AND ON THE CONTINENT.
115
i'or the preparation. Whilst in some cases spinning-mill ownerscomplained that the labour capacity became worse as a conse-quence of increasing wages at the beginning of the “ seventies/' thecontinuously increasing capacity of the operatives in power-weaving was, even at that time, according to the evidence ofexperts, beyond doubt (2o). Similar cases since then have beencommunicated to me, in which, by speeding the machinery, piece-wages were reduced and resulted in an increase of the weeklyearnings. In spite of all this it is at the present time less thetechnically-advanced centralised industry which has made German weaving partly into an export industry than the accommodatingitself to changing daily demands, to taste in the patterns,etc. Thus the merchants of London and the manufacturers ofLancashire order, in many cases, German novelties and producethem in large masses if they take (26). The lack of technicallyperfected productive systems has in many instances resulted inthe fruits of the admirable technical and art skill and trainingwhich Germany gives to her sons being plucked by othernations.
Width ofgoods.
Reed (27).
Picks per$in.
Length
of
pieces.
v Twist.
Weft.
Wages
per
piece.
Weeklyproductionper loom.
Inches.
39
02
14-0
Yards.
37
30’s
30’s
Pence.
8*92
Ells.
222
39
02
14-9
37
30’s
30’s
9-47
215
39
02
10-5
37
30’s
30’s
10 '08
215
40
50
14*0
37
30’s
30’s
8-72
222
25. Compare “Protokolle zur Reichsenquete,” pp. 105, 183, 188, 192, 247.
2G. Compare the Second Report of the Commission on Depression of Trade,part I., 4,945, 4,949, 4,977, 4,982, 5,815.
27. The method of counting reeds usual in Lancashire is the Stockportmethod—the number of dents in two inches, i.e., since generally two warpthreads are drawn through one dent, the number of ends per inch.