No. 467. — Mr. Anthony, April 9 and 10.

Under-viewer. Has been such 4 years, and been engaged 50 years in collieries. Has been overman and under-viewer upwards of 30 years; has risen up through all the ranks and grades of a pit.

The children and young persons are not now overworked. 35 years back boys used to go to work at 2 a.m. and worked on till 8 or 9 at night. Just about that time the change took place. A rule was established that at 6 o'clock p.m. a token should be sent down to loose the boys. Then they had been 16 hours at work. Wages were less than now; drivers had I s a-day. Hewers would average 14s. a-week. Moral condition was wretched and he never wishes to see those times again.

Some persons now mentioned in the 'Returns' went to work at 6 years of age, and most of the present race of pitmen were at work before 9 years of age.

Through the week persons had no time for schooling and improvement, and on Sunday various games carried on. There are no such things now, and he attributes the change mainly to Sunday schools. Provisions, too, were inferior formerly.

Work in pits is now a pleasure to what it was. Hewers now average 4s., putters 4s. 6d. and banksmen 4s. 6d. each per diem.

No. 468. — Joseph Errington.

Aged 15, is a helper up; gets 1s. 6d. a-day. Gets up at half-past 2 a.m., and is at the bottom of the pit by 3 o'clock. Takes breakfast before he goes, coffee, or tea and breaks a bait of bacon or bread and cheese down the pit. Perhaps he may eat some of it at half-past 4 a.m., or every time he feels hungry. Does not consider the work too hard for him; sometimes feels a little pain in his back, whiles his legs are weak and most so when he sits down a bit and gets up to start work again. Has had no accident and never has the doctor. Is always well; pretty well in health. Feels sore tired sometimes. Can read and write and cipher. Goes pretty regularly to night school and to the Ranters' Sunday school.

Ten Boys.

No. 469. — Joseph Romily.

Is 14 and 4 months old. A putter; was never off work, except a week, with a strain. Has very good health, and likes the work. Would like more wages, if he could get them.

No. 470. — A driver.

Aged 14. Had his thigh bone broken; was off 12 months and his head was once split, when he was off 6 months. Both are pretty well now. Feels no particular weakness or suffers from them now, excepting that one of his arms, his left arm, is whiles numb and dead-like, not strong; but whiles so weak as not to be of very much use. His head whiles works in the split. Has good health except these things, and his work does not hurt him.

No. 471. — A driver.

Aged 14. The waggon once jammed his finger and cut it off. He was off a week with this accident. His thigh bone was once put out by a horse falling on him and he was off 12 months. His arm was once bruised and he was off a fortnight. He is quite as well and sound as these things will let him be. His health is very good besides.

No. 472. — A leader of timber.

Aged about 14. Six months ago his leg was jammed by the waggons and he was off months. Again his leg was hurt in the same way, and he was off 6 months. He was never off besides. Is not lame now. Health is good; no complaints.

No. 473. — A chalker-on.

Aged 14. Had a pain in his stomach whiles before he went down the pit. Has the same now. His wrist was strained 5 years ago, and he was off a week.

No. 474. — A driver.

Aged 13. Once burst his mouth, and was off 3 days. Once lamed in the head and was off 14 days. Three years ago his collar-bone was broken and he was 3 weeks off. It again broken or put out a year ago, and he was off 4 weeks. Feels nothing from these dents now. Health is good.

No. 475. — A driver.

Aged 13. His leg was once lamed about a year ago, and he was off 14 days. Has had no accident, or any ill health, or inconvenience besides.

No. 476. — Matthew Wild.

Aged 12. Is a helper-up. Has had no accident; no ill health. Never sick. No complaints.

No. 477. — A loader of timber.

Aged 11. Two years ago had a pain in his side by shoving a heavy rolley of wood. Has nothing else to complain of or remark upon.

No. 478. — The preceding nine witnesses, when cross-examined at length together observe:

That sometimes the putters rub and knock about the younger boys. They whiles toss bits of coals at them, or whiles put them in the coal tubs, or nail the door-keepers by the jackets to the doors, so that they cannot fall asleep. These things are mostly done in fun, and not with any intention to hurt them, although they whiles do hurt them. Now and then the little boys may be struck on the nose and made to bleed. Seldom or never is any boy knocked down.

All these 10 boys can read an easy book; six can write their names: one can cipher. Three go to night schools sometimes. All go to Sunday-schools. Some would get more schooling if the hours were not so long for work.

Fourteen Boys.

No. 479. — A driver.

Aged 17. Once had the calf of his leg cut off by a waggon going over him. He was off 14 weeks. His ankle was once lamed and be was off a month. His thigh was cut and he was off 6 weeks. None of these accidents cripple him now. His breath is bad whiles, when he is working in the broken.

Thinks some of the boys are o'er little to send down a pit, as they are hardly sharp enough to avoid accidents and get out of the way of danger of rolleys and such like. The putters, and drivers, and overmen beat the boys whiles.

The back overman, William Noble, beats the boys very often. He has a yard wand, with which he beats them and he flogs the drivers sometimes on their bare legs, which are whiles black and blue from it.

No. 480. — A putter.

Aged 16. No accident; no complaints.

No. 481. — A loader of timber.

Aged 16. Had the small bone of his arm broken 4 years since, and was off 14 days. Is now quite sound; his health is good.

No. 482. — A driver.

Aged 15. 9 weeks ago was off a week from a cold. Often has a cold, which he thinks comes from the heavy colds he got when working in the wet places of the Derbyshire collieries. 13 weeks ago he was a putter in Derbyshire. He was short of breath there and is so here. Gets up at 1 o'clock every night and is always at the pit mouth by 2 o'clock, and goes down directly. Comes up the pit between 4 and 5 o'clock.

No. 483. — His brother.

Aged 12. Keeps a door here, but used to do putting in the Derbyshire pit. It was a wet pit. Would much sooner work in this pit than in that in Derbyshire. Here the putting is not so hard. In the Derby pit his ankle was put out a year ago, and he was off 6 weeks; (it is weak now.) A stone fell on it.

No. 484. — A helper-up.

Aged 14. No accident; no remarks.

No. 485. — A putter.

Aged 14. Once when he was driving his leg was broken by the waggon going over him, and he was off 3 weeks. His collar bone was likewise once broken, or put out. Health is good in general.

No. 486. — A door-keeper.

Aged 12 and a half. One year and a half ago had the calf of his leg injured by the waggon, and was laid off 14 days but is sound now.

No. 487. — A door-keeper.

Aged about 12. No remarks.

No. 488. — A door-keeper.

Aged about 13. His head often works when it was split open some time ago by the tubs jamming him. (A distinct mark shows the place.) Thinks the little lads are often sleepy, and that is the way they get lamed.

No. 489. — Four witnesses.

From about 11 to 13 years of age. Keeping doors. Nothing can be elicited from them, excepting that they have had no accidents, and work as the others do.

Of the preceding 14 boys, 10 can read an easy book, 4 can write their names, 3 can cipher, 4 go occasionally to night school, 9 go pretty regularly to Sunday.

No. 490. — Mr. Strutt, the Surgeon to the Colliery, observes:

That, with the exception of accidents, he has never observed in any of the boys anything to call for medical interference, or that they are at all injured by their work.