SWEATED LABOR.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1807, 13 July 1906, Page 2

SWEATED LABOR.

A COMMITTEE'S SENSATIONAL REPORT.

ALLEGED SLAVERY.

lly telegraph. Press Abs'd, Copyright Recoivod 10.55 p,m., July 12. Sydnoy, July 12, An exhaustive report has boen issued by tho speoial oommittco of tbo Labor eouneil on sweated labor in Sydney. Its Codings eot forth that “ slavery does exist in Sydney to-day. Our women and little children daily drawn out of tho slums are made pass under the hammer of the inexorable auctioneer employed by capital. Tho oraok of the slave owners' whip is legally forbiddon, but daily thousands of unwilling slaves go to their tasks, to tho stunting of their physical and mental growth, and often to ultimate destruction of body and soul. Many of tbo cases investigated, especially those instances in whioh children ate victimised as slavos, disolose such a hideous system of brutality as to almost justify the denial of our boasted oivilisation, while the term 1 Christian ' applied to the city where employers are engaged in downright slave dealing is an awful misnomer,''

A FURTHER INDICTMENT.

By tflograph, Prttsa Asu’iu Copyrlgh Reoeived 11.8 p.m., July 12. Sydney, July 12.

The report continues : “ Our search disclosed heartless conditions in connection with the dairying industry ; Eoap and candle works, and boiling down establishments loudly proelaim the presence of the sweater. Jim, b eouit, lolly, and pickle factories are dens under his direction, and the fruit canning industries, potteries, and kiadred industries claim their tol', and though but little distance was penetrated, our committee is Bppa led at the deep-dyed sweating that flourishes m vaiious abhorrent forms. Girls wers employtd by oertsin firms for periods ranging up to two years fc r nothing, After that they were paid half aorown a week There were inßuneewhere dismiss ti took place when probationary period bad ended. A clothing factory is described as not 1 fit for pigs.' The wages paid were seven and sixpence for forty-eight hours.”