There were still Pit Brow Lasses working in the coalfields in 1942.
Was that on the "Screens" DM?
Tomkin
I think that the "pit brow lasses" were what we used to call pickers.
A picker worked t the point between where the coal came out of the pit and where it was screened for size. They would watch the coal travelling on a conveyor and remove any stone or other foriegn body from th coal. As DM says, it was often heavy work and at most collieries out in all weather.
Although the deaths of the 26 children at Huskar had resulted in the
creating of the Commissions report, it was something else that so outraged
Society and the Government that made this Act, Law.
Tomkin
What passed this Bill with such rapidity was the emphasis placed
on the Moral danger that Women and Children were in. Lord Ashley, who
demanded this Bill, knew how the mind of Victorian society worked. He concentrated
to a large extent on the "Moral Degradation" that Women and Children suffered in
these circumstances. The report told of Men working totally naked and Females of
all ages working naked from the waist up. All working in close contact with each other,
underground. To add to this outrageous behaviour, Women and Girls often wore trousers.
All this was totally against the Victorian ideal of family life where the Man was
the bread winner ( and wore the trousers) and Women stayed at home and looked after
the family and did womanly "things."
Tomkin
That would be hillarious if it weren't true. It's hard to believe in present day society that these ideals ever existed. It makes me shake my head.
Thanks Jan,
All over the world ,children are being exploited and forced
to work in conditions that beggar belief. As someone once said
" if we do not learn the lessons of history then we are doomed to
repeat it."
Tomkin
Yes Thanks Jan.
Not only is child labour a problem around the world. I/Our family in Oz were recently forcefully reminded of the terrible levels of medical care in some parts of the world.
Three of our nieces contracted dengue fever so we had to send mony to have them treated. Two recovered within ten days but the youngest deteriorated and began to haemorage, we sent more money so that her father could buy some blood. This involved him combing the city, visiting various "blood clinics" to find one that had the correct group, he then had to take it to the hospital for screening and final use - all this would take 12-18hrs. Our niece continued to deteriorate and was deemed to be in need of intensive care. The crunch was that the hospital wanted payment before they would even consider putting her into IC. The family here again had a quick whip around and got enough money for at least a couple of days. I then called the hospital and explained the situation but they still wouldn't move her untill the money was in thier hands.
Luckily after a week more in hospital she was released and is now recovering quite well, but I often think of all those poor people that dont have the luxury of "Rich" relations; how many children (and adults) die, simply because they can't afford treatment.
And this happens in many parts of the world.
Denn
