(5) Looking over and packing.
REGULARITY.—Slack times vary in different houses. "You never can tell," but summer, as a rule, is slack. Last summer there was very little work all July and August at C. and D. and F. She made only 8d. or 9d. a day sometimes.
HOURS.—At C. and D. the hours worked are from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., with one and a-half hours for meals; at E., from 8 a.m. to 6.30 p.m., with one and a-half hours for meals on Monday and Tuesday; from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., with one and a-half hours for meals on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday; and from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays.
MACHINERY.—Machinery has not taken work from women.
GENERAL.—She remarked that G. was "a dreadful place." The girls cried because there was no work.
21. X., Stamping Firm in London. Employee's Evidence.
WORK.—There are about 100 girls in the stamping room, about 30 of whom pack up the work in boxes, etc. In some places the stampers have to pack their own work. There is also envelope work, etc., done on the firm, but my informant knew nothing of this. Some girls did the hand illuminating, i.e., colouring part of a design that has been stamped.
REGULARITY.—The trade is seasonal, and is slack in the summer and busy in winter.
SKILL.—"You have to be strong to stand the stamping," she said. She herself had to give it up after she had been a learner for two years, and take to packing. Her health gave way; she got very anæmic, and could not stand the strain. Most of the packers were girls who could not stand stamping. They had one very heavy press with big dies, and tried a girl on it, but she got injured internally, so a man was put on it. At R. she heard they had heavy presses. She said she knew of two girls who went there, and both injured themselves. She thinks they had to go to the hospital. The best paying work was done on the big presses. However, many girls stood the stamping all right. Strength is absolutely necessary.