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capacity is less. In the latter respect it is to be borne in mindthat in England doffing and filling with bobbins take place in ashorter time, breakages of ends occur more seldom, and the piecingof broken threads requires less time. From these it results thatthe cost of labour per lb. of yarn—especially if the overlooking isincluded—is in England decidedly less than in Germany . Thewages of the English spinner are, as well, nearly twice as high asin Germany , and the hours of labour a little over !) hours (32),compared with 11 to 114 in Germain’.
Similar to the progress of spinning was that of weaving.Cotton manufacturers, before the Committee on Manufactures (1),in 1834, advanced the theory that hand-weaving was increasing,and must increase as long as British commerce expanded.Especially had the manufacturers of Bolton—which at that timewas the centre of weaving—thus expressed themselves.
In spite of all prophecies to the contrary, hand-weaving, at leastin cotton, has, as a matter of fact, died out in England . Notwithout much difficulty—because in Manchester even the largestmerchants in cotton goods knew nothing more of them—I havestill found hand-weavers in Lancashire . Let me here dedicate aword to the last of the race. If the death-struggles of hand-weaving often extend themselves in a sad manner throughoutdecades, its death itself is a comparatively easy one.
A great portion of the operatives’ outlying districts ofBolton comprise, even to-day, those houses which at the beginningof the century were built for hand-weavers—cellars for weaving,lighted from both sides by an unbroken row of windows, overwhich are dwelling-rooms accessible by steps fixed outside thehouse, now small houses for single weavers, then larger ones withspace for about 20 to 30 looms, where cottage weaving had de-veloped into division of labour establishments. Most of thesehouses have at the present time lost their original object, andhave become dwelling-houses for the operatives under the rule of
32. Spinning machinery in England generally runs 55 hours per week ; theFactory Act grants 564, of which hours are devoted to cleaning themachinery. The clause for regulation of German trades shortens the hours toG5, because, out of the 66 hours allowed, one is necessary for cleaning.
1 . ( 1 , 212 ).