Women in the Printing Trades: A Sociological Study.
General
Women in the Printing Trades: A Sociological Study.
Printing industry -- Great Britain; Women -- Employment -- Great Britain; Women printers -- Great Britain; Working class women -- Great Britain
DEPARTMENT V.--VELLUM WORK.--All 15 girls employed here were on time
work. They got 11_s._ per week when first out of their time; 12_s._
after two years. None were receiving over 12_s._, except one who "makes
up" at 13_s._ a week. These wages were given by the forewoman. The
manager seemed surprised that they were not higher, and remarked that
they were lower than in the book-folding department. The forewoman said
that in most places the vellum workers got more than book workers, but
this firm had arranged otherwise.
DEPARTMENT VI.--The girls FOLDING NOTEPAPER in the warehouse were
getting 13_s._ or 14_s._ (time wages) per week.
WORK.--Department I.--NUMBERING, RELIEF STAMPING, PERFORATING, PACKING,
AND GUMMING going on.
The numbering and the stamping are different trades, done by different
girls, but most of them can do packing as well, though in some cases
they learn packing only. They can mostly do perforating and gumming,
odds and ends too. Some were folding postal forms. Special envelope
orders are done here. About 35 girls were employed.
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.
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