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in calico-printing) is in favour of England —the character of astaple industry.
But something else comes here into consideration, continues thereport. The weavers at Crefeld are far more industrious andcapable than those needy fellow-creatures who, in the streets ofMacclesfield , often seek employment for weeks and months unsuc-cessfully. “ One fact specially drew our attention: the Crefeldweavers do not bear that anxious and desponding expression offeatures of people who are to-day miserable, and are yet afraid ofthe next day. Just the opposite, they present an intellectualelasticity which, unfortunately, is not general among the weaversof Macclesfield ” (p. 24). Respecting drinking, this is on theRhine a form of sociability, in Macclesfield a vice. The weaverof Crefeld is different from his fellows in Macclesfield , thoughtfulabout saving time at. his work—as a rule in other branches justthe advantage of the Englishman compared with German opera-tives. But the greater capacity of the German silk-weavers comesall the more into consideration since he works on more valuableand better looms.
Therefore, to a. certain extent, the advantage of high-standinglabour shows itself in more perfected working tools; also on thefield of cottage-industry. But in silk weaving, at present, thechange to centralised industry lias set itself into motion, andchanges the cottage industrial conditions we have delineated bygoing over to the power-loom. Also on this new field the standardof living of the operatives in Germany appears by no means to belower than in England , as is otherwise generally the case. As atthe time of the great strike in the silk-plush weaving-mills ofLister, at Manningham, in 1891, the demand for lowering wageswas founded by the directors on the fact that the wages wouldeven still be far higher than in Germany , one of the chief repre-sentatives of the Crefeld industry in this branch addressed a letterto the “ Bradford Observer,” in which he proved that the corre-sponding weekly earnings of the operatives in Crefeld were notlower, but rather higher than in England (6).
5. The letter was as follows :—
“ Sir,—In reference to the report of the annual meeting of Lister andCo., Limited, you gave in your paper of the 4th inst., it will perhaps bewelcome to receive some rectification with regard to Crefeld weavingwages.
•‘The Chairman (Mr. S. C. Lister) said that in offering 14s. wages