No. 289. — April 14. Mr. Hunter.

Overman. Has been here 21 years. Has worked 43 years in pits; 22 years at the Felling. Has worked from a doorkeeper at 8 years old up to a hewer at 19. Was down the Felling pit in 1812 when the 92 men and boys were lost at the south-west district; the explosion did not reach his part. Does not know of any boys in general employed under 8 years old; has one boy here who probably began (elsewhere) at 6 years old, or between and 7. yet he is a healthy boy, plump and chubby. At first, in 1798, witness used to be 18 and 20 hours down pits without coming up, not having more than 5 or 6 hours out of 24 for eating and sleeping, &c. up the pit. In 1831 the hours were reduced to 12. Thirty years ago the hours were reduced from 18 to 14 hours. Sometimes he tells his boy's he wonders they do not grow robuster, considering that they are better fed by half than was in his young days. Used to go down pits at 10 years old, with bread as coarse and black as the coal. Colliers used to be in the habit of getting ticketed corn (corn bought by the owners and dealt out to the men at a lower price), and that was very bad. Yet with all this the men were a much hardier and robuster race than now, notwithstanding that they were, when boys, down 20 hours in a day. The men's hours are about the same time now as then, but the boys were not able to get out before the 18th hour, because there was no facility for drawing coals, &c. as now. Thinks the boys now do. perhaps, the same amount of work in a time. Bigger boys were then necessary for putting than now, the ways being imperfect. Did not then observe that boys were seriously injured by the long hours; is himself a living specimen of the fact (being a robust man of 51). Never received 1s. from a colliery for smart-money.

Has 4 sons, and has 3 down the pit; 2 are deputies, the other is an overman at Wreckington. Does not think that children suffer at all in their health from the pit. They are working entirely in the broken here: are working the colliery the third time over, having stood idle 10 years after the pillar working. They make the whole of the horse roads 6 feet high. Never have the tram road below 4ft. 3in. and the seam (high main) is 6 feet. The height of the corf upon the tram is 4ft. 3m. and it sometimes sticks but of course it is the interest of the owners to prevent their sticking at all frequently.

Children go too soon to the pit; their parents force them in some cases; if they take a dislike to school they are sent down the pit. With regard to both education and health, a boy should not properly go down before 10 years old. This is his deliberate opinion; the parents would of course dislike any restriction of age. Thinks a man with 2 or 3 children might from own earnings as a hewer, probably of 20s. a-week, send his children to school till 10 years of age.

There is here one day-school room and that is employed as a night-school. which is pretty attended in the winter time: this is in the Methodist chapel where also a Sunday-school is held, well attended by pit lads. Believes that all the pitmen here support and subscribe to boxes and funds of different sorts; in some the outlay is heavier than the income. One on the colliery, to which the owners pay a sixth of the total money subscribed, is not flourishing. Thinks that the advantages are great of being near a town. The town affords different means of religious instruction, &c., which are not afforded in more distant places. The morals here are about as good as other similar collieries. Wesleyans are the predominant sect here and thinks they do good. Care is taken to prevent swearing.

No. 290. — Joseph Hobert.

Aged 41. Hewer. Has been 33 years a pitman. States the same as preceding witness as to the state of work and hours formerly. Thinks a boy of delicate constitution would be injured by the pit, as to his lungs; but a sound boy would not be at all injured. Of his 4 boys, 3 are in the pit; none are unhealthy and has no objection to the pit. Most of old pitmen are very subject to bad breath and fixed pains; partly also from the stooping position. Would rather wish for a law limiting the age of children going down the pit, if cheap education could be got for them; say at 1d. a-week. Collieries have been overlooked in this respect. Cannot send more than one boy to night-school, at the charge of 5d. a-week and his time will only admit of one hour and a half being devoted to school.

No. 291. — George Swindel.

Forty-eight years old. Has been a hewer 24 years; is now propping. Was not 7 years old when he went to pit. He was subject to pains. His chief desire is for more perfect ventilation and shorter hours; he would risk the decrease of wages if the hours could be shortened but thinks they ought to have the same wages. The boys are now too tired for education and has scarcely time enough for rest. Has 2 boys; one, aged 22, was lamed severely twice down the pit and is partly a cripple; he is now a rolley-way man, working but 8 hours; the other is 16 years old and is a craneman; he is rather delicate, and was always so.

