Morning journal and courier., 1892-09-05
ure that. in truth, it was only one out of

many tnOuSands.
For fuller information about the large
grocery and provision trade of London We
drew upon our friend Turner. He had
been specially assigned to enlighten us,
and this was his own special line. In
West London the hours were twelve and
thirteen; in the east and south they were
fifteen, as a rule, on ordinary days, sixteen
on Fridays and seventeen on SATURDAYS.
The younger assistants were taken care of
on the Indoor" plan They would re-
ceive at first, in addition to board, about a
dollar and twenty-five cents q week; those
who had longer experience from two if
ty to five dollars a week, the last named
sum being, for indoor workers, about The
maximum. Out of the house the young
fellow would begin at two fifty, and in
time he might reenh seven dollars q
week. But there were plenty receiving
sums between those named, and the av-
ersge, he thought, would be six dollars
and twenty-five cents for "out" assis-
tants and three dollars a week for those
living with the boss. He admitted, how
ever, that In the West End trade there
were few outdoor men, though only q
few, who commanded the equivalent of
about ten dollars per week, while mana
gers of first rate grocery and provision
shop would get fifteen dollars and in
rare cases twenty-five.
The shoe trade, we were told, yielded
very poor returns. Hours not much less
than those given above, and the standard
wage for a manager Was eight dollars q
week; other assistants getting from three
seventy five to six and quarter a week,
and all finding themselves. But assis-
tants in green grocery establishments
were worse off even than shoe men, for
ithaca ,-,l,- C.
dollars q week.
In hosisry shops, which answer to our
gents furnishing stores, the hours for the
West End would be from half past eight
a. m. to eight p. m. The first assistant
might get eight dollars and ssventy-fve
cents a week; the others would receive
from four fifty to six and quarter. In
the drapery or dry goods business there is
considerable difference between the West
and East end trade as to hours. In this
trade, too, wages are always quoted by
the year. 1t should also be noted that
in this line of trade the force, If small,
will usually be domiciled under the roof
of the master, and If large in buildings
near by, still, however, under the en-
ployer's guardianship. What will they
geta we inquired. Learners will get, the
first year, about fifty dollars, and the sec
ond about seventy-five dollars. This will
be their regular wages, but by pushing the
sale of goods upon which the boss has put
a premium both these and the older hands
can help out little by extras With such
helps as the above the best grade of dra-
pers' assistants will sometimes earn, be-
sides their board, three hundred dollars a
year, but the general run of such men
would think themselves fortunate to make
two hundred year.
So far We have given the wages only OF
male assistants. Many are the girls
working the same number of hours and
getting, of course, far less pay. 1t has
already been noted that young women
give two years, as a rule, for only their
board and lodgings. After that they be-
gin, as to wages, about where the young
men were when they first entered the ser
vice. that is, they get at first about dol
lar a week, and gradually advance to the
general average, as it was stated to us, of
about two dollars. This, under the Gin
door" system, which is the plan on which
girls are generally employed. As to those
not go employed, in many of the smaller
shops girl sits at the counter to receive
the cash, to make change and to keep the
accounts. A position of responsibility, we
thought-wonder what such girls are paidl
Well, our round table friends, some of
whom had relatives in such places, told
us. These girls, who are not indoor girls,
get from two fifty to three dollars q week,
and out of this they have to make up
shortages.
Returning for a moment to shop-sssis-
tsnts of the malls gender, it seemed as
though the poorest off in the select circle
who gathered about Us st the Office ot the
Shop-Assistsnts' union Were couple of
oil and color men. How assistants in this
line are paid may be learned, with other
interesting items, from the following OBJ
ject lesson: "What are your hoursi" we
asked one of these men. "Eighty-six
week-in summer a hundred" Could
that be sol Yes, all agreed it was so.
"Whst lgesa" 'Twensy two shilliDgs q
week" (6ve and hs's dollars.) "Yes,"
said others, "ard the highest in that trade
is twenty seven shillings." "Msn of fam
ilyF "Wife and four children" BLOW
much for renti" Eight and six for three
rooms" Wasn't that hight" "About
the average in the East end" "How ever
do you liver we then asked, but perceiv-
ing the poor fellows embarrassment we
did not prsss this question, and several
spoke up and ssid that, excepting for the
fact of the wife working in a laundry, this
family could not live; and we were grieved,
though not surprised, to be assured that
this was another caee which was not ex-
ceptonsl. h T