ABSTRACT

It may be recollected that in Letter XIX I published the statement of a coal-backer, who declared that it was an absolute necessity of that kind of labour that the men engaged in backing coals from the hold of a ship should, though earning only £1 per week, spend at least 12s. weekly in beer and spirits to stimulate them for the work. This sum, the man assured me, was a moderate allowance, for 15s. was the amount ordinarily expended by the men in drink every week. Hence it followed, that if this quantity of drink was a necessity of the calling, the men pursuing the severest labour of all-doing work that cripples the strongest in from twelve to twenty years-were the worst paid of all labourers, their actual clear gains being only from 5s. to 8s. per week. This struck me as being so terrible a state of things, that I could hardly believe it to be true, though I was assured by several coal-whippers, who were present on the occasion, that the coalbacker who had made the statement had in no way exaggerated his account of the sufferings of his fellow-workmen. I determined, nevertheless, upon inquiring into the question myself, and ascertaining, by the testimony and experience of different classes of individuals engaged in this, the greatest labour, perhaps, performed by any men, whether drink was really a necessity or luxury to the working man.