Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-06-24
THn PRETTY RInn9NM
where and How They are MaR6s
.faotured.
New York Mercantile Jonrn.I

lit may safely be said that st. Etienne
is the largest ribbon producing town
in the world. In speaking of ribbons,
we mean all productions Of the small
ware looms, in which more than two
pieces are woven at one time, and
which include ladies' soarfs, ties, and
similar goods. This industry is, with
few exceptions, quite a domestic one.
st. Etienne and district employs about
u 600 looms, of which only about
1900 are driven by mechanical means,
say 1000 BY water, and 500 by steam
power. These 1900 make partly plain
silk ribbons, and partly velvet rib
bons, the latter numbering about 600.
Most Of the weavers have not more
than three looms, more frequently only
one or two. Generally the master works
one and the members of his family
the other; sometimes he has also a
journeyman. A loom costs from $33
to 500, according to its completely,
for some looms withJacquard arrange
ments, and seven to twelve shuttles
different wefts, are costly. When a
journeyman has saved a few hundred
frames, he buys loom, paying part of
the price down and the remainder in
installments as he makes his profit on
it. When he has paid for the first
loom, and takes a second one to be
worked by an assistant, he becomes
member of the masters guild, who fix
the prices to be paid by themanufactu-
rers. From the complicated nature
of the work these wages cannot be
always be alike, but they are regulated
according to the difficulty of the pat
tern, the quality of the silk, etc. If,
for instance, weaver receives
silk which is rather weak and
which necessitates frequent stoppages
on account OF broken ends he calls in
an expert, who, after examining his
case, fixes the amount of the wages to
be paid. On the other hand, the
master finds it to be to his interest to
pay good wages, and to give the weaver
an advance when anynew article which
happens to be in fashion enables him
to make extra profits. Where mas
ter employs a iourneyman he gives
him half the wages earned by the
loom, retaining the other half as hire
for the loom and profits, In ordinary
times loom earns about 5s per day,
which leaves Is. sd. for the assistant
mot very tempting wages, our wesyers
will say Sometimes loom can make
as much as us day, against which,
however, slack times must be taken,
when the hands get no work, and
after spending their wages have
to find work in the neighboring
mines or elsewhere for time. They
however, seldom leave altogether, and
stick to their homes as long as posi-
BILE. The preparatory work of wind.
ing and spooling is paid by the day,
generally from l. Sd. to Is. Tor 10
hours work. In 1S48 the longest per-
missible time was fixed at II hours in
summer and IL hours in winter. With
the ordinary sort Of ribbons, wages
form about 10 per cent to Is per cent
of the price, but with the superior
kinds the wages run up to 40 per cent.
A singular feature Is the fact that the
weavers making silk ribbons are more
steady and frugal, and work best at
home, while those making velvet rib.
bons have not such good reputation,
and are also more frequently collected
in larger numbers in factories Can
the latter affect their morals is the
question suggested.