STILL IN SLAVERY.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1868, 30 September 1913, Page 8

STILL IN SLAVERY.

A couple of remarkable disclosures, in a day that calls itself humanitarian, have been made in one of the big steam laundries at Acton (a suburb of London bo crowded with laundries that it has earned for itself the sobriquet of "Moab"), writes a London correspondent. A lady inspector has hitherto been unable to sheet home offences as to long 'hours and under-pay, though these abuses have undoubtedly existed, and it has actually been found that, on lier'appearance, the girls have been bundled into a bedroom through a door which has been speoially provided for this purpose. Such meekness on the part of grownup employees will hardly appeal to New Zealand workers, who will, and rightly, dislike such a spirit, but it is this same meekness that reformers all over England are trying to kill—no easy task when actual generations of workers havo been cowed by disgraceful industrial conditions. In tho case of one ironer, it was found that, in 2| days, working from 6.30 a.m. to 10.30 p.m., sho earned 3s. 3-Jd. A big steam laundry was mentioned whero learners were engaged at 2s. Gd. per week—girls coming fresh from school and taking tho place of older ones who had been in receipt of os. The second disclosure alluded to seems to remove us not far from days of slavery. The executive of tho Bradford and District Trades and Labour Council have ascertained that for some considerable time an agency has existed in Liverpool for the purpose of supplying destitute families to manufacturers m want of women's and children's cheap labour. These manufacturers have t>aid to the proprietor of tho agency lialf-a-erown per head for children, and it exists, it is declared, chiefly for the nurnoso of supplying child workers. It is honed that the_ Board of Trade will institute an inquiry into the practice.

The recently-issued municipal statistics, forming part of the statistical register, published by the Victorian Government Statist, show that during the municipal year 1912 the total nominal amount of loans raised by cities, town, and boromr'h'S Was .£15(>,159, anil by shires .£99.707, mnkinp together .£28,5,026. The total loans at the end of the municipal venr 1912 amounted to .05,011.9,'>0. inclmliup. ,£203.035 Ijorrowed through the Government. The annual interest payable is ,£214,K11. or an average of 4.3 uer cent. Out of the total of ,£5.011,950, accounted for .£2,025,000. The "Mistress: "Why, I save you a pound of walnuts to crack. There are hardly any here. Where are the rest-" •Jano: "T/ir, mum, the uvrers was so big I couldn't Bet 'am in me jnonfl"