Report of the Royal Commission on the Poor Laws and Relief of Distress. : Appendix Volume XX. Report by Mr. Cyril Jackson on boy labour together with a memorandum from the General Post Office on the conditions of employment of telegraph messengers.

  • Royal Commission on the Poor Laws and Relief of Distress 1905-09
Date:
1909
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Report of the Royal Commission on the Poor Laws and Relief of Distress. : Appendix Volume XX. Report by Mr. Cyril Jackson on boy labour together with a memorandum from the General Post Office on the conditions of employment of telegraph messengers. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service. The original may be consulted at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service.

    263/276 (page 227)
    OF TELEGRAPH MESSENGERS. OfiSce or Surveyor's District. M a fX3 CD 5 Hull 39 17 a 13 fe o p, o gW O =<H >1 O a w o S P D Leeds Liverpool and District - Manchester and District - Newcastle - on - T y n e and District - Nottingham 32 184 91 29 Sheffield Home District Eastern District 17 47 26 39 Number of Messengers excluded or removed from Registers. D CL) o: bp a cS S « O 1^ -r) . a S-^- S ID m a O T3 Pi ® a CI 3 ^2 Remarks. 49 52 32 94 55 13 10 118 17 25 19 27 23 18 12 17 66 14 (Waiting, to go to: sea as an appren-j tice). 27 36 62 The introduction of the Employment Registers has, to some extent, widened the range of em- ployment open to Ex- Mebsengers, who formerly found situations mainly on the Railways. Among places recently obtained are :—E n g i n e e r i n g ; Clothing Trade ; Hy- draulic Crane ; Porter ; Labourer, Tar Distillery; Tram Conductor; Paper Cutter ; Storekeeper. The situations found for the boys were all with reputable firms, and there is reason to believe that the improvement in the class of situation ob- tained, since the intro- duction of Employment Registers, is considerable. Many of the situations ob- tained for the boys with outside firms were of a better class than those usually obtained by the boys themselves. A statement* showing the class of employment ob- tained is attached. It cannot be said that an improvement is mani- fested, many good offers having had to be refused owing to the educational qualifications demanded. All the boys discharged have prospect of permanent work with good firms. The Employment Registers give wider field of choice, and consequently better opportunities of obtain- ing good class of work. No change in class of em- ployment obtained since Employment Registers were introduced. Employment obtained by 14 of the boys is as folio ws:~ 4 Temporary Postmen, 3 Engineers, 1 Warehouse Boy, 2 Crane Boys,2 Tele- phone Construction Hands, 1 Toolmaker, 1 Clerk. Doubtful if there has been any improve- ment in class of situation obtained, but probably less time is wasted in seeking employment. Of the three lads still unem- ployed, one has only one arm and another is of ex- ceptionally small stature. The towns in Home Dis- trict are small, and well paid situations scarce. The Registers are not, theref ore,of much service. The introduction of the Employment Registers has had but little effect in securing employment for the Messengers. Only sixteen per cent, of the messengers discharged since the Registers were established obtained out- side employment through their assistance. 429. * See page 229 [15a]. 2K2