Ways of Livings

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 411, 24 March 1904, Page 2

Ways of Livings

LONDON FACTORY GIRLS. 3 Wti&ffi 3 - Tto do wifch oar daughterb," f» dms*K( 6ven when fche y OTe wel1 " V bm»Mb9 behaved, and in every way worthy of a good mother's teachinsr and example, is one among the many troublesome problems working {oik with many children commonly have to deal, bat how it mast be when the lass, that as a child was as a bud of promise perfect, older grown dismays her parents by developing proclivities consistent with neither modesty nor virtue, is difficult for the happily inexperienced to realise. In the dire dilemma alluded to was a working man of the mechanic class, and of good appearance, who applied to Mr. Hopkim, Bitting at Lambeth, for

ADVICE AND ASSISTANCE respecting his young daughter, whose age was not fourteen until next birthday. He had, however, either compelled or persuaded her to accompany him to the court. There was nothing in her appearance denoting recklessness or obduracy, and she stood downcast and ashamedlooking while her father detailed the most recent instances of her bad behaviour.

'Has she a motherP' the magistrate asked.

' Oh, yes, sir, my wife has the manage. meat at home.' 'And she is unable to control this youug girl P' ' She is, sir. She sets us at defiance. She goes out of nights, and instead of coming home to her comfortable bed, sleeps anywhere she can.' The father stated that his daughter was very intelligent, and had accomplished all the regulation number of 'standards' before she was thirteen. Having a large family he had put her to SHPLOTMBNT AT A FAOTOBT where a large number of young persons were engaged, and she could earn five or six shillings a week. Probably this last threw a light on the father's otherwise inexplicable declaration, that, though not yet fourteen, the girl was beyond her parents' control. It is lamentably true that, since the new order of Ihißgs began to prevail, the once well-defined line of demarcation as to what work was fib for males, and what for females, was either wholly wiped out or became so blurred as to be scarcely recognisable Nor is it in the least surprising that it should be so.

A3 matters were managed at one time, tba daughters of hard-working paretics remained at home, and were subject to wholesome home influence until of an age when they were old enough to take care of themselves, either in domestic service or as apprentices to some respectable and responsible employer in some light business, where, with board and lodging on the premised, they were as safe from the temptations that beset young females of the giddy age as though they were beneath the parental roof. But how is a girl of tender years/ however simple-minded and modest, to eacfrps contamination if she is compelled to associate with, aw*, whether she be willing or otherwise, listen to the conversation, mostly relating to tbe experiences of the precociously 'knowing' young persons, their ages ranging from fourteen to eighteen, and who daily, and from morning till night, are her work-room companions P Instances could, no doubt, be quoted of dozens of factories in London where the young lady employes are under the strictest discpline, and the most vigilant supervision; but it would be wilfully shutting one's eyes to a wellknown fact to deny tnat there are a far greater number of places where such wholesome restrictions aie unknown. An advertisement is inserted in the looar newspaper, or a notice is posted on the factory door-post, ' Hands wanted, for bo and so,' and all capable hands are engaged without a question as to character, and so long as the work is performed to the satisfaction of the overlooker, the loose talk and the broad joke that, passed along the busy benches, causes such giggling glee is passed over without notice. It is a lamentable state of affcirs, and the worse for there being, seemingly, no help for it. The Factory Act does not apply. It provides for reasonable hours of labour, the proper fencing in of machinery, and for sufficient ventilation to carry away bad air, but with bad manners and pernicious example among the hands employed it has no power to interfere.

The inevitable outcome ia the afterwork.time pavement promenade of boy-and-giil couples, whose united earnings would amount, probably, to lees than eighteen shillings a week, and, as regards the female's share .of it, must leave her with bat little indeed to afford herself three meals a day after walking costume and ber plumed hat are. paid for. But she is fettered to factory lite for the sake of the evening liberty it affords her, and she would rather relinquish even the daily twopence aha contrives to put aside for her scanty dinner, and endure the pangs of emptiness between breakfast and tea, than give her mind to domestic employment and become a' slavey.' Nor does the entirely altered modern method of treatment of our maids in the kitchen seem to make any difference as regards the working-class girl's aversion for

THE CAP AND APRON, There was a time, and that not more than ten or fifteen years ago, when the life of a •maid-of-all-work' was far from being an enviable one. Seven or eight pounds a year was regarded as good wages, and for that amount—say four shillings a week, and her food and lodging—an able-bodied young woman of seventeen or eighteen was expected to work early and late, and all the week through, her only recreation time being bag enough to attend church service on Sunday evening, and half a day's holiday onca a month.

But all that has been, and very properly, changed. The largely increased demandfor girl labour by the multiplying of London factories has given the enterprising growing female portion of the population an opportunity for gratifying their preference, and the 'slavey' has consequently become a scarce article, and her market value has increased proportionately. Not only have her wages risen from £3 to i>l2 and £l4, her liberty time has been more than doubled.

Bat the half-loaf of freedom, although, of coarse, better than nose at all, is not enough, and they will have the whole loaf, even though they have to eat it dry. And the desperate lengths to which wrongheaded maidena will sometimes go to achieve their aim would be incredible were there not magisterial voucher for it. Take the case of Betsy, who was charged before Mr Curtis Bennett with stealing a solid gold brooch, the property of her mistreea. Betsy had not always been a maid in the kitchen. Her mother was dead, and being old enough tq work, her father had allowed her to go to a factory, bnt by-and-bye he got married again, and Betsy's stepmother, like a sensible woman, thought that the girl, who was in her seventeenth year, would be better off and safer ia domestic service. Betsy rebelled and resolved to do a deed that would render farther kitchen serfdom impossible.

A good teßt for gold or silver is a piece oflunar caustic, fixed to a pointed piece of wood or a quill. Lightly w,et the metal tobe tested, and rub it gently with the caustic. If gold or silver the mark will be faint, but if an inferior metal, it will be quite black. Buyers of old gold and sUver often, use this test* -