The Sweating System.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 3013, 26 September 1888, Page 3

The Sweating System.

The special reports on sweating in various provincial centres of the Old Country have sometimes been described as overdrawn, This was particularly the case at Manchester, 11, however, so happens that at the Manchester City Police Court a woman has just been acquitted for attempting to commit suicide, though her only excuse was the extremely low wages sbo earned .when working for a sweater.- During the whole of the previous week Bhe had worked as a costume - finisher from half-past «' ht in the morning till seven in the ming, and yet only earued 2s id, , Bhe lived on tea and bread, and out

'Nof these wagos 6d was deducted in 'consideration of the hot water supplied for her tea j ( Then she had to repay a lob of Sixpebce to the forewoman. With the remaining Is 2d she had-to meet her rent, which amounted to 2s 6d a week. All this was corroborated by the evidence of others who worked in the same place. One of the women who gave testimony, had earned as much as 12s a week, but only by_breaking the Factory Act, and this in the manner often described in the Bpeoial reports on Sweating; that'is to say, this witness worked from half-past eight tp seven in. the workshop, and then took work home, and continued toil- . ing for the better part of the night. This seamstress was paid 4d for making a woman's dress. Under such conditions of work how can imythihg approaching decent sanitation'be maintained? The clothes . at times are contaminated, the wort

ersso staged and exhausted that they must soph fall victims to the wasting #ago when'they, are not actually entosuioide, '

There is. not. a form of bull-headed tyranny known to history which does not fiiuHta adherents in this country of faddists and politico-social lunatics. The Kawakawa County Council is the alliterative title of the latest corporate body sitting to administer humbug and to write itself down as a big ass. Not kmnving any better, and mistaking the- right to local government for a dispensation in issue metaphorical lettors of marque, {bis ftiicj?,skulled body carried Patent11m to its logical issue- by trying to prevent the ratepayers if tho distriot puichasing from any but "local" purveyors. A bye-law was passed prohibiting "forced sale of stock" by venal outsiders and going so far as to make it an offence for travel) ing agents to offer goods for sale. A representative of the-Singer Sewing Machine Company sold a machine in this benighted district; and, 'as felatep in onr telegraphic ciilumi, was forthwith sued, for breach of the bye-law, vuled the precious "law" ,*wra «»«,' of coursejibut that spch p JBjseeutio'n is possible shows what ignorVjße and impudence cpmbmed can do. r-fl, B, lleraid. ' " _ In fifty years, if the present rates of increase are maintained, Franco will rank sixth only among European nation;. In 150 years eHe; will have sonk almos f beneath consideration in . a world of Hussions and Germans, Anglo-Saxons andChineße.