The Birkenhead News and Wirral General Advertiser. — 1908-07-18 (Birkenhead, Merseyside, England)

BARMAIDS  CLAUSE 20 OF THE LICENSING BILL. At Claridgee Hotel, on the 10th inst., a meeting was convened 1* the lion. Violet Douglas-Pennant, when the subjeql under discuesion was the threatened abostion of isarmaide. The meeting was well-attended, and the speakers included Mr. Wilfred Ashley, M.P., Earl Winterton, M.P. the Rev. Stewart lieadlaw, L.C.C., and 'Miss Eva Gore Booth. Lord Erroll occupied the chair, and said that he felt that this clause (Clause 20 of the Licensing Bill) which suggested depriving a class of workers of their employment without Questioning their conduct or whether they had been guilty of crime or misbehaviour, was an unjust one. In 1909, in Glasgow, under a misconception of the law, it had been decided that no barmaids could be employed. In this case there was not a doubt that the authorities had exceeded their powers. The ' barmaids would have no consideration if , this subsection became law. Indiscriminate charges had been made against the characters of barmaids. Those who could not obtain employment elsewhere, in the contingency of this clause pawing, would aggravate the already congested labour market in s substantial manner. Mr. Wilfred Ashley said that we are not present that afternoon to istoteit against the Liceneing Bill, or to protect publicans, but we wish to state our objection to this particular clause, which we could do without suggesting that we belonged to any party in the matter. Twenty members had put down objections to this clause, Conservatives, Liberals, Labour members. and Nationalists. The right of the individual to earn their living as they. wished was a very powerful one. In the Press supporting the Licensing Bill. his figures as to the number of barmaids had been oavilled at. Figures were always difficult; but one could gather that, as there were 96.000 licensed houses in England and Wales. Probably at least 100,000 women workers would be affected. There were some in other potations than actually behind the bar— cashier's, clerks, chambermaids, and waitresses. In Blackpool. he had found that 500 women would come under the provisions of this clause. Their attractiveness to men, which had been alleged as contributin_g to drunkenness, had not told, it appeared, in Blackpool, where, out of the 4,000,000 viestors who went there in 1907 only eight per 100,000 had been convicted for drunkenness. If we looked for precedents in this matter, we found that the wholesale abolition of women in certain trades had been effected, in such cases as when the work had been proved to be injurious to health, via., the white lead industry, and working in coal , mines (1842). The reirsical strain, he contended was not greater than that endured lin a milliner's shop, and his reply to objections to length of hours, unnecessary standing, had air. etc., was—regulate the employment in all these particulars. He referred these points to the licensing Um' ticee. instances of "going to the bad," se the common phrase had it, or of suicides, were not more frequent in this trade than in others. The lower public-houses were staffed by barmen, it had been found; and he felt that women ought to combine to resist being turned out of their employment land to be left to do what they will in their choice. of work. .  Lord Winterton appealed for the support of the public in this matter. stating that he felt this clause to be an innuendo against the class. That the barmaids had no insane of making their %ice heard was a very strong reason why we should agitate for them.  I. Mr. Stewart Headlaw, L.C.C.t said that every calling had its own special difficulties, and that doubtless the influence of ;occupation upon character was very potent, but the fact remain & that women could not all lead eheltered lives; and he insisted upon the good influence of women in the public bar. He said that he spoke from forty years' experience of London life, and I instanced the humans and steadying effect of the barmaids on those eoldiere going to I the front, at the Waterloo station bar. He was of opinion that this Bill, which was a good one (the Licensing Bill) would be imperilled by this clause. Miss Eva Gore Booth asked the audience to consider what effect legislation would have on the 5,000,000 women who are bound :to earn if 100,000 more were idle on the labour market. Unskilled labourers dragged down the wage*, and the forces of Trades Unionism were sometimes opposed to women's interests. If barmaids only made 12s. or 15s, per week, tailoresses often made seven, eight, or nine shillings. If the work in a public-house was trying, so was the work of many other persons. Take as an le/whole the weaver in a factory, who has to mind the looms all day long. In every trade there were times of hard pressure and slack times, the barmaid could at least rest in her slack times between the hours when the place was crowded. The meeting closed with the ueual votes of thanks. ,1 I am very glad indeed to see that so I many men have taken up the cause of Ithose women who, without any fault being I imputed to them, or any bad conduct being proved against them, are to be turned out ruthlessly, but oh, so deceitfully, after the passing of the Licensing Bill, when it is to be proposed that no more barmaids are to be engaged. A public-house, say those in favour of the proposed abolition, is not a fit place for any decent woman to work in, in this ease the licensing of that publichouse should not be granted. There are many reasons which make it imperative that until public-houses are better conducted that women should serve in the bare, one or two important reasons being that the following facts are of common knowledge: (1) that batmaids as a class are sober women themselves according to Miss Salley (Lady Assistant Commissioner in her reßort on "The Employment of Women ) "many barmaids are total abstainers:" (2) I have never heard of a barmaid who was a bookmaker. Many barmen are; (3) Mies Steer, after 26 years' experience in the Bridge of Hone Mission in East London, says of her Home and Shelters for Friendless Women. "Very seldom do we find that any of them have been barmaids.: I should think not more than about one in 200.  Raise the tone of the public-house, have fewer, and 'have those few under more thorough, unexpected and efficient inspection, and we will do better for the nation. than abolishing the good influence of women. When people talk of the poor man's club, let us have a little leas sickly sentimentality and a little more honest common sense. The poor man does not want 98,000 clubs in England and Wales alone.  Among those present were Lord Newton of Lyme. Lady Pirrie, Lord and Lady Erroll. and Lord RanAderion.