AND ON THE CONTINENT.

99

A similar result is shown by ordinary 40’s twist: —

Cost of spinning per 1,000 hanks in 1812 .. .. 300 pence

1830 .. .. 180

„ „ „ 1890 .. .. 12 „ (29)

,, in Alsace per 1,000 hanks, accord-)

ing to the Enquete in 1878 (43-58 c. per;- 43 ,,

kilogramme).. .. .. .. )

Whilst the foregoing particulars for the finest and the averageyarns show the reduction of the cost of labour in detail, thefollowing table—in which, based on the particulars of Ellison, allcounts are included—may give a general idea of the developmentmentioned: —

Yearly yarnproduction,

; in 1,000 lb.

No. ofoperativesin spinning-mills.

Yarn produc-tion

per operative,in lb.

Cost oflabour perlb. of yarn.

Averageannual earn-ings

per operative.

1819-21

106,500

111,000

968

1

1

£ 8. d.

20 18 0

1829-31

216,500

140,000

1,546

4-2

27 6 0

1844-6

523,300

190,000

2,754

2-3

28 12 0

1859-61

910,000

248,000

3,671

2-1

32 10 0

1880-82

1,324,000

240,000

5,520

1-9

44 4 0

Especially within the last 20 years has a lowering of pieceworkprices by 15 per cent, left its impression (30) in that the operativesto-day look after 15 per cent, more machinery, which runs from12 to 15 per cent, quicker. Weekly wages increased in the sameperiod by 8 to 10 per cent.

Undoubtedly a similar development is taking place also inGermany, which means a replacement of labour by capital, and araising of labour capacity. This is made clear already by the factthat the considerable increases of wages at the commencement ofthe “seventies” by no means brought a corresponding increase of

29. The figures for 1812 and 1832 are taken from the particulars of Ure(“Philosophy of Manufactures,” p. 341); those for 1890 from my ownexperience in Oldham; those for Alsace from the Enquete. Regarding thecost of labour, compare “ Die Stat.Ermittelungen,” p. 24; Protokolle, pp. 54,387, etc.

30. Committee on Depression of Trade: See Report, part I., 5,077, 5,114,5,164, 5,167. Even since 1877 the Oldham list has gone down 8 per cent.,whilst the weekly earnings of the spinners are 2/6 to 3/- higher than at thattime.