
assigned to trappers." Ea a
Tho 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 hefcll
boys, and he then adds: "The practice
throughout almost the whole of tho rol-
lieries in the Aberdare valley Is fer the door
boys, generally nom ten 10 fifteen years of
age, to trVel i'm front Of the. horses, haul
ing the full and empty trains to and from
the shaft ipsteado of each remaining at his
door. 3 Boys OF such tender years
are utterly incapable OF performing such
hborious work Cor twelve hoursi Undthis, /
have no hesitation in stating, is, inmiy opin-
Jon. the chief cause Of the great fatality
under this head. Should 1t lie necessary
for the haulers TO have boys tptraypl With
them, such boys ought to be older and
stronger than those now 10 work. y. 1921
On this subject MIR. Binns quotes n letter
from the Rev. @. Harries, rector OF Cell
gaer, and honorary secretary Of the Liam
dtff DioeesAulDohtd of Education, / (which
that gentleman says: Il have known a par-
! ueular idstnureim @hiohh little boy under
tpge Ypsyery nearly burnt to death in this
neighborhood, tits frequently my lot ia
expostulate with the parents On this subject,
when I tipd boys pnder0ge are put 10 work.
mid la Some Instances / have succeeded IN
getting them sent back to school for u little
Longer time. but they are soon again taken
E9way and put 10 work. lam frequently met
with the reply, 'fIhe boy is Of fulldge,i and
am compelled to be silent, although at the
same time 4 feel! sure such is not really the
l. no "a HnNF rrH T.H#sH -