AND ON THE CONTINENT.

111 .

In similar first-class weaving-mills of Baden and Switzerland there are, in comparison, on plain goods only 2'1 to 2 looms perweaver, whilst on the average this number is much less.

A weaver in the weaving-shed we have examined earns hs. 6d.per loom per week, whilst the average in Burnley probably amountsto 5s. The weekly wage varies between 22s. and 27s. The six-ioom weaver earns 33s. 6d., but pays from this to his younghelper, who, by the way, is generally a member of the family, 6s.Gd. The width of the printings produced varies, as generally inBurnley, between 32in. and 46in. The yarns used are so-calledmediums—that is, warp 28’s to 45’s twist, weft 30’sto60’s. Theweekly production per loom is 250 yds. on the average, thereforethe cost of weaving is 0'26d. per yard, whilst in Burnley it isreckoned at 0‘22d. In comparison, a weaver of similar plainprintings in Germany and Switzerland earns about 12s. weekly.His labour is, in spite of this, by no means cheaper.

Quite another aspect is shown by one of those art weaving-shedsin the neighbourhood of Manchester—for instance, Bolton. Hereno loom is weaving the same thing as another. There aretowels, table-cloths, counterpanes, so-called fancy goods, especiallyfor the home market. But in spite of the fact that the majorityof the looms have jacquard arrangements, even here one weaverminds on the average two looms, whilst in all Continental weaving-mills one weaver has only one such loom. Only a few of theweavers in Bolton have tenters—among 250 weavers perhaps about50. On the 500 looms at work, which represent a considerableamount of capital (a loom costs £5 to £150), there are 300weavers and tenters, in addition to 150 operatives on the prepara-tion work, cutting of jacquard cards, and in the repairing shop,which is necessitated here by the complicated machinery. Theaverage, therefore, per single operative, including all the accessorypreparation mentioned, is IT looms—a remarkably favourableresult.

The woven goods which the dexterity in art of our German hand-weavers still produces are in many cases the same. TheEnglish weavers earn on the average. 25s. per week, and on thereal art-looms 8s. per day easily, and still the productions ofthese highly-paid operatives have killed the old cottage weavingof Bolton, in which their fathers and grandfathers once eked outa not less miserable existence than the German hand-weavers.