No. 39. — March 10 Eighteen Rolley-drivers were classed and examined collectively and individually.

Oldest, 16 years 9 months; youngest, 11 years old. The majority averaging from 10 to 12 years old. Six of them were nearly 13 years old. All go down at 4 o'clock a.m. and come up at 4 o'clock p.m. All get 1s. 3d. a-day, with trifling variation of pence. They look after horses in drawing the corves. None of them complain of illness or of over-work. All get plenty to eat. None go to night-schools. All but five go to Sunday-schools. All but seven can read (many very imperfectly). Eight only can spell. Five only can write. At the Sunday-school (Methodist) they read the Bible or spelling book, or alphabet, and acquire some little religious knowledge. All were clean and washed, after the day's labour and looked tolerably healthy, decent, and comfortable.

No. 40. — Ten Trappers, similarly examined.

All between 9 and 12 years old. Some getting 10d., some 1s. a-day. None go to night-schools. All but three go to Sunday-schools. All appear tolerably healthy.

No. 41. — Thirty-four 'bank' Lads (i.e. lads working at the top of the shaft).

Of various ages, from 17 years downwards. The big boys drive small coal-carts from under the screening-riddles, from the traps. Six make 2s. a-day; fifteen make 10d. a-day. The six who are big boys a 11 spell, read, write. None go regularly to night-schools and but few occasionally. Three go to Sunday schools. One is a teacher (well instructed) and has 10 or 11 in his class. Thirteen boys make 6d. a-day fixed and at least 6d. a-day more by picking stones from the coal.

No. 42. — Fifteen Boys employed at bank.

From 10 to 13 or 14 years old, make about 10d. a-day. Three take off tokens from corves. Light rake the coal down the screens and are paid 3d. a bole extra for stones picked out. Four assist banksmen in carrying articles and pushing corves, &c. None go to night-schools. Ten go to Sunday-schools. All profess to read but on trial many fail. All well in health, and make no complaints.

No. 43. — Eleven Boys employed at bank.

'Wailing,' or picking out stones from coals. All get at least 6d. a-day and some more. Eldest 13 years old, youngest 9. Two go to night-schools; seven to Sunday-school. All say they are healthy and make no complaints.

No. 44. — William Hall.

Is 19 years old. A putter; is now earning 2s. 6d. per diem. Complains of inequality and disproportion in labour and payments. Gets is 4d. for putting a score of coals 80 yards. Gets 1s. 5d. for putting a score of coals 100 yards and 1d. for every 20 yards additional. Where he is now placed he can only put 2 score a-day. The further off he is placed worse for him. On a short run you may sometimes get 6 or 7 score a-day. Thinks favouritism may sometimes be shown in arranging the putters.

On looking over the pay-bill, I find this boy has put for the preceding 9 days as follows :—

On Tuesday, 40 corves; Wednesday, 31; Thursday, 32; Friday, 37; and so on, at 2s 6d. per score (20 corves = 1 score), making his earnings for 9 days £1. 19s. 7d.; out of which pays his 'marrow' (assistant) 5d. per shilling, making his net earnings about £1. 3s.

No. 45. — George Simpson.

11 years old; drives rolleys; gets 1s. 3d. a day.

No. 46. — Alexander Carr.

12 years old; drives rolleys; gets 3d. a-day. Both go to work at 4 o'clock down the pit, come up at 4 o'clock p.m. They take care the horses. When they get down, the first thing they do is to yoke horses; then they take them to the crane and get the rolley loaded with full corves , 8 corves on a rolley at one time. Then they drive the full load on the tram road to the shaft bottom and then the corves are drawn up to the top. They drive back 8 empty corves, which the putters take back to the hewers. They wait about a quarter of an hour and then get a full load and drive on again. They bring about 13 full loads to the bottom of the shaft in a day. Never find their work too hard for them, do not remember when they were ill last. Never kept away from work by being sick. George Simpson has been 3 years in this pit; first of all he kept a door. Alexander Carr went to work 2½ years ago and kept a door at first; has been a rolley-driver 2 years. Can both read, write and spell; have attended night-schools about a year; have attended Sunday-schools for many years, about 6 years at least.

A vast of swearing down the pit among the boys, especially the putters, who also tell lies, and they steal each other's meat. Both live with their parents, to whom they give their money. Both healthy boys.

No. 47. — George Hall.

15 years old; is a half-marrow, gets 2s. a-day.

No. 48. — John Corner.

13 years old, is a foal; gets 1s. 3d. a-day. Go down the pit at 4 o'clock a.m. Come up at 5 o'clock. They stop work at 4 p.m. Both put a tram in conjunction with another boy, who is a headsman. Generally each puts about 30 corves in a day-full corves. John Corner does not so much commonly, for he is beginning to put.

Nos. 49 and 50. — George Hall and Peter Hall, brothers.

Peter Hall is 13 years old. Has been a foal one year. Each of these draws with soams. Peter, being close to the crane, draws about 123 full curves a-day. When the corves are placed on the trams by the headsman, then the foal or half-marrow draws the tram, by the soams, to the crane; then the empty corves, or trams, are put back again to the face to be filled.

