90
“Industrial Society of Mulhouso” as representative of spinningthere. Both instances refer to self-actors alone.
OWlhnm.
No. of spindle* in the mills ... 7U.00U
Operatives lor—
Mixing . 2 men.
Opening .f 4men und 1
* ° \ women J
Carding . 7 men.
Drawing . 7 women
Slubbing, intermediate, and 1 43 women and!
roving . / children )
Spinning . { or> {
No. of overlookers . .‘I ... ' .
,, packers, etc. 6 .
Mulhouse.
32.U0U
Vosges.
56,(100
i> o men
7*i5 men amt women
120 operatives
50
202
15*5 men .
12*6 women.
4-1*3 women and young >
workers .J
87*0 women ami young ) _
workers ... /
12 117 y (25)
Totals .167 185*3 408
Operatives per 1,000 spindles 2*4 5*8 8*9
These results show that in Oldham fewer operatives are requiredfor 70,(100 spindles than in Mulhouse for 32,000. Yet by thesevery figures Mulhouse shows, in this respect, the most favourableconditions of all Germany . Much more unfavourable is the stateof affairs in the valleys of the Vosges, as the instance given proves.It is true that the figures given for Oldham and Mulhouse do notrefer to the same average counts of yarn; Oldham medium isfrom 36’,s to 40’s; those which are given for Mulhouse refer toNo. 20's French (metrical). But this circumstance does not comeinto account in the extraordinarily high difference of the fore-going instances. This is also shown by the following fairly repre-sentative mill in Switzerland , compared with Oldham—bothspinning the same average counts: —
40's twist.
No. of operatives per 1,000 spindlesThereof for preparation
,, slubbing, roving, and inter-)
mediate .. .. /
„ spinning proper
The comparison on page 93 between the instance from Ure andthe Oldham spinning of to-day shows, in preparation as well as inspinning, the most important reduction in labour power. In the firstinstance this results from the invention (in America) by Wellmanof the self-acting carding-engine. Whilst formerly the cards hadto be freed by hand from the cotton remaining behind—theoperatives were called strippers—this is now done by the machine(26). The card which is to-day becoming more and more pro-
25. This number refers at the same time to the operatives who are engagedin the factory workshop, because such are indispensable in the Vosges.Labourers and firers-up are not included.
2(1. Compare Marsden: “ Cotton Spinning,’' pp. 120-2.