The Labor enquirer., 1886-11-06
begins at o'clock IN the morning. and

begins at 5 o'clock IN the morning. and
ends between and IL at night. ! load
from sixty to seventy cars every day.
earn 2 francs dav." Upon being asked
4 if she could read and write, she replied
that she went regularly to scool from hel
eighth to her twelfth year. Il could
read once" she sale. .s"hut / have forgot.
ten it all now. Pit work oughtto be
prohibited for girls" Upon being
pressed more closely BY the president
she said it ruined the morals of every
good-looking girl, "The overseers bribe
the prettiest girls by giving them the
best paid work"
4 A married woman said: "The week
| before last my hust and earned Is francs
He had never earned larger sum in q
week. 1t is impossible for us to live on
such wage qOs. 10d). When ] have
bought our food and firing the wage is
all spent; it is not enough to cover rent
and clothing The president asked an
other workwoman in the pits, the
mother of family: ''Do you ever buy
meat? 2. She replied: Il scarcely know
the taste of meat" Another young girl
said that her working day in the pits
began at 4:30 or 5 a. m, and closed at II
p. M. for which she received from l0d,
to Is. 3d. A youn ger sister left off work
at 6 p. M. butshe only earned Is. Sd.
| Nearly all the girls volunteered. in al
moss the same words, the emphatic
statement: "Girls ought not to be al.
lowed to work in the plts;' and they
were unanimous in their complaint Of
the temptations put in their way by the
oyerseers. The president asked each of
them: "What nourishment do you
have? Devon often take meat ~ One
girl replied: "Three months ago we
had some meat on our table; i have
never tasted anv since? Another said:
II take bottle of water with my fruit
every morning; cannot afford coffee" !"
The president asked an old workman
who had spent his life in the pits whv
no effort had been made by them to
bring their condition before the notice
of the public. 81 would gl tdlv have
given evidence" said he, "but 1 knew
that 1 should be dismissed if told ally
story about the works. NV comrades.
have urged me to speak for them, as i
have had so long an experience. But L
was afraid to do it." Hisipresent wages
were Is. Sd. day. When he was
younger and stronger he used to earn
the sum Of 25 Sd. dav. The president
inquired il the workers found regular
wage or piece work the more profitable.
"The day wage is miserable" said the
old man; but piece work is no better,
for if the overseers find that the men
earn more by plece-work, the terms are
at once lowered"
One of the working class leaders. who
was examined at great length by the
president and the commissioners, de-
MED that TIE workfolk were Socialists
Reyolutionaries. They will follow any
leader in their despair, but their own ac-
tual demands are very simple. The
president asked him to formulate a.
shortly as possible the real programme
desired by the working men and women
in the pits Speaking of the employ
ment of children, he said: "We want
the work day for children limited to
eight hours and their wage fixed" The
president asked: "Then you would
not abolish child labor ?" "We would
not abolish families. Ny family con-
sists of nine persons. only three Of us
earning anything. We have to keep six
who are not earnsrs. The united yearly
income of the three of US who are work
ers is e60." The president asked if
they would not like their children to 60
to school after their twelfth year.
NO" replied the workman, sit is not
possible for the parents to wait until
long school tel N is ended, as the family
needs the wages of the elder children.
We have not only to keep our young
children, but also our old people. After
his fiftieth year a man can earn little In
the pits, and is usually dismissed"
This speaker-whom the workers
were particularly anxious to have ex'
amined, as be is in good repute both as
workman and an orator-told the
commissioners that the average weekly
wages of the head of household In tuI |
work is from 9s. Cd. to lis. Cd. IL need
not saw that a family cannot live upon
that. The wife must work when she
can; the children as soon as they can"
A married woman who had been a
worker in the coal pit, sAid: Il am?the
mother of six children. We al very
DOOR, but l would rather starve than
that one of my girls should 60 to witk
| in the pits. The overseers use 5alI
means in their power to ruin the girls
If nothing else succeeds, they will put
tinid young girl to work in solitary
place until she is terrified" 10 the
question as to the food of the family
she said: Every Sunday and Thurs
day buy a pound of meat On all other
days we live on potatoes and bread"
Parsons Speech.
The eloquent address delivered by A