MACHINERY.—Machinery is continually being introduced and more women are being employed in spite of the fact that the machines do work so much more quickly. Production is made cheaper and so the demand is greater.
HOME WORK.—No home work is given out.
Relief Stamping Firms. General Summary.
We have information about twenty-one houses where women are employed at stamping (covering over 300 women).
TRAINING.—Out of these nine have a regular system of training, four do not take apprentices, having found them more trouble than they were worth; three have no settled system, while three refused to furnish information on the subject. In four cases indentures were signed, and there were two cases of premiums, in one of which £2 was paid, to be returned with 5 per cent. interest after three years; in the other, £10—with variations. "It varies with the girl," we were told. "Sometimes girls with very respectable parents like to pay a premium, in other cases it is waived." In eight out of the nine houses where there is a regular system of training, the girls serve an apprenticeship varying from two to three years. They begin by a few shillings pocket-money and go on to receive a part of what they make at piece work rates. In one house they gave from two weeks to two months for nothing, during which time their earnings went to the forewoman who taught them.
The following are some of the systems of payment during training:—
(1) 1st year (employed in warehouse), 3s.; 2nd year, half earnings, piece, with 4s. per month pocket-money; 3rd year, three-quarter earnings, with 4s. per month pocket-money.
(2) 1st year, 5s.; 2nd year, 6s. 6d.; 3rd year, 8s.
(3) 2s. 6d. for first 6 months; rising 1s. every 3 months, till 8s. 6d. is reached.
(4) Start at 2s. 6d.; rise to 10s. during training.