George Hall has been lamed by a corf slipping off on his leg. Was off work a month. Is quite recovered now. Peter Hall (his brother) was lamed in the same way this last year and was kept away a fortnight. Have both been lamed before, but not seriously. Peter Hall has been sometimes affected with a dizziness in his head; feels it while at work and also when not at work. Doctor has attended him for it, and has given him medicine. Has been away about five weeks in the last year from dizziness. Never had the dizziness before this last year. Thinks is the consequence of putting with 'soams.' Both can read and write and spell. Both attended day-schools before they went to work but never since; never were at a night-school. Both regularly attend Sunday-schools. They say there is much swearing down the pits.

No. 51. — Henry Short.

Aged 14; is a foal. Makes about 1s. 8d. or 2s. a-day. Pulls with the soams. Works 12 hours a-day. Takes victuals down with him, coffee, meat and bread, as much as he wants. Takes them when he likes. Begins to work at 4 o'clock a.m., having had his breakfast before he goes down. Then he does not get anything between that time and about 12 o'clock (mid-day), at which time he takes bread and coffee and sometimes meat, but not often meat; does not take any more till he gets home at five o'clock, when he takes potatoes and meat. Washes himself directly after his meal and goes to bed. Then he gets up at 3 o'clock, a.m. and so gets to the pit at 4 o'clock, a.m. His mother calls him. Worked before at Burdon Main Colliery.

The Christmas before last he got his arm broken at bank on the ballast-heap. The pit was idle at Christmas. and he was playing and riding on a waggon when he fell and the waggon ran over him. He feels a pain in this arm now when he is working but not at other times as not had the doctor since he broke his arm, except when he got his elbow jammed by the corf falling on one side and upon it. He was off work one day with it. Drove horses for two days before he went to work at putting again. Can read a little. Cannot read much. Cannot write. Does not go to any school but a Sunday-school. Says there is much swearing down the pits.

No. 52. — William Painter.

12 years old. Is a rolley-driver. Has had the doctor to him 5 times: 1st time he was run over with empty rolleys and he was a fortnight off work; the 2nd time was run over by full rolleys and he was sore lame then and was laid off three weeks; the 3rd time fell down and a nail ran into his hand and he was off a week; the 4th time the rollers ran over his foot and he was a day off; the 5th time the iron handle of his 'mistress' (a candlestick) ran into his hand. Was not off work that time.

Has now recovered from these accidents, and is keeping chains i.e. puts the chains on the rolleys (on the inclined plane).

No. 53. — Taylor Coats.

Aged 11. Is a chain-hooker. Takes the chains off the rolleys, and hooks them on again, 1s. 4d. a-day. Got himself lamed twice; the first time he was off work three weeks; the second time he was off work 22 weeks and was at home all the time. Is now lame and walks lame. Has a had step; cannot walk comfortably. Can read a little, but not spell. Does not write at all.

No. 54. — John Percy.

10 years old. Drives down the pit. Gets 1s. 3d. a-day. Was lamed last Christmas in his arm, the rolleys running over him. He fell from off the cad where he was sitting and he was laid off work a month. He was lamed once before in his leg by the horse treading on him when he had fallen down. He was then laid off work a month. He was cleaning the way. Can work as well as ever now. Can read and spell but cannot write.

No. 55. — John Ramsay, aged 13 and No. 56. — William Hunter, aged 14. Both work at bank.

Both of these have been hurt. W. Hunter had his leg broken while working at the staiths. The ship's anchor fell on his leg and broke it. He was off work six months. Is now working on the waggon-way. Can read and write a little. John Ramsay was lamed on the waggon-way at the staiths likewise and was kept from work a week. Can read and write.

[The witness from No. 45 to 56 inclusive were all found present at the Ranters' Sunday-school when I visited it.]

No. 57. — April 28. Peter Dixon.

A little more than 8 years of age; will be 9 in August next. Has been down Howden Pit about 9 months. Keeps a door, and gets 10d. a-day. Goes away from his home at 3 o'clock in the morning. Gets to the pit at Howden at 4 o'clock. Starts work down the pit at half-past 4 o'clock. Stays near the bottom of the shaft. Comes up the pit at half-past 4 o'clock p.m. Gets home by 5 o'clock. Has breakfast. coffee and bread, before he goes in the morning from home. Takes baits with him, a small bag full of bread and butter. Is hungry sometimes about 10 o'clock in the morning, and takes what he has with him in the bag. Never plays about much. There are no tramway-doors down that pit, they are all rolley-way doors. There are four rolley-way doors. Deputies hit him with a stick sometimes. Do not hurt him. Make him cry; not much. No one kicks him. Before he went down pits. as he was going to school one night and running after a horse, he was kicked in the head [his face was cut, and now shows a long scar] and was laid off some time. Reads a very little [the most simple words only]. Goes to no night-school. Goes to Sunday-school (Ranters'). Lives with parents. His father is a shifter down that pit. Has one brother of 11 years old down the pit, and he drives; and also the next witness, his brother.

No. 58. — John Dixon.

