The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-06-24
lANsiNG,S LEIIER.

SoNiiNUED risoM TA0E IL
advocates. These gentlemen are very
kind, and proffer the use OF their names
throughout Great Britain, In my en-
laboring people. Mr.. Thomson gives Inc
aletter to the Fairfield worlu, whittier,
We will next proceed. '
The Fairfield Ship Building and En-
gineering works nre the largest probably
in the world. From three to four thou
sand mon are employed. Most OF them
are engaged through foreman and
labor on picce-work. A week consists
OF "a working hours, or an average OF
nine hours day. or course their
wages depend upon their dextcrity.
You are required to be recommended
before gaining admittance and are pretty
carefully watched while there. In this
way 1 was unable to investigate as
should have liked. AT present they are
building two mammoth Cunard steam
ors, each Of which is G25 feet long, 05
feet wide and AZ feet deep to main deck.
In each of these mammoth vessels are
10 be placed ~ boilers, with diameter
OF 10 or II feet, two engines ard two
snoke-stacks 10 feet in diameter. Two
hours were consumed in passing through
the yard and buildings. Everything
from start to finish is put on by this
company.
Returning from the ship-yards was
enabled through letters, to pass through
the printing establishment of Messrs.
Blackie & Co., one Of the oldest in the
country. Five to six hundred persons
are employed here; again piece work Is
carried on extensively. Young girls,
who should be at school, work, with
feverish quickness, that they may earn
4 trife moro. In fact right through
Glasgow girls are employed at all kinds
Of labor where boys and young men
would be employed in this country,
sweeping out stores in the morning,
cleanidg brass work, washing store
windows, clerlSing and window dress
ing. rs well as in the manufacturing
concerns. inquired in the printing
versal girl employment. and was
answered, partly because there were
more of them, partly because they
stayed longer, and partly because they
icorked cheaper, IN fact one said
he had the greatest difficulty in obtaining
an opportunity for his SON to learn a
trade, and then only through influence.
The compositors in this concern re-
ceived 2 1-2 d. or Is cents per 1000 ems
for setting and distributing type, and
keep their type racks well filed. Mote
in American cities of the size Of Glas-
cow, the rate for composition runs from
40 to 80 cents thousand. Eds. NEWS
On most of the work the very fastest
could set but 1000 an hour, and that
with good copy (not by any means al
ways found) and no allowance for distri-
button or time lost in waiting for work.
Here again great reticence is observed
in the matter of wages. l was, how
ever, confidentially told that since the
Mckinley bill, considerable less work
was done, and Of that quantities was
shipped to America for finishing. Pass
ing through the establishment, however,
was O great sight, and one to be remem-
bered. The hours of labor are from 8 TO
with Q breakfast hour from 0 to 10 and
dinner from Q to 3. A few prices of ar
ticles most consumed by laboring people
will at this time, think, not be out of
place. These prices are neither the lou
est nor highest, but the medium, Uhich
most tcorking people, as near as lean
learn, pay for the necessdries of life.