Twenty boys taken as they came from the pit. Of the 20 boys, 12 can read, some imperfectly ; 7 write their names I goes to night-school. 14 go to Sunday-School occasionally and attend the chapel. From these 20 boys the following. 292 to 299, gave evidence.

No. 292. — George Atkinson.

Aged 18. Is a putter. Puts a tram by himself. Called about 3 o'clock, is down the pit at 4 and comes up at 4. Went to pits about 8 years old. A little boy generally likes to go down because it is hew to him but soon, after a bit, he wants to come up again. Wished himself to go down; was set down; in a year be wanted to come up again. Began to keep a door. Many of the workings here are in the broken now. Is working there; does not hurt him. Some of the old men who have short breath have felt it hurt them. Is putting in an easy place at present 2 or 3 months back had a bad place, then found himself rather sick. Has known some strain their arms but nothing to hurt. Some start too young; have strength enough for it. Put corves (full) up and down inclines here. Can read but imperfectly, cannot write. Used to go to night-school but does not now, nor Sunday-school.

No. 293. — William Barns.

Aged 14. Is a putter, and feels pains in the back at nights, when he is a-bed. Went work at 10 veers old. The pit work makes him bad. Is sometimes weak in the thighs. There is much soam pulling down this pit and some are helpers up with soams.

No. 294. — Henry Oliver.

Is 14. Puts with soams. Is a half-marrow. Whiles he pushes, and whiles he draws with soams. The corf will go through at four foot height. A vast of the corves sticks, because the height is too little and in some places here it is so low as that they must trail the corves on their bottoms. They can smell when they come to the foul air, and it makes them dizzy.

No. 295. — Henry Fletcher.

Is 10 years old. Is a driver. Feels sick down the pit. A fortnight since was so sick the middle of the day, about 12 o'clock, that he was obliged to be carried home. Often throws his meat up in the mid-day. Some of them bring their meat or bait home again, not having a stomach for it.

Some do not get a good feed at all, from being poor. At night shift-working the boys very often fall asleep and get crushed. Joseph Hobert got hurt by a stone falling on him to-day. (this witness, J. H., is lame, and has evidently suffered much;) but he will go to work tomorrow. William Atkinson was cut in the head by the rollies about 8 months back, and was off 8 weeks. William Fletcher had his leg broken 8 or 9 months ago; off 5 months. His leg was nipped before. Robert Hobert had his arm broken 2 months since. Nicholas Carr had his collar bone broken.

No. 296. — Thomas Fletcher.

Aged 14. Was putting as a foal when he was 8 years old at this colliery. Found hard for him. Made him very sick. Made him throw up his meat often about 3 years since. Felt pain in his back and weak in his legs. Many a boy is hardly able to get up in the morning.

No. 297. — William Atkinson.

Has thrown up his meat last week one day about 4 o'clock. (Is apparently healthy). Is 12 years old in August. Was a foal a week ago and it was then he felt so bad and his legs were weak. The men that come here say that the putting here is harder than at other collieries on account of the ways and places not being well kept in order.

No. 298. — Thomas Fletcher.

Last week was stopping a little, and was o'er long getting to the shaft and, therefore, not get ridden till 6 o'clock.

No. 299. — George Mitford.

Aged 15. Leads wood. Used to put for 6 years. Started as a foal at 9 years. Has only left off putting this week. Worked in the East-pit. Was sometimes sick at first started; never particular bad. Lamed once and laid off 3 weeks 7 or 8 months ago. Cannot read or write ; goes to no school whatever.

The 20 witnesses, when questioned collectively, further say that the way is so very dirty and the pit so warm, that the lads often get tired very soon. The boys down the pit are sometimes beaten by the deputies and others with the handles and axe-shaft (handle of the axe). One boy wrenched himself once with the corves sticking and this a source of great trouble in this pit.

Nineteen boys, examined together, of various ages, of whom the spokesman was,

No. 300. — William Holt.

Aged 17. A putter. Puts by himself. First went to pits between 9 and 10. Kept door. His leg was nearly broken by a lung from a horse once. Has worked at Walker pit all the time. The bad air, when they are whiles working in the broken, makes them sick. Has felt weak like in his legs at those times. Was weary like. Has gone on working, but very slowly. Many a one has had to come home before getting a fair start, from the bad air and hard work. Hours are too long. Would sooner work less hours and get less money. so that they might get a little time for schooling. There is no time for night-schooling now, unless they take it from their rest. Would be glad to get schooling.