AND ON THE CONTINENT.
43
The consequence of the development delineated was an extra-ordinary increase of production. Since the costs of working didnot increase in the same ratio, they were spread over a greaterproduced quantity. Especially could a permanent reduction inpiece-wages be introduced. The cost of labour for a definedquantity was continuously declining, owing to the advancingtechnical skill.
Yarn counts.
Hanks spun perspindle per clay.
Cost of labourper lb. of yarn.
Cost of similarlabour in India.
1812.
1830.
1812.
1836.
Unchanged.
s. d.
#*. d.
s. d.
40 ....
0
2-75
1 0
0 i\
3 4
SO ....
1-5
2*2
2 2
1 74
0 104
100 ....
1-4
1’8
210
2 2 ^
11 11
150_
1
1-33
o <;
4 u
25 0
200 ....
0-75
0-90
10 8
u 0
44 7 (»i)
AV"hat effect had this technical development 011 the worker ?It is, in the first place, to be noted that in spite of continuouscheapening of work the weekly earnings of the worker wenthigher. This phase was hidden at first by the prices of foodmoving downwards. But it is certainly correct to measure theincome of the worker, not only according to its face value, butalso by its buying power in relation to the most importantnourishing foods. Looked at in this light, there occurred also atthat time, along with cheapening of labour, an increase in theearnings of the worker—a development which belongs to themost marked peculiarities of centralised industrial progress.The elder Houldsworth gave the following interesting statistics,in this respect, before the Committee on Manufactures.
Weekly product’nof the Spinner .
Time
worked.
Hours.
Total
wages.
Deduct
for
helpers.
Net
earnings
of
Buying power ofthese net earnings.
Counts.
Lb. ofyarn.
In lb.Flour.
In lb.Meat.
,
d.
s.
d.
«. d.
1804....
180
12
74 to 80
60
0
27
0
32 0
117
024
200
9
07
0
31
0
50 0
124
73
1814....
180
18
74
72
0
27
0
44 0
175
07
..
200
134
90
0
30
0
60 0
239
90
1833....
180
224
09
54
8
21
0
33 8
210
07
•!
200
19
05
3
22
0
42 9
267
85
(22)
OB)
21. Baines, p. 353. Ure : “ Cotton Manufacture.” II., 425.
22. These wages are applicable for fine counts. The average wage of themule-spinner in Manchester at this time amounted to 27s. Ure: “CottonManufacture,” II., p. 444.
23. Prices reckoned according to the invoices of the Chetham Hospital,Manchester