really no effect whatever upon the general retail trade. Some articles can actually be bought cheaper at other large dealers, and the society can only be regarded as one of the many large shops or stores which we have here, with a fair share of custom and its own particular customers, its proportion being about 600 out of a total population estimated for the town and suburbs of about 50,000. The attitude of the general public can only be classified as one of indifference to the society. In this connection I may mention that we have numerous coffee taverns (quite a recent innovation), workmen's clubs or sort of cheap restaurant, mostly conducted on temperance principles. Building societies, Good Templar associations, Band of Hope unions, &c., all of which exereise a healthful tendency upon the habits and lives of the working classes. GENERAL CONDITION OF THE WORKING people. I have already referred, at the commencement of this report, to this subject. In a town like this they have to live according to the amount coming in as best they can; and this wide question of how they live, their homes, their food, their clothing, and their position altogether, as to whether the same be well or ill, good or bad, is, in ninety-nine cases out of every hundred, regulated almost entirely by the ever-recurring problem of the drink question. We have thousands of workmen in this town, strictly steady, sober men, and industrious and thrifty wives and families, with comfortable homes who live fairly well within a certain limit. Their clothing is suitable for their occupation, and their holiday and Sunday attire will compare with a similar class in any other country in the world. But where a man, out of say, 258. ($6.075) per week, has to pay a weekly score of from 38. (72.9 cents) to 68. ($1.455) for beer and tobacco, and then finish up with a drunken carousal on the Saturday night, perhaps spending 28. (48.6 cents) to 48, (97.2 cents) more, with the want of attention to matters at home which such habits imply, the position of that individual, how he lives, his food and clothes, and his prospects for bettering his condition can easily be imagined. And I regret to have to say the foregoing is but a true picture of hundreds of men and their families in thistown. With regard to their ability to lay up something for old age and sickness, their moral and physical condition, and the influences for good or evil by which they are surrounded, these also all depend mainly upon the same important consideration as to whether the man is a sober, steady fellow, or whether he is given to drink. If he is a steady man, he will, perhaps, in addition to being in a building society, as already alluded to, be a member of one of the many benefit clubs which we have in this country and which have branches or lodges in all the large towns and populous districts. The leading ones are the Odd Fellows, the Foresters, the Shepherds, the Rechabites. These are sick and benefit clubs, and by becoming and keeping a member of one of these means of providing for sickness, &c., I know many men who, by this plan, have been enabled, through habits of steadiness in former years, to lay by sufficient to keep them now in their declining years. Perhaps such a one may live in his own house and support himself and family in a quiet way from the rents of another such house, likewise his own property, such income being added to by some little work of a light description, which he may be able to take in hand. I know of one particular instance where an individual, who perhaps never received more than £2 ($9.72) per week, who, through habits of frugality and sobriety not only brought up a large family respectably, but gave them a fair education. all the members of which are quite respectable and are in situations and doing well in their sphere of life. Where a man is of sober habits it is a rare thing if he is not a little ambitions, at all events desirous of getting on, and aspires to a foreman's place or fills up his spare time with some secondary pursuit, say, in the evenings, which would bring him in some little increase of income. SAFETY OF WORK-PEOPLE FROM ACCIDENTS AND PROVISION FOR SICKNESS, ETC. Much study and enlightened thought is bestowed upon the question everywhere of how to prevent accidents on railways, in mines, mills, factories, works, &c., and very large provision is frequently made to this end. In all factories and buildings, work-rooms, and places liable to risk from fire and even at our railway stations may be seen the most improved pattern of hydrants and long ranges of buckets filled with water, hanging breast-high, ready for instant use. In some instances in the town, such as at the large drapers' shops and places where the first outbreak of fire, if not immediately checked, might rage with disastrous effects to both life and property, I have myself noticed that the proprietors have furnished the most recently invented and approved appliances, those most largely adopted being a sort of chemical fire engine specially adapted for quickly putting out the beginning of a tire. In this town the corporation have a modern fire-escape, the usual London (Merryweather) pattern, with fire-engine (pumps), hose, reels, &c., administered by the police force, but recently a volunteer fire-brigade of fifty members has been formed in addition. There is no such system here as there is in America of telegraph fire-alarms. Our large railway companies, notably the Great Western, have a widows' and orphans' fund, a provident society, and a servants' pension fund. The first named is contributed to very largely by the nobility and gentry resident upon the line, and by the traveling public generally. The number of widows and children in receipt of allowances varying from $48.60 to $97.20 (£10 to £20) per annum is, widows, 619; children, 500. The report for this year states the fund was established in 1880. This year, 1884, the amount actually paid in allowances has been £7,458 118. 