30 



IV, 



THE PLUMAGE IMPORTATION BILL, 



A THE LABOUR QUESTION. 

 It is a favourite contention of the trade, that : 



" The Bill, if passed, will throw out of employment thousands of British 

 workpeople, without protecting the life of ai single bird." "The Feather 

 Trade," p. 119. 



To which statement Mr. Downham adds: "We have thousands of workmen 

 and workwomen to consider." 



British Labour. 



The question of the thousands of workpeople may be con- 

 sidered first. Fashion has never shown the slightest inclination 

 to consider the case of workpeople injured in a change of materials 

 or of trimmings. It has not even considered the case of the 

 manufacturers. The fancy feather-trade is, however, happily 

 one in which the industrial question is very little involved, as 

 the material gives less labour to the working-class than probably 

 any other kind of trimming that could be, and would be, employed 

 in its place. The profit does not go to pay the wages of a large 

 number of hands ; it goes to the few firms who conduct the 

 business. This was brought out very clearly in the examination 

 of trade witnesses before the House of Lords Committee. It 

 was then shown that of the imported feathers 80 per cent, go out 

 of England to be made up in foreign factories ; with 80 per cent, 

 of the goods English labour has therefore nothing to do. The 

 remaining 20 per cent, give employment during a portion of the 

 year only, to young women who are engaged at other times in 

 manipulating ostrich feathers and making artificial flowers. 

 One trade witness said : 



" The trade does not go on always ; it is mostly in the fall of the year 

 when these birds are employed. In the summer season our firm makes 

 artificial flowers, and other people employ themselves with ostrich feathers." 



Should the plumage of wild birds be no longer obtainable, 

 ostrich feathers and poultry feathers will remain ; and there can 



