Workmen's advocate., 1886-05-30
OUR LONDON LETTER. Woman and Child Labor al the Coal Pits The Eight. Honr Movement.


 ,hr employment of women about the roIIIcrlrs ls growing in importance. The average wages patd to the women ar" from 2S. to !s. Gd, (t0r. to GOc.) ] per day, and the work they perform Is admitted to be as rough and labo- uous aa that of the men. The Goy- rrnmcnt Mines Regulation Bill which WIII be introduced into the Ilouse of Commons on the lIth, contains d clause prohibiting the employment of women and child labor at the pit mouth. In the pits this prohibition passed in lNl2, js, of course. still in force This clause the uuioniSts support, and. think, rightly. They demand it on publir grounds. that the tasks M question are of such q character as must inevitably coars- rn the women employed, and also that the competitor of women and cmId labor Is reducing their wages. That this Is undoubtedly true no one can for a moment dcnV. Asa matter of fact, the wages of the men have been reduced and reduced un- til then. wives and daughters have had to go ont to help augment the Sranty wages of their husbands and fathers, which again in it's turn tends to still further reduce the mems wages by the competition of their own family for the benefit of the cx- plotting classes. The women cm- pIoyed at the pits mouth resent this threatened prohibition of their labor aS they do not see how otherwise they are to obtain a livelihood. In thIS NleW they are upheld by their sisters of the upper classes who never djd nor do they intend to, so long aS they ean live without 1t, stroke of honest. useful work, - some of whom also may br interested in the Increase or the royalties wrung from the oycrWorkcd and unpaid miners which would follow the sub Sttutlon of female for male labor. W hat beautiful society k 1t which brings in man $ wife and family to lower his earnings
 In Scotland the movement for shorter hours of labor gains ground. In l.anarkshIrc large mass-mcctings have been held at which the most enthusiastic resolutions were passed m favor of d system of eight hours day. The masons of Edinburgh have collected statistics of their trade, which show that more than 9l per cent, of those working in the trade are in favor of adopting an eight hour working day.
 The Federation of Trades in the Ntatlordshrc district to which re- fcrrrd some few wee ks ago, is pro- @rrSSng. at d meeting at lIarlaston the plan which found most favor with thr men was the foundation of branches of the Knights of Labor in the different districts. Some of these are already in working order, as for instance at West lromwirh.
 Tine rompositors' strike at Worccs ter has ended. The men were com pclIcd to submit, and asked the masters to take them on again. lpu- ring the strike, however, their places had been filled by others and consr- qurntly the strikers are out on the streets.
 Nothing definite is as yet known as to the result of the compositions | strike at McSsrs. Matrrlow X Co.,. I.oudon, which has been going on for some months past, The firm had for more than two years been ! gradually cyadng the Union prices. The compusltors society has with drawn it's pckcts, which leads one to suppose that the men have been obliged to give in. 1
 On Saturday, May list, the Social D.moorat;c Fc,I,iation 'icId soriai . gathering to celebrate the arquittal of Burns, Champion, IIyndman and Williams. Speeches were delivered by them which were vigorously ap- pIauded. Music, singing and reel tations were also given. On the of Ilyndman it was unan- imousIy resolved to send the follow ing telegram, which was accordingly "PoWDERLY, Scranton, Pa. Social Democratic Federation sinrcrpst wishes success eight- bour