The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1888-11-08
Modem ClViliza ion

The following extract tr"m the English
correspondent of the Pittsblig American
Manufacturer. gives a picture of the con-
dition of Iaboring people in what is called
a civilized country. 1t is condition that
starJes into Indignation, and suggests the
inquiry whether there is high civillza-
tion where such N isery ana oppression
exist. We publish it as an object lesson.
to be read not in the excitement OF poll-
tics, but in the calm and quiet of home:
government official has been sent iuto
the BLACK country" to report upon The
chain and nail makers condition. In The
course of his recent visit Mr.. ohm Bur-
nett (labor correspondent of the Board OF
TIA has seen great deal OF miserable
circumstances in which these men, women
and children labor, and his report is hoped
| to result in some ameioratlUn. What hr
saw is certainly not pleasant reading. 1t
| is ulqueStiuDable also, that at all events
his rtport will De startling revelation.
| No one has ever gone over the district,
which has the towns of Dudley and Sedg.
| lev fur it's centre, SO thoroughly as the
| labor correspondent has done. His one
obstacle in obtaining information Was the
want of confidence among the workpeople.
J Some of the sights which he saw are said
| to be worse than anything that exists in
| the London sweating dens. There is
nurhing so common DIS heavy work, wretch
ed houses and homes without food. At
| one place the correspondent found wom'
an working in a shop with child fourteen
| months Old on the hearth. She bad her
mot her in law and her brOtheri in the same
sho,. This same woman could only earn
! g, q l. per week, and her husband when at
work only SIS. Net he was no drunkard
lost no time, and worked fifteen hours per
day.
Mr. Burnett said. "How do you live on
such a sum-" and the woman replied,
Sir, | cannot tell you that" What do
you take for breakfast?" was the next
question, and the mother in.law answered
Bread and tea. :" IN butter?" erquired
Mr.. Buruett, and the women replied.
sometimes a little butterine.'
To This confession of indulgence in COM
paratiye luxury the elder woE1an added
the qualifying statement, SEARCH TIE
cottage, and you won't find d crust" Mr..
Burnt tt was much affected. and had 10
leave after giving few coins to The child
The horse nail makers in the liales
Owen district. skilled woIkmen. are
scarcely better Off. Women were FOUND
WOIkiUB Will htdVy OliFcio. uinhil'E S ihe.i
I rive,s. An elaborate knowledge OF metal
| iuTay is not needful to the conviction That
this work il 100 heavy for women. One
young WOMAN, -, inyiation showed Mi
! Burnett her iland-a hand LLat was 1onnd
| to rival in hardness that of any black
smith. 1t is described as mass OF hard
| skin and c0rnS.
Heavy spike nails, too, are made and
| some OF The divers are from is pounds TO
81 pounds in weight. One woman was
found with SUCH an oliver, and she was IN
hot shop. too. A rag with which she
| frequently wiped the PRECIPITATION from
! her urow hung handy to the oliver. These
details do not combine into an entlclDg
| picture.
The correspondent and the Trade Union
leaders who conducted him through the
district came acro~s certain man ana his
SON. They were of sXty'four and thirty
eight years respectively, and they could
earn between them is. per week. ms
income was the result OF an average labor
of fourteen hours daily. Upon cath they
declared that they could not cara more.
Mr.. Burnett had been advised. and as
the result of these undesirable experiences
he seemed to also believe, that more IN
spectors are wanted Many shops can
Only be approached through the honses.
Thus there are difficulties in the way OF
the few inspectors there are. 1t IS re-
CURED also that the workshops shall be
brought under the same lazy as the fac
tories.