348 REPORT— 1903. 



Tailoring in London. 



^From Information communicated hy a Committee of the Women's Industrial 



Council, Lo7ulon.) 



Investigation was made in the neighbourhoods of Regent Street, Soho, 

 Cheapside, Whitechapel, Borough Road, and to a less extent in other 

 districts. It is thought that the inquiry, though necessarily incomplete, 

 has led to facts typical of the regions dealt with. 11.3 employers and 56 

 workers or more have been seen or communicated with, belonging to 

 many different branches of the industry, but only a small minority could 

 give information bearing on Factory legislation. Of 12 factory employers 

 who answered the question, all held that women were not handicapped in 

 obtaining employment, 10 being emphatic on the point. Of 5 workshop 

 employers, 1 thouglit that employment was to some extent restricted, 

 since the women cannot help in time of pressure ; 3 were clear that the 

 Act was no hindrance, and the other was less certain. Four smaller 

 employers strongly approved the Acts, but 1 of them thought they handi- 

 capped women. Of 14 workers who gave answers, 2 thought there 

 was some hindrance, 4 were doubtful, 8 said that there was no effect. 

 Of 10 employers in retail shops, 8 thought there was no hindrance, and 

 2 that there was some. Thus out of a total of 45 persons, 6 thought 

 that women were handicapped, but 3 of these nevertheless approved the 

 restriction. Several said that there was no competition between men and 

 women. The in%estigators are of opinion that tlie line of demarcation is 

 nearly rigid ; where there is an alteration of iiumbers, it means a re- 

 arrangement of processes, which comes about quite independently of 

 legislation. One vest hand said that she did not take apprentices, partly 

 because that would bring her under inspection and regulation. 



As regards hours, the detailed evidence supports the statement that 

 the hours are less than the legal maximum in factories, equal to it in 

 workshops, and more for home-workers ; but the hours worked at home 

 vary greatly from time to time. There is a certain amount of evidence 

 that the restrictions as to hours are not always observed in workshops, 

 especially the regulations as to the length of intervals for meals. 



Most of the employers deny that they give out any work ; one some- 

 times gives the girls work ' to take home to their mothers, or if a girl 

 cannot come the next day, she is given a little to do at home instead.' 

 But of 1-5 v/orkers, who answered the question, 7 took work home, 2 

 of them but rarely. 



Remarkable unanimity was found among employers and employees in 

 general approval of the Factory Acts, and the few objections that were 

 made were not to the provisions specially affecting women. Several 

 employers maintained that when girls have worked the legal maximum 

 they are not capable of more. One tailoiess, who worked at home, said 

 that it ' is far better to work in workshops where the Factory Acts take 

 effect,' so as to have regular hours. ' In fact, the evidence, such as it is, 

 is favourable to the Factory Act, and gives no ground for supposing it 

 constitutes any real grievance.' 



