and on the continent.

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However this may be, in any case the transition to the power-loom, which has also begun in Macclesfield , contains within it astep forward for the weaving population. The weekly earningsin the power weaving-mills of Macclesfield amount to more thandouble, even triple, the earnings of the hand-weavers. An ell ofplain goods, 22 in. wide, costs therewith for weaving, on the hand-loom, Is. Id.; on the power-loom, 8d. On the other hand, ahand-loom represents a value of £8 to £10; a power-loom—i.e.,only the working machine, exclusive of building and driving-power—£30 to £35. Therefore also here appears replacement oflabour by capital, and therewith a raising of the standard of livingof the operative.

This tendency of centralised industry shows itself also in thatthe aristocracy of labour in Macclesfield , apart from the power-weaving only just rising up, has its seat in the silk-spinning mills,centralised industrial concerns which, far superior, look down uponthe surrounding weavers’ cots (6).

If we glance back at what has been said, we can extract from itthe following confirmation of our views developed above: —

1. The weekly earnings and the standard of living of theoperative in the English cotton industry is about double as high

and 15 per cent.—which was equal to lGs. 3d. per week—the directorsof the company were offering just double what the Crefeld manufacturerswere paying to their velvet weavers. In stating this Mr. Lister showshimself to be very badly informed. The weavers in our factory caneasily earn 20s. to 21s. a week, and those who are rather skilful earn 26s.to 28s. a week (56 to 60 hours’ work), some even more. All largeCrefeld manufacturers pay about the same wages.—I am, etc.,

“ Crefeld, 16th Feb., 1891. “ M. de Greiff.”

6. Also in another branch, akin to the textile industry, which seemed up tonow in a hopeless condition, the appearing centralisation has improved at lastthe conditions of working. The misery of the female workers in made-upclothing and dressmaking is well lynown. Centralised industry in the last tenyears has seized this branch of industry, and presses hard the cottage industryin articles of general consumption. In Leeds, the centre of this industry, thereare to-day about 20 clothing establishments. If we visit the largest we find a tre-mendous building, reminding us of the largest spinning-mills of Lancashire . Onethousand three hundred and fifty girls and 300 men are at work ; up to fortyfolds of cloth are cut through at one operation by the machine ; 10,000 to 13,000suits are made per week. All labour is accomplished by the most improvedmachinery, of which, for instance, the button-hole machine makes a button-hole and hems it with thick stitches in 25 to 30 seconds. The operatives whomind these machines are not only occupied under better working conditions asto ventilation, etc., hut are also paid far higher wages than the tailoressesworking without mechanical power.