No. 261. — April 23. Matthias Dunn, Esq., Viewer of St. Lawrence Main and Shield Field Collieries.

The employment of children in this district in coal-pits is perfectly consistent with health — with robust health. Knows of no ill effects from exclusion from light and the atmosphere. Has known some putters travel 20 miles a-day [i.e. in putting trams]. This requires favourable circumstances, and good putting. The ordinary height is 3ft. 6in. in their seams. In St. Lawrence and Shield Field is working coals where the height is made 3ft. 6in. by removing the top and bottom, the thickness of the seam being 2ft. 9in, — the Bensham seam chiefly. The Low Main and the Six Quarter seams are also thin seams here — not in other collieries. In some wet collieries in Scotland, &c., putters may sometimes wear 'back-skins,' viz, a skin of leather to throw the wet off.

Thinks that the main principles of ventilation, in many parts of Scotland and Wales, are ill understood, as well as in Staffordshire and most of the southern districts and as ill practised as understood, to the great danger of the workmen; they can exist in this state, but minor accidents are constantly happening. The principle of the trap-door is a forced principle of ventilation, being a substitute for a stopping. There should be a general standard air-course. The standard of air in every case should be fixed at a minimum. Generally the pits in this district are sufficiently ventilated on general principles. Considers the principle of subdivision of air into splits is a most material cause of safety, and even of economy. It is totally impossible to guard against accidents entirely. About Wales and the above-named districts boys are harder worked, have less wages, and longer hours. They are inferior in the scale to the lads here. Used to know boys go down before six years of age to pit-work. Would object to any restriction limiting the age of boys going down pits. Thinks it unnecessary. Would leave it to the discretion of the parents and the viewers. Would object to any compulsory enactments requiring the ability to read and write before going down pits and would also object to all requisites of medical certificates. Wishes things to remain as they are.

Boys used formerly to work 16 or 17 hours at much harder work than they have now. Never knew any instances of permanent injury to lads from putting. The ordinary rise in putting a full tram up is 1 in 20 but it is generally so contrived that coals shall be put down the inclination. There is no more difficulty in getting putters for thin than for thin seams — at least very little, inasmuch as the corf is proportionally less. They do not much with 'soams' in St. Lawrence's Pit. Mostly they put a wooden tub fixed upon wheels. Is not aware of any hardships from which they suffer. They are worse in morals for being near a town-such a place as Newcastle. The amount of sickness is very moderate. They work from 10 to 11 days a fortnight. In the Tees collieries many pits work about eight days only per fortnight.

In the year 1812 or 1814, it was proposed amongst all the coal owners of this district, the owners of the royalties included, to erect hospitals in different parts of the district, for infirm and decayed colliers. It was proposed that a charter should be submitted to Parliament. The coal-owners, &c., would have taxed themselves a farthing per chaldron sold. Printed forms, &c., were submitted to the various collieries. But it was generally rejected, from various motives, chiefly because the pitmen believed the intention was to make them pay the poor-rates, when they were asked for their subscription of about two and a half per cent upon their earnings.

No. 262. — John Mackey, Under-viewer of this Colliery for 10 years past.

Never knew of so many removals in the colliery district as have occurred this last binding. Here between 30 and 40 families removed this time out of 160 families or inhabitants of houses. Many of the boys before going to work at all attend schools in this neighbourhood but very few attend any school in the week after they have become pit-boys.

No. 263. — William Cooke.

Aged 16. Is a helper up. Has been here a month. First went down pits at 10 years old. Now gets 2s. 6d. or so a-day. Gets up every morning at 4 o'clock and is down the pit to start work by 5 o'clock. Looses at 5 o'clock. All the boys work these hours. Has about three times wrought two shifts together of 12 hours each. Helps up the putters with the empty tub. Here they put with iron tubs mostly 20-peck tubs. They weigh the tubs down an incline with ropes, where he is and he assists to push the empty tubs up, one tub at a time, the place is so steep — the steepest place he ever was at. Four have been at this tram to-day, one person of 18 or 19, himself 16, and one turned 14 and another 14 years of age these four assisted to put up the empty tub; two before, aged each 14, drew up with soams, each holding one soam and two behind, of 18 or 19 and 16 years of age, pushed with their arms. Tramway is not in very good order, and that makes it harder. Does not make him bad. His back used to work sometimes. His legs worked, as well as his arms sometimes. The putting is rather hard here. They complain where he is that they cannot put much as at others. The fill tubs are let down by a lad loosing the rope through his the rope being rolled twice round a prop. In some places here they put the full tub up a rise; this is in two places; they are steep places. The helping up is hard there. In putting down steep places the tram is apt to get off the way and stop them long.

