The Industrial Revolution

Bibliographic data

Monograph

Identifikator:: 1027928145

URN:: urn:nbn:de:zbw-retromon-159926

Document type:: Monograph

Author:: Cunningham, William http://d-nb.info/gnd/128907487

Title:: The Industrial Revolution

Place of publication:: Cambridge

Publisher:: The University Press

Year of publication:: 1922

Scope:: xxii S., S. 404-886

Digitisation:: 2021

Collection:: Economics Books

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CONDITIONS OF WORK IN MINES 805 important as the evils were increasing with frightful rapidity, AD lms and were to some extent an indirect consequence of the ’ Factory Act of 1838. The education clauses in that Act had resulted in the discontinuance, in many districts, of the employment of children in factories who were under thirteen The em- o . ployment years of age. There was, however, nothing to prevent their of young working in mines from very early years and for the longest Joys in hours. “Amongst the children employed,” as Mr Hickson writes, “ there are almost always some mere infants * * *; the practice of employing children only six and seven years of age is all but universal, and there are no short hours for them. The children go down with the men usually at 4 o'clock in the morning, and remain in the pit between 11 and 12 hours.” To ascertain the nature of the employment of these young children, he went down a pit 600 feet deep. The galleries were secured by traps or doors to prevent inflammable drafts. “The use of a child six years of age is to open and shut one of these doors when the trucks pass and repass. For this object the child is trained to sit by itself in a dark gallery for the number of hours I have de- scribed.” In some of the collieries young girls as well as boys tad been oy increasing, appear to have been employed, and the British parent who could no longer exploit his children in factories forced them bo go to work in the neighbouring mines. This is one of the pieces of evidence which goes to show that the capitalist was not solely to blame in regard to the maltreatment of children, but that there was at least a reckless connivance on the part of the parents. This fact became still more obvious when colliers worked their own children in this way; they had not, generally speaking, the excuse of poverty, as their wages ranged considerably higher than in other callings? The measure, which was passed, followed on the lines which had proved successful in regard to factories, by arranging for the employment of inspectors, but in other ways the circum- stances of the case demanded special treatment. Boys under but was ten vears of age were not to be emploved in the pits. and the raga L Reports, 1840, xx1v. 687. 3 Reports, 1840, xxiv. 688. Their average wages, according to the Report, were 243, a week, cottage rent-free, garden ground and coal free.

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