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It shall now be shown by English factory labour, especially thatof Lancashire , in which directions it at once comes into account asa result of centralised industrial progress, and, at the same time,as a demander of its further development,
B,—The Factory Labour of Lancashire ’s Cotton Industry.
That Lancashire to-day possesses the most capable labour in thecotton industry- all expert observers agree. Thus J. C. Fielden, awell-known member of the business world of Manchester, sees inthe superiority of the labour the chief strength of Lancashire (1).A similar view was expressed by the American Consul in Manchester(Mr. B. Shaw), an acknowledged capable judge, in agreement withGerman employers before the Enquete-Commission (2). “AnEnglish operative,” says Mr. Shaw, “ is satisfied if he has abundantwork and abundant wages ; only a few think of changing to anothercalling (3). This fixity of labour is of great value to the industry,because long experience creates a dexterity in always mindingthe same machines, which guarantees the most complete regularity,as well as superiority of the results.” Samuel Andrew, the Secre-tary of the largo Employers’ Association of Oldham, condenses theadvantages of English labour into the following words: “ We haveat this moment the most capable labour in the world. It is bornand brought up well suited and disciplined to its work; under itswage-lists, with the present improved machinery w-e can dependupon it fulfilling its duty with the accuracy of clockwork.”
Upon what do the advantages of North English factory labourdepend ? The following points of view- can be shown to bevaluable : —(a) a high vitality, which finds its expression in greaterspeed, dexterity, and strength; (b) the presence of certain mentalqualifications which specially suit machine labour; (c) the peculiararrangement of labour contracts; (d) the consumption pow-er ofthe working classes.
(a) The physical superiority of the English factory operativewhen compared with the Continental is recognised by German
1. Compare a series of articles on Foreign Competition in the ManchesterExaminer , 1SS2, especially the articles of 28th November and 5th December.
2. “Protokolle,” pp. 14, 81, 227. “Commercial Relations of the UnitedStates, ” No 12 (Oct. 1881), p. 129.
3. On the other hand in America, according to Sartorius von Wattershausen(“ Die nordamerikanischen Gewerkschaften,” p. 108), the facility for changinga calling still discloses a certain colonial character in the people.