ON women's labour. 349 



Lo7idon Liduftrits in General and West, London Laundries, 

 {From notes communicated, bi/ Mrs. Bosanquet). 



' In London legislation has certainly induced considerable change of 

 custom, especially as regards conditions of work, which in many cases are 

 notably improved. Conditions only obtaining, if at all, in the best- 

 managed firms, have been made compulsory upon all, a process of levelling 

 up. Notably in the laundry trade I have observed this. The laundries 

 which come within the scope of the Act are healthy, airy, pleasant 

 places ; the floors are well drained ; the women no longer stand to work 

 in water, ventilators keep the air fresh ; and the work is far more 

 regular than formerly, though there is still great pressure at times, and 

 consequent overwork. 



' I believe it to be the case that since fur-work has been scheduled 

 under the sections regulating out-work, it is being carried on more in 

 factories, and less as home-work. Opinions will diifer as to whether this 

 is a good result. In view of the extreme unhealthiness of the work in 

 the homes, I am inclined think that it is. 



' Legislation has certainly affected the hours worked by women in the 

 laundries and other industries which come under the Acts. I know of no 

 direct effect upon wages, except in so far as laundry workers, being a- 

 more sober, steady set of women than formerly, are certain to earn more. 



' I think it likely that indirectly the Factory Acts have encouraged the 

 introduction of machinery into laundries. Many of the older set of workers 

 object to the restrictions in a modern laundry, and employers are finding 

 a difficulty in getting sufficient trained ironers. Concurrently there is 

 considerable increase in the extent to which ironing machines are used. 

 One woman minding a machine can do more work than several by hand ; 

 moreover, being less skilled and far less laborious work, it is less 

 highly paid. To this extent one might say that the rougher class of ironer 

 has been ' displaced' from regulated into unregulated laundries. 



' I think there is no doubt at all that the present generation of 

 laundry workers is steadier, more sober, more efficient, and in every way 

 more to be relied upon than the generation brought up in the old unregu- 

 lated laundries. The employers I have seen are emphatic upon this 

 point : their only complaint at present is that they cannot get enough of 

 the steadier women to keep up with the work. 



' I know of no substitution of men for women owing to restrictive laws. 

 I believe the printing trades have been cited ; but as a matter of fact the 

 real obstacle to women's work in this trade is the men's union, which 

 prevents their being taught the higher kinds of work. Speaking^ 

 generally, there is far less rivalry between men and women in industry 

 than is generally supposed ; they seldom do just the same kind of woi'k. 

 I know of no complaints as regards restriction of hours. In inquiring 

 among small shopkeepers, e.g., I have been surprised to find how much 

 they were in favour of restriction of hours. There is a tendency to 

 attribute loss of work &c. to legal restrictions ; e.g., a case was noted 

 to me of a young widow whose foreman dismissed her on the ground that 

 he was compelled by law to dismiss women three months before child- 

 birth. There is, of course, no law to that effect.' 



The main points referring to "West End laundries in Mrs. Bosanquet's 

 Report have been included in Sections I. to VII. above, and the subject 

 is exhaustively treated below. With reference to them it is remarked that 



