There was one man doing the illuminating required and working at a rather heavy press. There was also a good number of youths doing numbering. I tried vainly to find out what they were paid. The manager and the foreman said that they were not doing the same work; it was the same except that a name was stamped on as well as a number (it was on money orders). Two girls were also doing this, but I was assured that that was only "by accident." Two or three boys were perforating and stamping.
DEPARTMENT II.--LITHO PRINTING. Girls were feeding machines and washing rollers. About 12 girls were employed.
DEPARTMENT III.--MACHINE RULING. Little girls were feeding the ruling machines, and a few older ones were counting and folding the foolscap paper; 18 girls were employed.
DEPARTMENT IV.--BOOKBINDING AND SEWING. All sorts of folding, sewing and stitching (by machine mostly), eyeletting, etc., etc., were being carried on, and about 45 girls were employed.
DEPARTMENT V.--VELLUM WORK. Sewing, folding, etc., for account books and ledgers was being done; 15 girls were employed, also one girl "laying-on" for cloth work, and two or three running errands.
DEPARTMENT VI.--In the WAREHOUSE were three girls folding notepaper.
REGULARITY.--Work here is constant all the year round. The forewoman in the book-folding department said they only had in job hands about twice a year.
HOURS.--The firm works about 54 hours per week, _i.e._, from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., with one hour for dinner, half an hour for tea, and ten minutes for lunch. On Saturdays they work from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
OVERTIME.--It was very difficult to get anything definite about overtime pay. The manager first said that they all got 6_d._ an hour overtime. Then he said that piece workers were simply paid at piece rates. The forewoman in the book-folding department said that time hands got 4_d._ an hour overtime. In the vellum work they never had any overtime. These extra payments seem to be irregularly made.
PROSPECTS.--The girls can rise to forewoman's position, here or elsewhere. Vellum work forewoman mentioned that two of her young ladies had become forewomen elsewhere.
ORGANISATION.--The manager knew that a Women's Union existed, but thought it was more of a Benefit Society than anything else. He assured me that the problem of the organisation of women's labour was the problem in trade, and seemed vaguely to regret that women were so helpless and ready to be cut down.