One hundred years ago
THE 'pit-brow women' of Lancashire, whose right to earn their wages of 2s. a day has been threatened with legislative interference for the last two years, interviewed the Home Secretary on Tuesday. They declared that their work, which is cleaning the lumps of coal before they are loaded on the waggons, did not injure their health, their friends affirmed that it did not injure their morals, and some of them were clad in the perfectly modest though ungainly dress worn during work. They looked, and are, specially healthy women, as well conducted as anybody else. Mr Matthews told them that he was entirely opposed to interfer- ence with any female labour not inju- rious to health or morals, and that he hoped no more would be heard of the attempt to prevent their earning their own living. There never was a more unreasonable attempt to suppress female competition, and its defeat is exceedingly important, for the question is a test one. If female labour on the pit-brow is stopped, so must be female labour in the fields. The latter is quite as hard, much dirtier, worse paid, and a great deal more dangerous to the mor- als of those who follow it. With the Government on the side of the women, and the Members thoroughly ac- quainted with the facts, the miners, we imagine, will have little chance of a majority. The Spectator, 21 May 1887
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