No. 264. — James Blackey.

Turned 14. Is a helper up on this same tram. Sometimes his back aches; his legs also ache sometimes. His place is in the broken workings but the air does not hurt him. Can complain of nothing except the places being so steep. Cannot read or write, except a little. Does not go to any night-school yet. Goes to a Sunday-school at St. Ann's, and to church afterwards. Has three little brothers. Gets 1s. 3s. a-day. His health is good. Little boys get basted sometimes down this pit, nothing to speak of.

No. 265. — Six boys, all putting, of the ages, 14 to 17.

There are two boys to a tram and a helper-up or two, where it is heavy. It is, in so places, heavy putting. They put up hill mostly, and in some places down hill. In the down-hill places two drags are put which drag the four wheels. Holding back is better pushing up. None use soams. They put all ways, up and down, at different times. Their backs are strained sometimes. In the Bensham Seam the places are very low sometimes. Many times they get their fingers jammed, where there are no handles to the tub, by putting them on the tubs and having them jammed against the roof. They who are putting themselves in the Bensham Seam have back-leathers. Many times they rub all the skin off their backs against the roof. Three have been off for a fortnight or more by accidents; one had his ribs broken, another his thigh cut, the other was bruised by the fall of a stone. Five cannot read at all, [one reads fairly and writes his name]. None go to any school in the week. Two go to Sunday-school; three attend divine service. [There are a day, and evening and a Sunday school within 200 yards from the colliery.]

No. 266. — May 16th. James Richardson, a wasteman, says:—

In the working of the Bensham seam in this pit about the highest place the hewers have is 33 inches in height. Up to where the putters come a height of 3 feet 4 inches, or 3 feet 6 inches is made by taking up the bottom. There are places here as long as 200 yards, where Evidence the height for the hewers is not more than 26 inches. One north-way is all low places and perhaps one-third of the colliery is low in the way's. The tubs are filled by hewers and putters. They hew in these low places sitting upon something or kneeling with one knee.

No. 267. — George Faction.

Aged 14. Has been about five years down this pit. Is a half-marrow now and has been in for three years; making about 1s. 3d. a-day. His hours in the pit are from 5 [a.m.] to 5 [p.m.] In some places he bends quite double and rubs his back so as to bring the skin off and whiles to make it bleed and whiles he is off work from these things. Often has the headache and is sick so as to throw up food; sometimes twice in a week; very often once or twice in a week. There is a good deal of stythe in the pit and it is wet in some places; in one place up to his knees in water and through this place he passes perhaps 50 or 60 times in a-day. Often gets cold from wet, and the water is salt and cankery'. When he went down pits, about nine years old, he had no pains of any sort. Can read very easy words; cannot write. Goes to no school at all now but sometimes goes to chapel on Sunday nights. Never goes to Sunday-school.

No. 268. — Thomas Wigham. (As reported by several boys.)

Was down this pit when, his mother said, he was between 5 and 6 years old. This boy is now at Wingate Colliery, in Durham and when here got his thigh-bone broken by a fall of stone from the roof. He was a wee thing of a boy.

No. 269. — His brother, — Wigham. (As reported by several boys.)

About 8 years old. Got his arm smashed all to bits a fortnight ago by the tubs falling over was nearly dead and is off work now.

No. 270. — Michael Richardson.

Aged 15. Has been down St. Lawrence Pit six years and has been a half-marrow for six months. Goes down at 5 [a.m.] except at week ends, when he goes down at 3 a.m. and comes tip at 3 [p.m.] and comes up at 5. About three-quarters of a year since he wrought double shift very other night or rather, he worked three times in 11 days, for 36 hours a time, without coming up the pit. This he did because they had not enough lads and the overman him to stop and he stopped to please him and that he might be liked the better. When he went down pit about nine years of age, he was a long way better in health than he is now and he was never bad then. He was keeping a door at first, and when he had been at this two months or so he began to turn sick. Used often to turn sick when getting up in the morning. For a long time he used to throw up again whatever he took to eat. Was off work bad for a fortnight about that time with sickness and headache. After that he got better and is not often sick now but he is always tired and is sometimes so much so that he can hardly get out of bed in the morning. He never has much appetite, and the dust often blacks his victuals. Is always dry and thirsty but cannot get any good water to drink down the pit If ever he has a little bit of time he always falls asleep directly. Has a pain in his legs very often, and his arms are sore with pushing. Thinks all the boys suffer a good deal. There is no pulling with soams here. Wrought at Jarrow Pit half a year, where he kept a door when he was about nine years old and the air was very bad. Was often frightened to go down the pit. The men often baste [beat] the little boys when they first go down. The overman at Jarrow Pit used his walking-stick for this purpose. Was bad in the head a fortnight ago with bad air in the pit, though he is working in the 'whole' and is not well now. (Looks unwell and delicate.) Some boy's put here in very low places, where they must bend right down. Is making about 1s. 6d. a-day now. Can read the Testament [fairly] and write a little. Goes to Sunday-school [where he has been two years] and to chapel twice a Sunday regularly.

