Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-09-23
EngIish Mediterranean.

The needewomen of Liverpool have been hold
ing meetings for the purpose of procuring an in
crease of pay for their hard labor. A Mr..
Stmson, who takes great interest in the work.
ing classes, presides at their assemblies and the
facts brought to light show that the condition
OF the English needlewoman is indeed deplora.
Die. One woman, mantle maker, stated that
she worked twelve hours day, with an allow
anee OF an hour and half for meals. When
the inspector came to visit the work room the
employer represented that there were fewer peo-
pie in the house than there really were her OBJ
Ject 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 shillings to
twelve shillings a week, and for these sums the
women had TO keep themselves.
The mantle makers, however, would seem 10
be much better paid than the plain sewers. One
young woman, plain sewer, said she worked
eleven hours day and received permanent
salary of seven shillings a week, and she was the
best machinist in the room. If this is the wages
OF the best it may be imagined what the bad
machinists receive. One old woman who said
she had been forty years plain sewer actually
asserted that she had worked five days for eigh-
teen pence A middle-aged woman said she had
work at sack making from haf-past seven in the
morning till SIX in the evening, with half an
hour for dinner, and she got four shillings a
week. A young woman said she was a ma
chlnlst, and made youths single jackets, for
which she was paid at the rate of tivepence for
Jour. 1t took her half the day TO make the four
when she came out at night, she added after
working heavy machine all day, she could
hardly stand on her feet
But even this statement is surpassed by that
OF another machinist who makes gentemen's
troWsers' and who said she was paid three shi-
hngS dozen, or for the very best four shilinos
II we worked" she explained, "from six
O'Clock in the morning until twelve at night. we
might manage, with the assistance of a baster
10 make half a Dozen" Chat is, asked Mr.
Sampson, "two shillings for working eighteen
hours, ana out OF That sum you find your own
thread and silkP To which she replied eyes -
Another young woman said she got three half
pence dozen for making linen cuffs and collars
She could earn five pence a day by working
from nine to seven. That was as much as others
earned. A correspondent of the Liverpool AL
plon, VINO has been investigating the matter
coutirms many of the above statements.
The following is a description of one Of the
above establishments visited by him: "The
workrooms are two cellars, each fifteen feet by
eighteen feet, the floors being nine feet six in.
ches beneath the level Of the roadway An
opening has been made in the partition wall so
as TO connect the two cellars. Workshops less
likely to fulfill the conditions of health it would
be difficult to conceive. One of the cellars
contained five machines and the other three
The proprietor informed us that he employed
sixteen or seventeen hands, including his
wife and himself, but at the time of our
VISIT there was no work going on in one of the
cellars. In the other there were nine girls and
women, some at work and others taking tea
dinner The cOuntenance Of all, proprietor
and proprietoTs wife, women and girls--bore a
sallow evidence of the effects OF spending many
hours day in close place. II is but fair 10
add that the profits Of the Sweater appear TO
De anything but excessive. He is, in fact butt
contractor for the shops, and is himself nearly
as poor as those he employs