Agricultural colonies; Poor -- Great Britain; Salvation Army; Unemployed -- Great Britain
Here, again, we fall back upon our actual experience in reclamation
work. In our Homes for Saving the Lost Women we have no difficulty of
getting them to work. The idleness of this section of the social
strata has been before referred to; it is not for a moment denied,
and there can be no question, as to its being the cause of much of
their poverty and distress. But from early morn until the lights are
out at night, all is a round of busy, and, to a great extent, very
uninteresting labour; while the girls have, as a human inducement,
only domestic service to look forward to--of which they are in no way
particularly enamoured--and yet here is no mutiny, no objection,
no unwillingness to work; in fact they appear well pleased to be kept
continually at it. Here is a report that teaches the same lesson.
A small Bookbinding Factory is worked in connection with the Rescue
Homes in London. The folders and stitchers are girls saved from the
streets, but who, for various reasons, were found unsuitable for
domestic service. The Factory has solved the problem of employment for
some of the most difficult cases. Two of the girls at present employed
there are crippled, while one is supporting herself and two young
children.
While learning the work they live in the Rescue Homes, and the few
shillings they are able to earn are paid into the Home funds.
As soon as they are able to earn 12s. a week, a lodging is found for
them (with Salvationists, if possible), and they are placed entirely
upon their own resources. The majority of girls working at this trade
in London are living in the family, and 6s., 7s., and 8s. a week make
an acceptable addition to the Home income; but our girls who are
entirely dependent upon their own earnings must make an average wage of
12s. a week at least. In order that they may do this we are obliged to
pay higher wages than other employers. For instance, we give from
2 1/2d. to 3d. a thousand more than the trade for binding small
pamphlets; nevertheless, after the Manager, a married man, is paid, and
a man for the superintendence of the machines, a profit of about #500
has been made, and the work is improving. They are all paid piecework.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account