ON STRIKE,

OR

Where do the Girls come in?


BY

EDRIC GLENFIELD.


DEDICATED TO ALL HIS AUSTRALIAN SISTERS BY THE AUTHOR.


SYDNEY: GIBBS, SHALLARD & CO., PRINTERS & PUBLISHERS 84A PITT STREET.

1890.





ON STRIKE,

OR

WHERE DO THE GIRLS COME IN?


Reginald Oofbourne was born with the proverbial silver spoon in his
mouth. It is not necessary for the purpose of this work to say how
his family acquired their wealth, but at the age of twenty-one he was
approximately worth six million pounds sterling. He was deeply in love
with a young lady who was born in a village adjoining his own property.

His love was no sudden infatuation. He had carried Edith Marton in his
arms as a baby, he had worshipped the sweet child of twelve, and when
she reached the age of eighteen he was madly in love with her. They
were about to be married, when one afternoon Edith, who was riding on
the banks of the Thames, near Slangbourne, with her great friend, Mrs.
Croolbred, met with a serious and, as after events proved, a fatal
accident. Her horse shyed at an amateur photographer, and she was
thrown violently on the road. Assistance was at once obtained, and she
was carried home insensible. Reginald Oofbourne was at once sent for,
but only arrived in time to see his darling girl expire in his arms.

Before she died she was able only to say a few words, and her last
request to her devoted lover was--“Promise me, Reggy, that you will
devote your enormous wealth to benefit any of my sex who require
assistance throughout the world.” “I promise, darling,” replied the
distracted lover, and Edith fell back dead.

I will draw a blank over the next few days. Our hero was struck down
with an attack of brain fever, and his life was despaired of. He,
however, was rescued when on the brink of the grave by the careful
nursing of a few devoted friends. When he became convalescent he was a
broken-hearted man, but by his promise his life and wealth were devoted
to the benefit of the female sex throughout the world.

For some twenty years Reginald travelled about, totally unsettled,
doing good to womankind whenever opportunity occurred. On one occasion
he fed twenty thousand starving Chinese school-girls on Bath buns,
which he imported from England by a special steamer for the occasion.

However, no opportunity had occurred for our hero to do any great thing
to prove himself the champion of womankind until he took an idea into
his head to visit Australia. He arrived in Sydney by the Orient steamer
“Cuzco” in September, 1890, and, on landing, found the city in a state
of ferment owing to the great maritime strike.

Though he had no sympathy with the unionists, he naturally came in
contact with some of them, and could not help discussing the question,
as nobody talked about anything else. Federation, the great hobby of
the Australians, was forgotten for a time. Reginald could not see
that the men who were on strike had any particular grievance, but he
realised that the children were suffering on account of their fathers
being out of work, and so he spent most of his time driving about
in cabs loaded with fruit and food of all descriptions, which he
distributed to the children about Miller’s Point and Sussex Street.

One day he happened to go into the establishment of Cordons, the
great drapers, to buy a pair of gloves, and he was served by a young
woman whom he noticed looked very pale and careworn. He got into
conversation with her, in spite of the frowns of the shop-walker. In
a short time he found out exactly how the respectable working girls,
who were trying to earn an honest living in Sydney, are treated, and he
found that they had three particular grievances, viz.:--


     Too long hours,
     Too little wages,
     And not allowed chairs


--that is, not allowed to sit down when not serving customers.

He went further into the question, and he found out that Messrs. Cordon
and Co. treated their girls well in comparison to another firm of the
name of Paul Pry, who keep open at night, whereas Cordon’s always close
at six o’clock.

There are some mercantile establishments in Sydney which it is
advisable for the public convenience should be kept open till a late
hour, as their customers are principally men who are working all day,
and can only get away after six o’clock to purchase any articles they
may require. I allude to such a business as that of Ringbourne, of
George Street, the bootmaker, whose business is done amongst seafaring
men, and Ringbourne, by keeping open, is benefitting the public as
well as himself, but the people who deal with the drapers’ shops are
mostly women, who can do their shopping in the afternoon, and have no
need to do it at night.

It must be remembered that the class of young women I am alluding
to, on account of the way in which they behave, have as much right
to be treated with proper respect as the Governor’s wife has. But
are they treated as they ought to be? Yes, by the gentlemen who go
in on business, but not by the shop-walkers and other men who are in
authority over them.

It is generally known that barmaids are looked down upon on account
of the position they hold. I myself should not wish to see my sister
behind a bar; but if my sister was in Australia, and had to work for a
living, I would sooner see her behind some of the bars in Sydney than
in a situation in a firm of the description of Lazy, Bones and Co.,
Cordon, or Paul Pry. Of course, as everybody knows, there are bars
_and_ bars, barmaids and barmaids; but in the respectable hotels a girl
who behaves herself is treated better and leads a better life and gets
higher pay than the female employees in firms of the description of
those I have mentioned.

