National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1872-09-20
English NecdleWOmen,


The needle women OF Liverpool hay,
been holding meetings. for tho purpose
OF procuring an increase Of pay fer thcil
hard labor. A Mr.. Stimson, who takes
a great interest in the working-classes
presides Mt their assemblies, and the
Facts brought to light show that the con
diton of the English needle. women is,
indeed, deplorable. One woman, u man
tie maker, stated that she worked twelve
hours a day, with an allowance of 40
hour and half for meals. When the
inspector came TO visit the worI,room the
employer represented that there were
fewer people in the house than there
usually were, her object being to get the
establishment under the Workshop Act
instead of the Factory Act, so as to be
able to keep her workwomen to later
hour. The wages ranged from five shil-
lings to twelve shillings week, and for
these sums the women had to keep them
selves.
The mantle makers, however would
seem to be much better paid than the
plain sewers. One young woman, u
plain sewer, said she worked eleven hours
Il day and received permanent salary
of seven shillings week, and she was
the best machnist in the room. II this
is the wages of the best it may be i'm.
agined what the bad machinists receive.
One old woman, who said she hal been
forty years plain sewer, actually assert
ed that she had worked five days for
eighteen pence. A middle-agcd woman
said she had worked at sackmaking from
half-past seven in the morning till six in
the evening, with half an hour for din.
ner, and she got four shillings II week.
A young woman said she was a machin.
lst, and made youths single jackets, for
which she was paid ut the rate of five
pence for four. 1t took her half of the
day to make the four. When she came
ont at night she added, after working a
heavy machine all day, she could hardly
sand on her feet.
But even this statement is surpassed
b., that OF another machinist, who makes
trousers, and who said she
was paid three shlllings n dozen, or for
the very best four shillings. "lf we
worked" she explained, "from six O'Clock
in the morning until twelve at night. we
might manage with tie assistance of n
bnster to make half-a-dozen." "That
is, asked Mr.. Simpson, "two shillings
for working eighteen hours, and ont of
that sum you lind your own thread and
silk ?" To which she replied "Ves"
Another young women said she got
three half-pence dozen for making
linen cuffs and collars. She could earn
five pence day by working from nine
to seven. That was as much MS Others
earned. a correspondent of the Liver
pool A'5ioN who has been investigating
the matter, confirms many of the above
The following is description of one
IF the above establishments visited by
him: The workrooms are two cellars,
,ach fifteen feet by eighteen feet, the
doors being nine feet SIX inches beneath
,he level of the roadway. An opening
laS been made in the partition wall so as
o come. the two cellars. Workshops
css likely to fulfil the conditions Of
health 1t would be rather difficult to con
GIVE. One of the cellars contained five
machines and the other three. The
proprietor informed US that he employ
II sixteen or seventeen hands, inclu-
ling his wife and himself, but at the time
If our visit there was no work going on /
n one OF the cellars. In the other there c
we're nine girls and women, some at {
york and others taking tea dinner. t
The countenance of all, proprietor and q
wife, women and girls-bore q
allow evidence of the effects of spend t
ng many hours day in close place. 5
t is but fair to add that the profits of |
he sweater appear to be anything but C
1cessive. He is, in fact, but a contrac-
Or for the shops, and is himself nearly
$ poor as those he employs" c