1 36, Upper Fitzwilliam Street 5th March, 1916. Dear Sir Matthew I shall be glad to know
if you have investigated my statements
as to the conditions of employment in the
linen factories & mills in Belfast yet?
The time is getting on, while these poor
women slave for 6/2.5 a week I
hear their well off sisters are being given
the munition work at 16/- -I have not
had the opportunity of checking this fact
figure - But I was shocked
to hear that the direction of munition
work in Belfast has been handed over
to W Alexander McDowell officially, -
the representative of the employers in the
linen trade - without anyone to represent 2 labour associated with him. This -
ought not to be - If you would just invited my
official informants,- Miss M Galway
Avenue Hall, Garfield Street,
W Wm. McDowell, 11 Dover Street
Shankill Road,
& Mr D. Gordon, Engineer's Hall College
Street Belfast, to come & give you
their evidence, you would soon find
what cruel injustice is being worked
by the foot- putting such powers into
the hands of those interested in keeping
down women's wages . There is no
other explanation of such a measure as
introducing well off women into factory
life in Belfast now where so large a
number of women are on short time &
earning pitifully insufficient wages if the
prices were normal, but starvation wages with
high war prices - Yours Sincerely S. C. Harrison