The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1873-10-02
Textile Fabrics in Europe.

nking alarm at the state of the labor mar
ket and the increased importation Of foreign
manufactures, the National Association of
Factory Occupicrs Of Great Britain and
Irchnd mcmorializcd the government, in
JrJ last for the purpose Of obtaining accu-
rab information as to the cost of production
,flcytilc fabrics in the principal industrial
centres,on the continent The result has
been the publication hy the tAreigrI Office
of an interesting blne book containing vast
amount information on the subject of wages,
hours of labor and amount of. production in
tho cotton, silk, linen and woollen factories
in various parts Of Europe. The evi ident
object Of the association is to ascertain the
relative cost of production in the European
States as compared with the cost in this
country. Perhaps some members of the as
sociation may be able from the mass Of facts
prepared for them, to arrive at a satisfactory
result. For ourselves, when we bear in
mind that successful production depends
upon the possession Of large capital, the ex-
ccllcnce of machinery, the intelligence and
capicity of workmen, cheap supply of fuel
and raw material, the facilities Of transpor-
a.ion, the relative amount Of work done
(3, wages paid, and upon variety Of other
circumstances, and when we find those cir
cumstances varying not only in every coun-
try but in different parts of the same coun-
try we are compelled to rclinquish the task.
From glance over the reports, however,
it does not appear that English mannfactu-
rcrs have cause to apprehend any great
amount of competition from their rivals on
the continent. Certain spccialties there arc
of course, and always will be, which must
always command the market, but it is not
improbable that Belgium, their greatest ri
val in low priced goods, will find greater
difficulty in future, in keeping ahead Of our
manufacturers. The cheapncss of Belgian
products now chiefly depends upon the low
rates of wages paid to the workmen; so low
indeed, as to ncccssitatc the employment of
all the children Of the family in order to
ga1 enough to support the household. As
wages continue to rise, as they surely will,
and should 4 law be passed regulating the
employment of childrcn---a subject which
has occul led the Belgian legislature without
effect for the last thirty years-the cost of
production will necessarily be enhanced, and
the rclgian producer bc less able to compete
in the English market As rule, factory
operatives on the continent work longer
hours than factory operatives in this coun-
try in some parts as many as seventy To
ri"hty hours week
In Germany the employment Of children
T. regulated by law, but in most countries
tacy are worked as long as adults. There
is i General tendency everywhere to reduce
hc days work 10 twelve hours, including
dinner time. At Geneva the hours oflabor
arc fixed at ten all the year round. The
amount Of wages earned on the continent is
nuch lower than that earned in this country,
bat it is not necessarily less by the actual
Inference, since the purchasing power of
money is also different on the continent. In
almost every instance factory wages are re-
ported To have risen of late years, but not so
largely as those of builders, masons, carpcn-
tcrs, etc. Production has also increased
not only on account Of the increase of popu-
lation, but from the increased wants of the
people. which have been engcndered.by the
removal in recent years Of many obstacles
both To- internal and international exchange
1t is to he understood that the above remarks
do not apply to France and Austria, from
which countries, as yet. reports have not
yet been rcceivcd.-FM Mail Ga:eHc.