The Opelousas courier., 1886-12-18
GIRLS In COAL PITS.
A Picture Of Underground
Life in Belgian Mines.
Working Hard for a Pittance From Early
Morn Until Late at Night.

: said in reply to questions put by tn
, president of a recent commission of in
4 quiry into the condition of the people
+ who work in the coal mines of Belgium;
'tMy work in the coal pits begins at five
o'clock in the morning, and ends be-
tween nine and eleven o'clock at night.
load from sixty to seventy cars every
day, and / earn two francs forty cents
aday. went regularly to school from
my eighth to my twelfth birthday. ]
could read once but / have forgotten il
all now. Pit work ought to be pro-
hibited for girls.
A married woman said: s'The week
before last my husband earned thirteen
francs $500. He had never earned a
larger sum in a week. It is impossible
for us to live upon such a wage. When
have bought our food and firing, the
whole wage is spent; it is not enough to
rent and clothing"
The mother of a family replied: 81
scarcely know the taste of meat"
Another young girl said that her work.
ing day in the pits began at 4:30
or 5 a. M, and closed at II p. m, for
which she received 1 franc 80 confines
to 2 francs. A younger sister left off
work at 6 p. M, but she only earned 1
franc so confines. Nearly all the girls
volunteered in almost the same words
the emphatic statement: tGirls ought
not to be allowed to work in the pits"
and they were unanimous in their COM
plant of the temptations put in their
way by the overseers.
The president asked each of them:
"What nourishment do. you have? Do
you often take meat2"
One girl REPLIED: ''Three months ago
we had some meat on our table; I have
never tasted any SINCE" Another said:
II take a bottle of water with the fruit
every morning; I cannot afford coffee"
The president asked an old workman
who had spent his life in the pits why no
effort had been made by them to bring
their condition before the public. 81
would gladly have given evidence" said
he, 'but l knew that ! should be dis
missed if I told any story about the
works. My comrades have urged me to
speak for them, as I have had so long an
experience. But I was afraid to do it."
His present wages are 2 francs a day.
When he was younger and stronger he
used to earn the sum of 2 francs so GEN.
times a day.
The presiden inquired if the workers
found regular wages or piecework more
profitable.
"The day wage is miserable" said the
old man, shut piece work is no better,
for if the oVerseers find that a man earns
more by piece work, the terms are at
lowered"
One of the working-class leaders, who
was examined at great length by the
President and Commissioners, denied that
work folk were Socialist revolution
They will follow any leader in
their despair, but their w actual de-
mands are very simple. The President
asked him to formulate as shortly as pos
sible the real programme desired by the
Workingmen and women in the pits.
Speaking of the employment of chill
1ren, he said: "We want the work-day
For children limited to eight hours, and
their wages fixed as follows: Children
twelve to thirteen years, one franc
confines a day of eight hours; !
rom thirteen to fifteen years, one franc
confines fifteen to seventeen years,
,Wo francs. j
The President-Then you would not I
abolish child LAHORE {
"We would not abolish families. NV :
amily consists of nine persons, only three
# us earning any thing. We have to keep t
TX who are not earners. The united yearly ]
of the three of us, who are workers
$ 1900 francs, ($30o).n
The President asked If they would not
ike their children togo to school after !
heir twelfth year.
No. replied the workman, cit is not
possible for the parents to wait until a 9
ong school term is ended, as the family :
leeds the wages of the elder children. I
have not only to keep our younger q
hildren, but also our old people. After !
us hftieth year a man can earn little in |
he pits, and is usually dismissed" q
This speaker-whom the workers were n
articularly anxious to have examined. "
$ he is in good repute both as a workman Il
an orator--told the Commissioners p
hat the average weekly wages of the Q
cad of q household in full work is from Q
Welye to fourteen francs. 81 need not Il
y thai a family cannot live upon that; q
le wife must work when she can, the. 81
as soon as they can" al
EZBI 80