AND ON THE CONTINENT.

31

of cottage industry from handicraft, where the worker is still theowner of the means of production was long ago passed. In theyears of the “thirties” the weavers were still mostly only hirersof the looms, or heavily in debt for them, and therefore at thebeck and call and mercy of suffering employers (20).

The reason of the cottage weavers’ decline was not, in the firstinstance, the power-loom. As early as 1808 there was an exam-ination into the distress of the hand-weavers, and still there were in1813 only 2,400 power-looms in Lancashire , as compared with200,000 hand-looms (21). Much rather was it the marching ofthe cotton industry into the world’s market that disturbed rela-tions depending upon monopoly or usage. Guest is certainlycorrect in his “ History of the Cotton Manufacture ” (at the con-clusion), when he ascribes the decline of the English cottonweaver to the tremendous yarn exports to the Continent, in con-junction with the cheaper prices of food there. The Continentalcottage weaver thus in this way forced the English worker evenbelow the Continental standard of living.

On average goods weavers in Bolton earned weekly (22) : —

1797-1804..

26

8

Lli.

Wheat-Hour.= 100

or

Lb.

Oatmeal.

142

1804-11 ..

20

0

= 79

n

115

1811-18 ..

14

7

= 60

5?

79

1818-25

8

9

= 48

»»

64

1825-32 ..

6

4

= 38

5 }

48

The stuff m question was at that time not yet produced bytlie power-loom. It permitted, therefore, the chance of far morefavourable remuneration than the production, for example, ofprinting calico. There were even wages as low as 2s. to 3s.weekly (23).

According to Blue-Books, potatoes and oatmeal were almostthe sole nourishment of the cottage weavers. A housekeeping

20. Committee on Handloom Weavers in 1835 (3,375). Often did theemployers say to the weavers seeking work: “We have no work; if we giveany, it is for Cod’s sake. We would rather let it be undone ; but if you takeit, it must be at a shilling less. ” But the hungering weaver thinks : “ Onepotato is better than none,” etc.

21. Compare Committee on Petitions from Several Cotton Manufacturers(1808).

22. Compare Committee on Handloom Weavers of 1834 (432).

23. Committee on Manufactures (10.065, 11.750). Committee on Hand-loom Weavers of 1835 (1,130-59) refers to linen weavers.