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Otago Daily Times, Issue 205, 5 August 1862, Page 6

lIEALITY AND IiXTKMT OF DISTiiKS-: IN Till: MAXUFACTUIUXii DlsriilLTS. We cxt'T.ct t't? following arfu-K: tip >■: :i ;,a!>;<..-> ! c'.y'j- i:,:^re^t in tiiesj c^lonijs :;s eis.j.vli^-:-, iVo:ji | Iho JZci-iii.iinisf : — Two J-jciunciUs have ap^onrel within :'ie 1.-i.^t j few days Growing co:i-U-T.i:>lf Ji-ht upon this j tad question, whio'i roq;iiiM a few woe h <n" .■<>:::- ! uv.'iit in o":L>r that the public may n-.»t suisandur- ' Pt;iiv"l thvlrreal bearing. A c-.)!;n.';vuce ha; b-jei: held ia M.aiclicst.jr of the pri-adpil ci::z; :: -. and ina:mi".iotuvcri a:ul the nust c ■■cv-oi-io'.c-c.l {'<>>.• Iviw Guardians, i:i ord.jr ■;» ,i:;;eas; tlu :i::i-> = 11x-_ i-f destitution ark-ing ou: o." ;Yj ..•;>: c^u SAurcir1-', and the b-js'.= ij-;;:]? or' ivllovlvg ir, a;.d a :nr ;!,,r oi j:j:nLi:iie:i .3V.;:n iv.i : i-;hi:v; hiw hid un ii-'ti--view wiih tlu Ln-.i M:y..r with :i vL-.v to U'lia/ stops to interest thj bj.!•.:'.•.>!, r:t in'.-iiic.iMts uf:;ic nie:ropclis in the severe c;i'a!!Hty whk-a has ov.-r----takon their fellcnr cotiMti-yni-ja ia t!ie >*,';•; ii. lli.s LoiUj'uip cxprc3.so 1 his co:-:l:.-il rcadiaos- to eili a public meeting <..r sl«> a:iyt!:i:uj ol>o t-i:-t m-us ilcomc-il advisable, if lie coal.l be in:>.■::_• c\> ;ni.s,uit on some ur-miastio'.iahlu authority ih-it iho ca-c----v\is, as stilted, so grievous arrl so ;.iv.«sin'.r as to •warrant his iiilenvmion. Bui at t!ii'^[:'.n(:hL->t<.-r meeting—ir^roly a pvivut-an I consultu-ivo n:u- — Minj stato:ao!its v:a,o iiin L« an.l s »;n? iir/iii'.H'ut.-: brought ibr-.var-l, which at iir~t >iz!t: iai-ht nprojir to t'.irow duubt boili i,n th.-.' ilosrix-e" of distress r.lk- ;e i and on the n-cessirv f,.r any unusual raeasuros Lcinp; tak;-n to moot ir. IMr. Kiek.Uvls avuuc-.1. ri;i;i wo <iarc «.-,;»• v/ith great jtui^nie;it, rh;;t tii-:-- Gnaniians of the I\>or ■vyero officially iinswc-rahlo for relieving a!I thf (Ustrcss that tyas hruuijnt nn.'er thi-ir siotii-c • that they were authorise;! to raise in rat;:? ■whatever sum ini-ht b:- t'on-.ui v.c-c hhl ■ ; l:i j r} 1;l ; the wealth ami naii.-ed prv>:>-i-;y of rJie neit-hh >rliojd was quite rt^cquate to >.uis;V all the rlaiuis That were likely to be made upon it. \vi:"i/.at calling upon other parts of the country f i)r assistance. Ihi poiniel out, as the r^stiit" of a .'o-.f nrA varied experienfo in s-:ieh i,iarr L -r>, tin- t-T----rible amount of iinp'.sture and imrHcam-v tliat is always t::u:ouiv.--c>l, if siot acttrulv cl-.-att'i], ivliere large eharita!)!c- subsc-ripti:jas are administered by auiatt-i;i4re3ii-vi!7^t,-fHc(-:-s, csf^riiih'-,- \v!ic:i there are sevura; of .srn-h o:ii-er.s :lisri-;;,iiti<;<' separate and irulepondent t'.mds. And lie thenlore strongly urged, as thy praeti'Ml inii-rtMcc-ifoin his reprc-i-entations, that tiu.- task ofincetimr tlie pressure of sacii e.-i-jLT^enev should lv: icFi entirely in the liaud.-i of the parish autlu ritic-s, provident.societies and ot!i'_-r b- lovolr-nt as^.'