New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-05-14
INDUSTRIAL ENGLAND.
BY ROBERT P. PORTER. MEMBER OF THE LATE
TARIFF COMMISSION
XVI
STARVATION WAGES N COVENTRY.


a weaver, who was glad to accompany me for few
shillings day through the streets and to show
me where the working classes lived. The streets
are narrow and the houses very old and rapidly
decaying especially in the central part of the CITY.
Coventry being a clean dry city, and the bust
ness Of weaving being cleaner than that Of coal
mining and iron manufacture and there being
no large manufactures as one finds IN the
woollen and cotton districts of Yorkshire
and Lancashire. the general aspect is
cleaner though not less cheerless when you enter
the cottages of the operatives. Most OF them were
very destitute of furniture and a couple of looms
occupied nearly AL the space in the two rooms
The men were pale and thin and want made the
cLeek-bones of the women stand ont and their eyes
were set IN red rings of inflammation. Meat
something they hardly ever tasted and yet, as one
poor fellow remarked, iou want bit O. meat to
keep up your strength for weaving it's hard work
though il mayn't look IT,"
Tea and bread and butter are what they live on.
sad one woman, looking afcctionatey at her pale
emacaed husband: "Poor fellow. he never even
@"'s all pint o beer" If some of the fine people
who wear rich velyes, handsome ribbons and costly
scaris could see the worn looms the half-st11vcd
wcavers. the spare hand that throws he shuttle
the bare room, and the miserable scramble here
where II Is woven for an insufficient quantity of
lOod, AIN thinking their faces might tingle with
shame. one English writer has recently very aptly
SAID That the contrast between the velvet of pail
ana mo corpse 10 covers is not less king than
that between a plnchcd slk-weaver seated at his
loom ana the rich fabric growing slowly. in spite
81 the swlitness of his shuttle beneath his fin
gers Indeed, in the whole industry as carried
on at Coventry, and | might add in other parts
OF England excepting .u such immense estab-
llShments rs The Listcrs described IN the Bradford
letter poverty and luxury stare strangely into each
Others eyes You cannot help fancying that the
beautiful product lcarously for its future wearers
must feel half ashamed Here is "A fair description
Of the average weayer's Both back and front
are lighted by weaver's easements. running almost
the whole width OF the house. Inside. the front
window stand few plants pots cut down for the
winter. The boarded floors are bare Tho front
room, which i, the living ROOM is furnished with
the wife, loom, bedStead. a chair or two some |
old prints and crockery hanging on the walls ana |
a niue round table by the lire The husbands |
loom ana lev miscellaneous articles furnish the |
BACK room lie is n spare man. poorly clad, and. a. |
MS lace shows poorly fed, very eliigent with a
good forehead, genial eyes and pleasant smile |
Here is his story:
Have been all my life a weaver am now sixty |
six years old | began when | was fourteen; |
served seven years apprenticeship. It's next door |
to starvation. oar trade is dying ont and good |
Job too told my master once that thcrc'd soon |
he an end 20 u, and good thing too Why so |
says he. why sir say.I who'd apprenti ICE his son
to earn staryationf Would You like to have your
BOY TAUGHT such a line trade as th&tY OF course.
hc couldn't say he Womb but he SAYS: 'You NAV
thank your fine free trade for IL all. What, the
good of cheap bread TO you If you've got no money
20 bay II with 7''
These men eau make at most ABOUT los 80 40
week. and rent j. from - sd. $50 cents g. 3s ~
cents week. Before giving my own experience
u tAc Coventry district, wish TO quote Iescrlp-
tiou Of -ih-weat er's family by the late Dr. Rowe
an English authority who did much in showing
how tho voik.people 1--we IN England under free
ira le and chelpn,ss:
The door is opened bv a woman of from five to
!. ,hf and twenty She La, moi a bad t,,nrt and
lace Want IS clearly stamped o. her face The
room holds her loom and her husbaud - Il bedstead |
on the uuuidr bed OF which lie "A baby and a cat
t1hl" tive or three chairs, few clothes hung
upon string TO dry-and very lttlr cls,, animate
The eldest of five children. born iu SIX wears hs-
trotte4 oil to school IN dread OF the school board
officers Baby's predecessor dlcd IN fits" Two
pleasant faced but sadly faced toddlcrs won
IeriullN clean and neat consurrillg th.ir parent.
'lr umstaDccs. stare AT the stranger with big eyes
expanded 10 the utmost When mite f. offered 10 |
he mites and they are asked If they know how 10
spend 1t, the mother answers for them gratefully
yet bitterly, II will buy them something 10 eat"
Hear the Womans story:
Yes work. she SAYS. "wLcu I've timr-wheu
/ We done mp the place and dressed the children or
" hen they re abcd. But II isn't much can do with
4 baby, and them two 80 hide. IcThap, may earn |
= I-d. L cents day. sometimes. Be,Idc waiting
~ the masters We lose about quarter o. our time
long work for Which we get no paw II viii fax, |
me to hodrS and half to get this ready" she ex
'alrs ~ she fingers The blue ossy threads stretch
M along her loom.
The husband then comes forward in his shirt
,leeves lie L. stubhll bearded prcnatulely aged
nan of about three Or four and thirty with Stn1p
M shoulders. hollow cheeks aud deeply Sunken
ives He u civil and pleasant To speak TO- but rot
20 hopclcs-ly resigned to his lot rs the older men
Hear the husbands story:
"lcs they're nice little 'uns." lie says d" and It's
ara TOT % u1u {" see lis children Gfd-eed up this
ashton and not 10 he able t. better a. Working
1--we 1" thlItcen hours. perhaps ! may make -
1T. $50 cents a day. II You were to come m Al q
o-uight yuu would tnd lac IL woro don't be-
eye Mdd, lore Il an L2O $50 Last yen. Live.
lying. When people talk 10 me- about the prlte of
neat. J often say that II wouldn't matter to- ue if
mere WASH no meat at all. We never yet none-
'rPt WraaPS.. now and then halt-a.pouud OF
bullock liver between tie six of us
But then England cNpends fifty mill ons annually
for our commercial policy on Its paupers. and
5 ever ready o"assst It's industrial poor
Hear the husband pathetic story on tn, point:
" We'll. yes sir / II own was once driven g. apply
" the PARISH amt was blackcuarded as if ia
vas TO raise - TlOlY 30 went 10 the parish |
appenrd TO 20 IN coat that u lady gave there
hangs. II she hadn't gwen II 10 me
houldnt have had a coat at all and because
Il coat On they said that such gentle
IAN as me ought t. he ashamed of himself
D come begging They needn't have told me
D. | was ashamed enough to have TO ash any |
nrs help {" bury poor little 'un There was some
ak OF QUITTING me 10 stone-breaKiug WHY -tivrd |
p here all day as am. Coud scarce have lifted |
b. hammer. ana my hands wOGdn' I have been much
ood Tor weaving afterwards. Saws one Of cm;
We We all oar troubles &c bear. my man Thinks |
D myself, Iolhaps yOu may. but troubles are a
car easier I" bear when You've good food and fires
nd clothes. and no likelihood of losing of ',m |
hateyor sorrows you've had you've never had The
prov OF hungry belly, and haf-a-dolen more
unFry bellies round you that belong to We
Hundreds of similar cases t. the above can be q
1und In Coventry and the surrounding nerhbor.
God. l called at the house of one of the best
'eavers in Coventry, on King Willam-st.. in what
! 1. . ~ - ----N | Z