CHILD LABOR.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2605, 13 September 1909, Page 3

CHILD LABOR.

EMPLOYMENT IN FACTORIES.

THE POSITION IN NEW SOUTH WALES.

The annual report for 1908 of the Labor and Industry Department makes comment of the considerable decrease -of children between 13 and 14 years of age that work in our factories. The figures given for 1907 show that 441 children of both sexes were employed, whilst . in 1908 the number was only 346, or a decrease of 22 per cent. This points to a healthy state of affairs in our domestic life, as it is an indication that the adults and the more matured children are able to keep the home going without the assistance of the mites who consequently must benefit both morally and physically, as even under the most humane circumstances children of tender ages must suffer if compelled to labor when .naturally/unfitted for. it (wiites. “W-A.B..;in the “Sydney Morning Herald”). It is still, however a matter for regret that even 346 little souls should be compelled to go into the v danger and strife of factory life! 1 and! it would be well if some legislation were passed - that- would, under no circumstances, sanction ■ the employment of ( . children .less than 14 years of age. Of the : children employed 65 per cent were boys and 35 per cent girls, thus keeping up the proportion of nearly* two ; males* to -’every female employed in the factories in the State. In all 3673 children under 16 years of age were employed in' factories in New South Wales. Of these 2444, or 67 per cent., were males, and 1229, or 33 per cent, females, further maintaining! the 2 to T ratio of <male. to female workers. The girls were employed mostly in the lighter and neater kind of work,,as iri. the manufacture of biscuits,, which f kept ,112 engaged’. The boys, however, outnumbered them easily, being a total of 204. In clothing the. girls were easily first, being,>lls as against 17. They; also dominate the hat and cap hiaking industry, putting up 153 to 47; b'ut in the 1 making of jain, where is would easily be expected, they would outnumber the boys, only, eight girls were engaged to 69 boys. Inpthe* laundries : they hold pride of place, as 21 girls were engaged in. this work, against no boys. The boys have, it all their own way in engineering, as there they numbered .172.; lit confectionery the boys outnumber the girls by 145 to 125; whilst in paper-box making; 88 girls* found! employment, as compared with 49 of-the ;sterner sex. In the making of bread and pastry, the’ once almost exclusive domain of women, only one girl was being trained, whil-; st 12. boys were qualifying as pastrycooks and bakers. Two girls found work in breweries, whilst 54 boys were engaged in the liquor trade. Brooms', which are used the world over women, could only entice one; girl to make them, and the! f .boys, 6/look upon them as natural enemies, outnumbered the lone girl by* six. The boys engaged in sawmills and joinery works - num- ! bored 105. One girl had .the temerity to- allow herself to be numbered amongst those engaged in this- purely masculine'-labor. As x tinsmitbs the lads lmd it all their own way with 118, as they also did with' 28 in tanneries and 48 employed in making stoves arid ovens for-the other-sex -to use.. Printing and bookbinding in all their branches took no the time of; nearly a , fifth of the.total children workers. The sexes l'etained the rhaiority of two to one, for over 400 boys and 200 odd girls found evidently both-.profit and occupation in these interesting trades. Tea-packing, a light and clean work, could only find employment for 13 girls and 31 boys; whilst in the preparation of condiments "the numbers were - boys and 56 girls. Furniture-making seems to have possessed few inducements for the future .women, for only seven were employed. The hoys engaged numbered 56. To the boys belonged the monopoly in glass works, for th© figures disclose, that there, were 2ft of them, and no girls engaged. Iron works kept ninety-four boys hard at it, and, with, motor works and musical instruments, employing 10 and 15 boys respectively, suffered no opposition from girl workers. In the mending of boots and shoes the girls (50) outnumbered the boys by five, but the boys easily held their own in potteries, whore they

numbered 41, as against throe, girls. That masculine oomfort, tobacco, was prepared by 50 girls and- 37 boys, land soap found work for 74 boys and 30 'girls. ' 1 ■. ' ;! 1 ■ An analysis of the published figures shows that withfthc exception of laundries there is not an industry recorded in which girls are exclusively employed, but there are 23 trades on the official list in which no girl finds Employment.' The girls outnumbered the boys in only 12 trades, but in the other 49 the boys are easily ahead! . A careful watch over the conditions under which the children are employed seems to bo kept, for 26 prosecutions are recorded: for employers engaging children without special permission of the Minister, one for employment of. a lad in a -"-ohibited part of a factory, 47 fob children employees being without certificates, and one each for employing a, child - during restricted hours and for- a parent permitting a girl to work after, the certificate had been refused.