-l '■['. .tions (to v;h isa zeal aad u.-'-f..!!,ie~s h •" U-n-Vr. <? v.-illing jusHcc>) (/••aihihi-r th-ni j.-Sv.-s {o i^vsiignting inai-.idual eft.---..-.-, of" distn-.-^, an 1 hriu 'ii:----u!l genuii'.s ones under t:iL- noiioc of t!ie Bxi'-d of Guardian s> Soiar we iun- Uttl- d'hioulty in ai;ro-:n- vii'.j iiiui. One- aliiiinistrativo \»,',y (It \i ., t .,(•■ j,,, large enough; ::j in all such ir.sfances ir!u::--;.'s!ir-:.bly bettor t!:an several; the funds raised go ni.-ich ftirih.ev and •■;•(: jirifh nior- Ulc-Iy 1«:= read", tho n-t.v>i;ir»i!s jsar!its, und tin,?-- c,v\v 7.Ye go along wirh him jii.-;-, to a great extent" In liclieviiig il:c ; ropmy of the ili,-:">-iot r!;n>;.et'.-:i! to meet tho eahauity of tiie tlistrict, at l.jWin the first iustatico; and we are ;<-!ud to noii'c a strong and general (ii^po-isiun on i|, e pa;-t of tho J.ancashm-pLOplo to npudiate the pn.jwt of a grant in aid, unless in tliu J.-i.st extremity But when the Chairman of thu IJosmt goes on"t->:ir-'ur' tiiat the (iistress cannot be co great ;i:s i sir-.i .osc-d because the applications for panvhud reli'-flnvr' increased so slowly Hisdt.) so'm«).k-mii- a d--n-• we are sutiifled that lie is rntirelv mi.-IH i,./ta!-' ' ing a superficial and purely professional vl-.v <,f the matter. Ia ordinary times un 1 am.-.n < or ii-! nary labourer, the weekly sums distii:.;^ ,l f., outdoor applicants may be a vi-t-v fair m.. ; . nre of the fluctuating amount of priration, whether il-it ! arises from deficient employment or enhnu-d ! prices of food. Jiat Uiis j,-f ar from bciii'V the ease/with the regular respt-i.-iblf. Victory lian is T.hey are proud; ihey are Kensi'ive; {he/ a-e iong-endiiriiiif. They abhor the- bare idea of becoming paupers. They shrink iVom asking parish reiiei; both hcctiu.st they have always been taught to rogafd it as humiliating, :uid because it is usually doled out to them so grudgingly and po scantily. They cannot stoop to the apparent ignominy o,' receiving when they used top.-.y.nnd of standing side by side in the sain.; crowd of petitioners with those tvho have been paup -rs and ullers all tlr.ir lives. Heiu-e all tho.-e anionthem—and these are happily the great majority —who cherish that self-respect which is about their most honorable characteristic, will do almost anything and !k;u- iih.-ost anything rather than " corno upm the " p'o-i-h " as the phrase is. They wiii pa it with every pi ;■<• of furniture and clothing that can j.ossihlv bo spared before th<*y* will doscond to what soeiii", so low a depth. They prefer to exhaust evt-rv shilling they have saved and every loaf oChre;:"! and pound of bacon they can borrow from the. butcher and the baker. They prefer even to hi■>.