Aged about 14. Drives. Is another brother of the former witness. Leaves his house with his brother at 3 o'clock in the morning and takes care of his little brother. His house is not quite a mile from the pit at Howden. Gets home to his house about a quarter to 5 o'clock. Works the same hours as preceding witness. Gets enough to eat; could not eat any more. Could fetch some home many times. Is sometimes sick down the pit; very seldom. No one beats him. Has been in the pit 6 years. First went to Howden Pit when he was 6 years old and kept a door. It is a deep pit, a clean pit; but there is a vast of water in it is up to his knees in water all the day long. All the boys who are drivers are so but the putters are not. This gives him cold or something. Pains him in his side and in his head, as if somebody was striking him. Has these pains all the day he is down the pit. His legs feel weak sometimes at his knees. Throws up his meat from his stomach very often; twice the week before last; almost always about once in a week or a fortnight. There is good air in this pit. Can read but very little. Cannot write. Goes only to a Sunday-school (Ranters'). Goes to Ranters' chapel every Sunday. Lives with parents. They treat him well. Last fortnight was down the pit 3 days and 3 nights without coming up at all. Got his baits sent him. John Cooper, the overman, told him to stop to drive because John Short and Thomas Angus were ill.

The first day was Thursday. Was down on Thursday morning at 4 o'clock and came on Saturday at 4 o'clock in the morning. Three other boys stayed down to drive with him and stopped the same time. Did not feel sleepy. Did not sleep down the pit. Was not tired. Would like to do it again, to get more money. [Seems scarcely to know what induced him stop.] Is now going to work in the night-shift at Howden Pit.

[The evidence of this witness was subsequently confirmed by his father, witness No. 92 who stated that he was always a weakly boy and that he had driven a good deal in we places.]

No. 59. — James Dagleish.

13 next Sunday. Is a 'foal' getting what he can make by piecework. Started as a foal last Monday week. Minded the roller-chains and kept a switch before, for which he got 1s. 4d. a-day. Has been down this pit 3 years. Kept a door at first, for about 6 weeks. Next drove for about a year and a half. Then went to putting. Leaves home at 3, or a quarter past, or half-past 3, or a quarter to 4 o'clock a.m. It takes him about 10 minutes to get to the pit. Starts work down the pit at 4 o'clock a.m. Comes up at 4 p.m.; never later than a quarter to 5 o'clock. Once, about a month ago, stopped down a double shift, 24 hours. Stopped because other lads stopped. Bill Chambers, the banksman, told him to stop. They had not enough boys. One or two boys had got lamed by the rolley-waggons. Never stopped double shift more than that once. Sometimes his back is sore with putting, and his legs are weak. Pulls with soams always. Has been 'setting on,' or pulling the corves off the rolleys, to-day.

Has two brothers driving down this pit; one is 12 and another 10 years old. They went to work at 10 and 11 years of age. Was burnt about two years and a quarter ago. The foul air fired a little. No one was burnt besides himself. His face and hands were burnt and he was off 6 weeks. Cannot use his arms so well. Has lost their power; they are weak. Can read a very little. Writes his name. Goes only to a Sunday-school (Ranters'), and to their chapel. Putters sometimes beat him with sticks, corf-sticks. They hurt him and make him cry sometimes. Sometimes they knock him down. Was never laid off work by those punishments. Putters beat the little boys sometimes; not very often.

No. 60. — John Wilkinson.

Aged 13 in September. Drives. Has been down pits 3 years. Kept a door first. Works in Percy Pit now. Leaves home at 10 minutes to 3 o'clock. It takes him 10 minutes to walk to the pit. Goes down the pit at half-past 3 o'clock, and starts work directly. Sometimes goes in by half a mile. Comes up the pit at 4, and whiles half-past 4 o'clock p.m. About 6 weeks ago he stopped down twice for 3 shifts; that is, he went down one night, Monday night, at 4 o'clock, and stopped down the pit 36 hours without coming up. Baits were sent down to him. Came up at 4 o'clock on the Wednesday morning. Went home, and was off 2 days and a night and went down again on the Thursday night at 4 o'clock, and stopped down another 36 hours and was up again on Saturday morning at 4 o'clock. They had not enough lads to work, for some were off had and there were over few. Bill Chambers, the banksman, asked him to stop. Stopped to get the money for his mother. Was not forced to stop. Might have come away. Did not feel sleepy all the time, but did sometimes. Was in once for a double shift about 5 weeks ago and fell asleep about 1 o'clock p.m. as he was going to lift the limmers off to join the rolleys together and got himself lamed by the horse turning about and jamming one of his fingers. Split his Roger. It is nearly mended. Was off a week from this accident. Sometimes feels sick down the pit; felt so once or twice last fortnight. Does not throw up his meat; never did. Whiles his head works; and he has pains in his legs, as if they were weak. Feels pains in his knees. Lives with his parents. Father is a waggon-tiller at bank at Shields colliery. Father beats him sometimes with a strap. Putters sometimes beat him with their hands down the pit. Thinks the work is hard for foals, more so than for others. Can read (well). Writes pretty well. Goes only to a Sunday (Ranters') school, and to their chapel.