I might refer to a hotel in Sydney which is well-known by the name of
Nodoubts. In this hotel the young women are treated as well and with as
much respect as it is possible to treat a woman who has to work for her
livelihood, but at the same time the barmaids in Nodoubts would sooner
be behind a counter in the employment of one of the leading drapers in
Sydney, if they got proper pay and treatment, than behind any bar.

The Hero, having ascertained that the women in Sydney had some real
grievances, at once set about to rectify them. He consulted with some
friends in Sydney whose sympathy was on the side of the working girls,
and they organised a system of campaign for the girls’ strike. Every
respectable girl earning her own living was called out on strike,
and received a pound a week out of Reginald’s own pocket. About five
thousand girls came out, and the employers at once filled up their
places with union men who were out of employment owing to the late
strike amongst the men.

Of course, the fact of having wharf labourers and officers of the
steamers employed in the place of the girls in these establishments
caused a great deal of annoyance to the Sydney public generally. It
is a well-known fact that there are certain articles which a lady may
require which she can only ask a woman to serve her with, and, though
the capitalists themselves were opposed to the strike, their wives,
feeling the inconvenience they were subjected to, were urging them when
at home to give in to the demands of the strikers. A girl on strike
also has a great advantage over a man in a similar position. When a
man strikes he is unable to work at all; he can do nothing but walk
about the streets with his hands in his pockets, looking absolutely
miserable; the girl on the other hand can always employ herself at home
doing needlework, or some other useful occupation, which would at the
same time bring in a certain amount of money towards her support. It
was felt by Inspector Gooseberry and his staff that precautions must
be taken to protect the city against any possible outbreak amongst the
girl strikists. Though the girls had behaved in a thoroughly lady-like
manner, still 5,000 of them walking about Sydney together caused a
great deal of inconvenience to the public, and traffic generally was
much incommoded.

To make an example, the Inspector-General ordered a constable to arrest
one of the girl strikers. The policeman, who was a timid man where a
woman was concerned, walked up to the girl, who was very pretty and
well-dressed, and half raising his helmet stammered something about
being very sorry, but would she mind coming with him? “Certainly I
do, you impertinent fellow,” replied the girl, “I have a good mind to
give you in charge; anyway I will tell my ma.” The constable blushed,
as only a policeman can blush, and, muttering an apology, returned to
Inspector Gooseberry, and told him he was unable in this case to obey
orders. Gooseberry at once saw what a difficulty he was placed in, and
retired to his office in a most dejected state of mind. Next morning
an advertisement appeared in the _Morning Terror_, requesting any
persons having had experience in quelling girl strikers to call on the
Inspector-General.

About eleven o’clock a carriage dashed up to the office, and a
fashionably-dressed lady alighted from it, giving her card, on which
was engraved Mrs. Pitcher, Potts’ Point, to a constable; she requested
to see Inspector-Gooseberry.

She was immediately ushered into his sanctum, and when the Inspector
recognised her, a smile of satisfaction lit up his face. “I have come
to offer a suggestion to you in the present crisis.”

“Mr. Gooseberry,” said she, “you find that you are unable to control
these respectable young women with your present force! What you must
do is to raise a force of special girl constables.” Gooseberry at
once saw the wisdom of this idea, and thanked Mrs. Pitcher warmly.
He immediately advertised, inviting 1500 of the Sydney young ladies
to come to the assistance of the Government, and act as special
constables. Next day the whole of Phillip-street was blocked with the
carriages of the _elite_ of Sydney society. The Miss Canarykins were
the first to join, and their example was quickly followed by all the
other young ladies. It was decided that the force should be dressed in
uniform, the choice of which was left to Mrs. Pitcher, who was also
aided by Busybee who kindly offered her assistance.

These ladies decided upon the following uniform:--It was to be full
dress, as no undress was thought necessary, and to consist of white
silk blouses, blue serge skirts, and sailor hats, with Oxford blue
ribbons; the badge for the constables was a gold hat-pin, modelled
after an oar, on the blade of which was engraved S.G.C.; the officers,
in addition to this, wore a plain gold bangle similarly engraved. The
Government also thought it as well to raise a corps of 100 special
mounted girl constables, and Captain Easton was sent for and requested
to allow his two daughters, who are generally admitted to be two of
the best lady riders in the colony, to take charge of this corps and
organize it. He readily consented, and, after some deliberation, the
uniform of the troopers was arranged; it was to consist of a blue serge
habit, hussar tunic, with scarlet facings and slung jacket; the head
dress, opossum skin hussar busby.

The young lady troopers were all to be mounted on black chargers,
and armed with riding whips only. The officers’ badges to be a gold
horseshoe bangle.