<■ from those who know that with them mendic n;cv is no habit, but an exceptional and most umviilin*.resource. They often pick-r even to starve. Hence we believe that the reii-jvingofik'cr is often the last iquji io hear of, or duly to appreciate, the destitution and suffering of the energetic and usually prosperous artisan — and it is this class on whom the present crisis is pressing most heavily. Happily we are now in p)?s?.ssion of a docurgent of uncontested at'cracy iv the us sin. showing the aeiualrcduction of employment mil earnings in the cotton district*; of La n rash ire and Cheshire. It has been most c-ucfuiiy compiled, and is pretty complete, as far a> mere fhctoiy "workers are concerned. (Of course, in order to estimate the impoverishment and di/Ji;:u!fie.i of the district, the diminished oc.onpation of sill the subsidiary trades and handicrafts umi-;t be taken into account as well.) gi\c tho fi^ir-'-aspub

(5:-:.\'i-;;j.u. Skm.m v«y. Total number ot" Mills. 1 -,'id ; usually employing 3i'i,HlG Up.-rative*. " , AliHs. Operatives. V»\u-kjiiir full ii:no ... 407 .. [)2,:V> r > ~ .r> iiys a week ... 89 ... KMti? j »» ~ „ ... 810 ... 70.JH2 ~ :>j „ ~ ... ](':? ... l«.M:'i >, JJ „ „ ... i!7l» ... 7:t,(iJl >, -'} „ „ ... CD ... IIUIG - ~ ~ 1! .. 9.411 Stopped 278 ... .r i7,.S(U ' Total ITw-j .. ?AV;.\\C> It r{'i|uiri.is a lift!-' analy-is and a little local •ami Uvi;iik':il knowledge Id see the full meaning of Uiis t:il.!..'. It. v.iii hi! observed l!i:it only j about out'■ il»:ii l!i of the entire number ot' opera- j live; are is receipt of their usual earnings, and t'nt about one-seventh arc c;irui!i;> no waives at all. The: awr.i'jv tinu: worked, inciudim* those \v!k> are workim;- iuil time :• net those who uro entirely unemployed, is about three days and | a half instc-id of six. Now the usual average earnings i>i" faeiory !i mW, mail, woman, !i:j:l child, ruuia1 froiu if ito i.w.!v,: shilling a week ■ :ivd as w;;;;e:; havo Kvn n pid!y rising durin;: the last ftr.v y.-ars, the avt r.i.-ic especially in towns, will bo not far :;!; .rt ot the latter sum. It | appears, then, that ;s.V.i,iii"> operatives (mil! hands j alone) an: earning iivv shillings per week less i than u-u.-il — or, in othe/ words tliat CB7,r>i.;t) lias i been abstract.-1 f.-oni the v ~kly incomes (nnd i not nine!', less, then-fbie. IV. Nt the wtekly ex- | peiuii'ure) of uu class o.dy in the cotton di.s- | hu-is. Now, unless w..- habits of frugality . an 1 savm_- far ;_,M\ater and more general than we ] hive any rea^m to iK-lkve, we have before, us an | approximate j.-i.--t ire at k-a.-it of the. privation ; t!i:il mu«r exlsi wa<'i\: the. ;:i\mi body oi' opera- ; t.:VL-s have ( .jiJy Ij^jiiii.i to live ' upo:i in- I stead ci I.;-.\M.; in—and where this dis- ■ a-frous reduction has Ih'.-:i on for mo:ith-. | Tl'.'j iJoor Law (ianrdia i> in : iv hear little of dis- ; t:\ss and ssuliiiii^ .c.;1 >r:i-v.ai ia. hat under st!<-!i j ein?!i:ii-t.i:H-o:- w\- ]■: \> *■ l!i i; .ii,:i',:ss and starva- \ tion i.;:Ht t-x:-,!, a ;;d he a-i k-ly H>:vad as they i are silently :;:id 1.-i-iv-.'y !> i.-:i-. We earnest I v trnsr, thcrer'wre. time li.v s^:i-;;.!e o!«si;.-v;iti.;ns of; Mr. Iviekar.js may ik;t l;e t.tkeii for nioi\- ih..u ; the- :>!•(• wort!; ; or, ii won! 1 h • f.iir-.-r t » s:;y. : :n-iy !>.jt h • \u-\ \<< i!i _• iciscs f.»r infer..-.i^vs which j they do hot rriilv \'.':irr:i::t. ' 1 , ' ' , _ . ■ 1 _ ' [ : ' 1 1 1 ' - r : ; ' 1 i • .