1. _Sifters_, who are generally women, and mostly the wives or
concubines of the dustmen, but sometimes the wives of badly-paid
labourers.
2. _Fillers-in_, or shovellers of dust into the sieves of the sifters
(one man being allowed to every two or three women).
3. _Carriers off_ of bones, rags, metal, and other perquisites to the
various heaps; these are mostly children of the dustmen.
A medium-sized dust-yard will employ about twelve collectors, three
fillers-in, six sifters, and one foreman or forewoman; while a large
yard will afford work to about 150 people.
There are four different modes of payment prevalent among the several
labourers employed at the metropolitan dust-yards:--(1) by the day; (2)
by the piece or load; (3) by the lump; (4) by perquisites.
1st. The foreman of the yard, where the master does not perform this
duty himself, is generally one of the regular dustmen picked out by
the master, for this purpose. He is paid, the sum of 2_s._ 6_d._ per
day, or 15_s._ per week. In large yards there are sometimes two and
even three yard-foremen at the same rate of wages. Their duty is
merely to superintend the work. They do not labour themselves, and
their exemption in this respect is considered, and indeed looked on by
themselves, as a sort of premium for good services.
[Illustration: THE LONDON DUSTMAN.