The constables from numbers 1 to 200 were ordered to parade in the yard
at the head office of police at 4 o’clock in the afternoon, and, as may
be imagined, a great many applications were made to Mr. Gooseberry by
some of the leading men in Sydney to be allowed to be present at the
drill. Only a few, however, were allowed in, and those mostly officers
of the Navy and Land Defence Forces. The uniforms of the first two
companies had been rapidly made, partly by the constables themselves,
and partly by Free Labour, and very pretty the young Australian ladies
looked as they fell in by companies in the yard. The officers were
selected from those young ladies who had had any experience with
the Navy, Army, or Volunteers, and it was remarked that there was a
decided majority on the side of the Navy. After the officers had been
selected the roll was called, and Mr. Gooseberry gave the command to
No. 1 company to size. Some fun was occasioned by one young lady who,
as soon as the Inspector-General said size, mistaking his meaning,
stepped forward and answered, “Oh, I take five and three-quarters,
six buttons, tan, if you please.” The Captain of number two also made
a slight error, as, when requested to form her company into fours,
she gave the command “All fours,” which was literally obeyed by most
of the company, who fell on their hands and knees. However, with the
exception of these trifling errors, the drill was altogether most
creditable, as was allowed by Colonels Scalding, Major Darey and Capt.
Pathan, who were looking on and chatting about the happy days they had
spent together in the Soudan. When the drill was over the companies
were served out with Gem air guns, and after a few instructions had
been given, in case of any emergency, the parade was dismissed. The
following day the next two companies were paraded, and so on day by day
with the others until the whole were properly organized. The mounted
lady troopers had in the mean time been exercised in the Domain,
and were subjected to some little annoyance on the first day by the
strikers pelting them with rotten chocolate drops. However, they showed
great firmness, and arrested some of the ringleaders, and then the mob
dispersed. After this they were allowed to drill without molestation.

In the mean time public business was in a great many cases seriously
interfered with. Not only was the inconvenience which I have mentioned
before of having men to fill the girl’s places in the shops seriously
felt, but the girl constabulary themselves unwittingly became a source
of annoyance to the managers of the leading banks and mercantile
houses, as, when a company of the girl constabulary was marched through
any portion of Sydney to quell a disturbance, there was at once a
cry, “Here come the girl police;” bank clerks left their counters,
barristers ran out of court, and in one or two instances men were
actually known to leave their matutinal B. and S. untasted on the bar,
and rush to the doors to stare with enraptured eyes at this beautiful
contingent.

The girls on strike were very jealous of the admiration excited by the
girl constabulary, and they decided if possible to organize a grand
procession; with this idea a deputation waited on Reginald Oofbourne,
and asked for his assistance. He readily consented to arrange the
procession, regardless of expense, and, with the assistance of some of
the leaders of art in Sydney, he organized one of the most splendid
sights that has ever been seen.

The whole of the ladies employed in the different theatres gave their
services for nothing, and were commanded in the procession by Miss
Trueheart, who is an Australian, and is known to have the greatest
sympathy with all her poorer sisters in the Colony; they were all
beautifully dressed to represent different characters in history; the
banners, which were all specially painted for the occasion, exceeded
in beauty and design the magnificent ones which had been carried
through the street in the late strike amongst the men, and the best
girl musicians had been brought, regardless of expense, from all parts
of Australia, and formed into bands, which played at the head of each
company as they marched, such appropriate tunes as “Over the Garden
Wall,” “We won’t go home till Morning,” etc. The procession eventually
reached the Domain, where they halted, and speeches were made in favour
of Women’s Rights, Home Rule, etc.; they then broke up, and returned
to their homes. As time went on, one or two slight disturbances took
place amongst the strikers; some of them who were of Dutch extraction
had been arrested for ill-treating a very small free labourer, but on
the whole they behaved very well. Of course, by this time it was known
where the money was coming from to support the strike, and as the
capitalists saw it was useless to prolong it any further, they held a
meeting at the Exchange, and after an interview with the delegates
from the girls’ union, they decided that there was no use attempting
to hold out any longer, and so they yielded every point asked for
with as good a grace as possible; in fact, during the conference, one
of the capitalists was so struck with the beauty and good sense of
a girl delegate, that a wedding will soon take place, when we shall
see that desirable end obtained of Capital united to Labour. As soon
as the girls gained their point, of course, they returned to work,
and ceased to draw the strike money which our hero had allowed them.
The girl constabulary were disbanded, but not before the Government
had recognised their great services by giving them a splendid fancy
dress ball at the Centennial Hall, at which they all appeared in their
uniforms, and which was generally admitted was even a more brilliant
and successful affair than the great banquet given by the Government
to the gentlemen of the special constabulary at the Prince Alfred
Exhibition Building, on the termination of the great maritime strike a
short time previously. It is whispered amongst people who are generally
well posted in coming events that Reginald was so much struck with the
charms of one of the young lady troopers he met at the Constabulary
Ball, that it is possible there may be some happiness left for him yet,
though he will never forget the great sorrow of his early days, and can
never even now look upon an amateur photographer without shuddering.


THE END.


GIBBS, SHALLARD & CO., PRINTERS, 84A PITT STREET, SYDNEY.