AND ON THE CONTINENT.

iei

This development has been repeated in the States of Massa-chusetts and Rhode Island . The following particulars emanatefrom the well-known writer, Edward Atkinson , who at the sametime is a practical man in the cotton industry (21). Here alsothe same decrease is shown in piece-wages, the same increase ofproduction per operative, and the same raising of weekly earnings.

Even if the still remaining colonial character of America (highercost per spindle and loom per mill, stronger demand for labour,dearer capital, etc.) should make the industry there appear notsuitable for extracting general economical principles, the American instance is nevertheless, in respect to'the replacement of labour bycapital, extremely instructive. The particulars of Atkinson referto two mills which since 1830 produced unchanged the same goods(standard sheetings, width 36 in., No. 14’s yarn), and spun thenecessary yarns themselves. In the cost of labour the cost ofspinning as well as of weaving is included. The particulars aretaken from the business books of the firms in question.

Yearly productionper

operative.

Cost of labourper yard.

Annual earningsper

operative.

Yards.

Cents.

Dollars.

1S30.

4,321

1-9

104

1850.

12,104

1 *55

190

1870.

19,293

1-24

240

1884.

28,032

1-07

290

In the case of Germany , also, a similar development can un-doubtedly be shown. Although the looms run more slowly, inspite of this the losses (22) are larger and the production per loomless than in England. This is a consequence of the want of highly-skilled and highly-capable labour. But this fact is easily ex-plained bv the still comparatively youthful age of power-weavingin Germany. In the eastern portions of Germany , especially inSilesia and Saxony, the power-loom has only been settled since

21. Edward Atkinson: “ Address upon the Labour Question ” (Boston ,1886), p. 11. The same: Popular Science Monthly (January, 1890),pp. 310-7. The same : “ Distribution of Products,” 4th ed. (New York, 1890),p. 118. Compare, further, Jeans: Statist. Society (December, 1884), p. 617.

22. That is, the difference between the theoretical and real production.—Translator.