Stephen
Binns
was born
in 1792. He began work as a piecener in the local textile mill when
he was seven years old. When he was interviewed by Michael
Sadler and his House of Commons Committee
on 2nd June, 1832, he was working as an overlooker in a factory in
Leeds.
Child
Labour Debate Activity (International School of Toulouse)
Child
Labour Simulation (Spartacus Educational)
(1)
Stephen Binns was interviewed by Michael
Sadler and his House of Commons Committee
on 2nd June, 1832.
Question:
What is the temperature in the rooms in which hot-water spinning is
carried on?
Answer: It varies; at the factory where I was employed, it was about
80.
Question: Is there any reason why the windows could not be kept open?
Answer: Yes; because as soon as the windows are opened the yarn becomes
injured, because the temperature of the room is lessened; it cools
the water, and the hot water dissolves the gum, and assists the rollers
in breaking the flax.
Question: What is the temperature of the water?
Answer: About 110, sometimes about 120.
Question: Have the children to plunge their hands and arms into the
water?
Answer: Yes, continually.
Question: What is the effect of the heat of the rooms, and the water,
and the steam?
Answer: Their clothes are steamed, as it were, partially wet.
Question: Are the children endangered in going out into the street
after labour, especially in winter time?
Answer: Yes, I should think they would be frozen.
Question: What are the hours of labour at Mr. Stirk's factory?
Answer: Thirteen hours a day.
Question: Could you keep the children to their work for that length
of time without chastisement?
Answer: No; it is impossible to get the quantity of work from them
without punishment.
Question: Was the chastisement inflicted principally at the latter
end of the day, when they became weary?
Answer: Principally about two or three, or four or five o'clock, and
in some degree all the day at times, but more after dinner than any
other time.
Question: Have the children any opportunity of resting.
Answer: It is not allowed in any factory. Whenever I see a seat in
our factory, a log of wood, or anything to sit upon, I order it to
be taken away immediately.
Question: Have you any reason to think that, upon inspections of visitors,
the sickly children are kept away?
Answer: I have heard say so.
Question: Then the difference made in the mill by preparation for
visitors is, that matters are made more tidy and clean than usual.
Answer: Yes, and the children have less to do, and the girls wash
their faces, and comb their hair, and make themselves look better;
and being in their Sunday clothes, they appear to be in more prosperous
circumstances then they really are.
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