Girls are employed here in bag-making and table processes. The employer considered that the girls could average 9s. to 10s. He gave the highest wage for machine laying-on, which begins at 7s. and goes up to 12s. and 13s. This wage was given because of the danger of the process (I think the machine was the "Arab," which in union houses women may not work "because of the danger"). Manager believed a good many of his hands were married women. He did not care whether they were married or not. The forewoman and the girl in the warehouse were each taking 11s.
Homework.—Given out in busy times to whoever applied, without further precautions. Manager thought no outworker took more than 4s. to 5s. per week.
Hours.—8 a.m. to 6.30 p.m.
Fifty-two and a half hours per week regular time. Just now (December) they were working ten hours per day.
August slackest month. Manager generally turned off hands then. Manager spoke of difficulty of getting workers—he could not get boys to feed the machines, for example, because it led to nothing.
Manager said he "conducted his business on purely business principles" and got his work done as cheaply as he could.
MACHINE FEEDING.
This is the lowest work in letterpress printing. Girls are employed largely as feeders, and are replacing boys. The managers said that the work was not liked by boys, as leading to nothing, and it was difficult to get them. The wages for a machine feeder are 4s. 6d. to 5s. 6d. initial wage, which rises to 8s. 6d. or 9s. In the best workshops we were told that the firm tried to find better work for machine feeders when they had been some time with them and had proved themselves capable and steady. Other firms did not know what became of machine feeders when they grew dissatisfied with the small wage paid to them.
Employment of Married Women.