Second Shetland Truck System ReportGuthrie, William
History
Second Shetland Truck System Report
Guthrie, William
Labor law -- Truck system -- History -- England; Shetland (Scotland) -- History
1062. Except when you signed the document you have mentioned,
was there any occasion on which you were told by any of the firm
of Hay & Co. that you were bound to fish for them only?-I don't
remember any other time.
Lerwick, January 2, 1872, THOMAS CHRISTIE, examined.
1063. You are a fisherman in Burra, and a tenant under Messrs.
Hay?-Yes.
1064. You have been present during the examination of the two
preceding witnesses?-Yes.
1065. Do you concur with them as to the most of the facts which
they have stated?-Yes.
1066. Did you sign the obligation which has been spoken to?-I
signed it once, about eight years ago.
1067. Did you do so willingly, or did you refuse first?-I did so
willingly.
1068. Had you not received warning to leave your ground first?-
No, I don't think it.
1069. Were you ever told that you would have to leave your
ground if you did not sign it?-Yes; I suppose I was.
1070. Have you complied ever since with that obligation to fish for
Hay & Co.?-Yes.
1071. You did not try to break it in any way?-No.
1072. Have you ever had to pay liberty money for yourself or any
of your children?-No.
1073. Have you cured fish for yourself?-No.
1074. Is it your opinion, as well as that of the other witnesses, that
you would make a larger profit if you cured your own fish?-I
think we would.
1075. Can you give me any reason for supposing that?-No; no
particular reason, because I never cured them.
1076. But you know that is the general belief?-Yes.
1077. Have you any knitters in your family?-Yes.
1078. The letter you have signed says that they are invariably paid
in goods, both for the goods they sell, and also for their wages
when engaged to knit for the hosiery dealers: is that so?-Yes.
1079. Have you ever sold any articles for your daughters?-Yes.
1080. Do you sometimes take the goods they knit the shops and
sell them for them?-Yes.
1081. Where have you taken them to?-To Linklater.
1082. Do you keep an account with him?-No.
1083. You just take the article in and sell it?-Yes, and get what
they want for it.
1084. Do your daughters knit with their own wool?-No, they knit
with wool supplied by Mr. Linklater.
1085. Is it through you that the dealing generally takes place?-
No; not through me.
1086. Your daughters generally manage it themselves?-Yes.
1087. But you have brought in articles which they have knitted?-
Yes; on one or two occasions.
1088. On these occasions what took place?-I was just ordered to
get some things from the shop, and I got them.
1089. Did you ever ask for money?-No, they never expected to
get money, they never asked for it.
1090. You were told the articles that you were to bring home, and
the value that was to be put upon the shawls?-Yes.
1091. Did you not leave the fixing of the price to the merchant?-
He knew the price himself. It was marked down in the book, what
I brought in for them was added to the account.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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