No. 271. — George Dryden.

Aged between 14 and 15. Drives the gin down the pit. Has been down pits seven years, two of which he was at Walbottle Colliery-. Went down about seven years old. Was a half-marrow in the Bensham [seam] for a year. Was putting in that seam in places that were said to be under 26 inches in height, for a fortnight together but the place was made higher. Has no time to get his victuals when the rolleys are going right. Then he never stops more than five minutes for eating them, and gets them when he can catch time. About two years ago he was off a fortnight from having strained himself at shoving, and then he was sore bad pained in the back. He is in the Low Main seam, where the air is tolerably good. But he very often has the headache now, nearly every day more or less. Last year at Wallbottle Colliery he worked four shifts following, of 12 hours each, in the new pit. He was up the pit every shift but never in bed all that time. It happened thus, he was working in the night-shift and as some day-shift lads were wanting he stopped for them. Those four shifts were thus managed, he went down the pit at 8 o'clock on the Sunday night, and came up at 5 on the Monday evening for two hours and went down again at 7 o'clock [p.m.] and came up on Tuesday night at 5 o'clock [p.m.]. This made the four shifts. He went in the regular shift down again on the Wednesday night and was up at 5 in the morning and so he went on. In this night-shift he was about three weeks driving rolleys. The reason he stopped the extra shifts [as above described] was because they asked him to stop and he thought he could do it. Did it for the money and would like to do it again for the money he gave it to his parents. Parents did not force him to stop. Father gave him 1s. that time out of the four shifts earnings. Generally he gets 6d. a fortnight out of his wages. Can read the Testament [fairly]; writes his name. Goes to Sunday-school but not often to chapel.

No. 272. — James Richardson.

Aged 17. Is a putter, and has been down this pit 8 years. Went down at 9 years of age and kept a door for 2 years. Was then frightened at the pit and thought it a queer place. Was often beaten by the overman with a walking-stick and the big putters hit him with their nieves [fists]. Was off once half a year from the rolleys running over his leg. Is now putting in the Low Main seam where there are not many low places. In the Bensham seam they are putting in places 2 feet high and dare not keep their fingers on the tub at the top, else they would get knocked against the roof. He often himself gets a little strained with shoving, for they are very scarce of helpers-up. Mostly puts the full tub [iron tub] up hill. In the Low Main the tubs hold 20 pecks, and 16 pecks in the Bensham seam. The viewer does not go into the very low places himself. Witness is a headsman and has a half-marrow of 14 years of age. Both shove behind in a 5 foot high place, where it is very steep. Has many objections to the steepness but dare not stop work or his wages would be stopped and himself put in prison. Would like some other trade better. Has often been poorly with the smoke as he goes down an up-cast shaft. Has been off work twice from strains in his arms from shoving; one time nine weeks and another a quarter of a year. He got smart-money all the time, 6d. a-day. The doctor sent a letter to Mr. Dunn [the viewer] to say he was bad and was really not able to work. Once he was lamed in his finger [now marked deeply] and was off two months, and got smart-money then. Trappers do not get smart-money whatever happens to them. All above the trappers do. Knows Thomas Whigham, a boy of 6 years old, was hurt down the pit by a fall of stone. About six months ago he worked three shifts following, of 12 hours each shift and never stopped work more than a few minutes now and then, or came up the pit till he was done. There was then some night-work to do and the overman asked him to stop and he could not say no, or else he [the overman] would have frowned on him and stopped him perhaps of some helpers-up. Never worked more than once so long together. Thinks the hours for lads ought to be shortened, and does not know whether it would not be better even if their wages were less. Boys cannot go to night-school and he knows of none that go. Never was at any school himself, except Sunday-school and his father taught him to read. Reads [well]. and writes a little. Teaches in this Sunday-school every Sunday.