11d., or $36,248.77575, which was made up as follows: Contributions from resident members Special contribution from the Great Western Railway Company. company, and of passengers, manufacturers, merchants, and others Donations from ditto Concerts, entertainments, &c. Fines, &c., from Great Western Railway Company Collecting-boxes at stations Entrance and registration fees Leaving for stationery, stamps, &c., as the working expenses of the fund.... Balance in hand ............ £3, 349 128. 7d. 236 0 5 1,497 0 0 958 11 6 729 4 10 715 16 74 4 11 26 0 11 37 0 7,024 9 0 165 16 13 7,458 11 11 Towards this fund a concert held at Newport contributed £64 9s. 6d. There were fourteen towns where such was held, the largest amount being derived from Bristol-£160 18s. The employés of the company them selves also contribute to this and the other two funds mentioned in the following manner: Servants of the company in the receipt of 18 shillings ($4.374) to 25 shillings ($6.075) per week contribute 11 pence weekly (22.275 cents), and those in the receipt of 25 shillings to 30 shillings contribute 1 shilling (24.3 cents) weekly. These amounts are kept back every week out of the men's wages. Taking the first case of 11 pence per week, this would mean 38. 8d. (95.11 cents) per month, which is disposed of as follows: 24.3 cents goes to the servants' pension fund; 16.2 cents goes to the widows' and orphans' fund, and 48.6 cents goes to the provident society designed for the maintenance of the company's servants in old age. There are certain benefits arising from these funds, the most important being an allowance of 12 shillings per week ($2.916) or more for six months in case of sickness, &c., so that it will be seen relief is available in case of mutilation or death from accident on the line. If a man should lose an arm or leg and he is not otherwise incapacitated he is generally allotted some easy berth, such as opening a door, sweeping a yard, platform, &c., lavatory cleaner, or other perfectly light employment, where no further risk or responsibility can ever be encountered again. In the case of our large mechanical and manufacturing establishments, where a large number of work-people are employed, a medical man is always attached, and he is at the service of the men whenever required in case of accident or sickness. This officer is remunerated out of a fund subscribed to by all the hands in the establishment, who pay from 2 pence (4.05 cents) to 4 pence (8.1 cents) per £1 (84.86) wages received per week. This secures to the men attendance and medicine free in case of accident or sickness, but of course does not extend further, that is to any sort of maintenance during disability. Accidents happening from machinery are often such as to require instant attention in order to save life. For instance, lacerations resulting in great hemorrhage or fractures of limbs with incisions. Considerations of humanity, as well as principles of economy and policy, would appear to dictate the necessity of having a properly quali fied medical man instantly available, otherwise one would see, as has been the case here once or twice, a maimed and bleeding subject taken from one place to another till a doctor was found willing to take the individual in hand and run his chance of getting any pay for his services. Happily, however, the plan above referred to is largely followed, and it is only at small workshops, where the number of men is not, perhaps, more than ten or fifteen, that such a course has not yet been adopted. In the colliery districts a regular surgeon is appointed by the proprie. tors, the colliers contributing 3d. (6.075 cents) in the £1 ($4.86) wages per week, but this only extends to medical services and medicine. In Newport we have a somewhat small, though excellent, infirmary and dispensary, supported by voluntary contributions. This institution has proved very beneficial to the sick poor, as the few following statisties will show: The report for 1883 states there were 147 in patients, of whom 86 were discharged cured, 38 were relieved, and 7 died, leaving 16 still in the house. The number of days they were under treatment was 5,137. There were 2,610 out-patients during the same period, and of these 2,015 were cured, 363 relieved, 46 died, and there remained 186 under treatment. Large as these figures are, a better estimate of the work done will be gathered when it is stated that the attendances of patients at the infirmary during the year numbered 16,852; the visits to patients at their homes numbered 26,806. There were 215 casualties attended to without notes of recommendation, and 14 major and 16 minor operations performed. The system followed is this: Admission is by notes of recommendation, but cases of accident are attended to without such, as just above mentioned. Subscribers, according to the amount subscribed, are supplied with these notes, and these are distributed gratis, on application, where the subscriber is satisfied that the case is a suitable one for such relief to be granted. This institution is neither sectarian nor political in its aims or management, and the work in which it engages is far removed from party strife or clamor; but, as already indicated, it is not a very extensive establishment, and is frequently unable to meet the demands which are made upon its capacity and resources. Outside of all the foregoing instrumentalities, and excluding the railways, there does not appear to be any really legally organized system or channel for the maintenance of work-people disabled by accident, or the sup port of those left destitute, females and young persons, in the event of death as the result of accident. There is no system of national insurance compulsory upon all the wage-earning members of the state. The friendly societies here are the following: The Odd Fellows. The Newport district consists of fourteen lodges, nine in the town and five in the suburbs within a radius of five or six miles, (say, Bassalley, Caerleon, Ponthei, Pontymister, and Risca), numbering 3,102 members. The Foresters comprise in Newport nine courts (or lodges) and have over 1,000 members. The Shepherds have six lodges here and 470 members. The expenditure of the infirmary for 1882 was £1,256 188. 3d. ($6,108.60). The subscriptions were as follows: |