New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-07-05
she Is a fine-yarn spinner
show much does he earn :"

"Well he can earn sometimes as much as 30s.
C$7 50), that is when work is brisk, but he never
brings that much home"
"Why mott
"As rule 5s goes for the club and union. Last
week the assessment was rs, and l never get q
pound for house expenses"
What is her husband 2" said Colonel Shaw to o
bright little woman of twenty-one rather neater
than the average woman of the neighborhood.
"a laborer in an ivory factory" she replied.
"How much does he esrni" asked the Colonel.
"Only 16s. ga week sir"
"Why, how do you live ~ inquired the surprised
Consul.
Its pretty hard sir" replied the little woman;
I'VE never eat meat of course, and you see what
our home is"
And the kind hearted Colonel put something into
the little woman's hand and remarked to me {:
This is awful" as he walked away.
In no case did we find female spinner who
earned more than las. ($3 38) week, piecer who
earned more than los Cd. go 52), weaver who
earned over les. 1873 84) If woman, end not over
22s (S5 2S) II man. do not say that IN such
mills as have described at Bolton, Oldham, Black
burn or Burnley, under more favorable crcuul-
stances the operators cannot earn more. but the
above were the highest wages we were able to dis
cover in the industrial quarters of Manchester
that is, from an operatives standpoint. l might
add that Mr. Robert Giffen Of the Board OF Trade,
has kindly provided me with proof of his forth
coming wage-tsbles to be published in the Miscel-
lancous Statistics volume for 1882. and that tho
statement as given to me by the operatives agrees
with the Official returns sent to the Board of Trade
by the manufacturers.
At one house wc met an old man who had for
thirty years been stripper. He furnished
his own frame, and earned from lbs. to 18s
week. MEATH said the old man, in reply to
question put to him by Colonel Shaw, "Why, l
never see it, except in the butchers shops" Hoac-
companied us to place wherea number Of shippers
were at work stripping various kinds Of corduroy.
The women told us that by working all the week
at this monotonous work they could net Sc.
ISL 92,.
In the course of this dismal journey through the
habtations of these industrious people, the profit
from whose hard, incessant toll has built
the great city of Manchester, Colonel
Shaw met ono of the great mill owners
of the district. He was fino specimen of an Eng
ishman and he stood on the front steps Of bis mill
surveying the scene with com acency. thinking, no
doubt how he could still further reduce the cost of
cotton and cloth q tsnth of o farthing yard. The
following dialogue took place:
81 fecln said Colonel Shaw, "almost sick At heart
~ WUhb Il utfb occu tO-usys Oio you WV Poo Jv~~
nose in tho houses of the working people Of this dis
trictp
Never"
why. their homes are very wretched. Ysu
ought to see the homes of the operatives
IN the United States; they live in paradise CON-
pared to this"
"Ah well you don't say sol You surprise me-"
81 could not have believed they were so bad here
IL / had not gone round and seen for myself. They
are so comfortable in some Of the smaller towns OF
the cotton district that had no idea there was 80
much difference 1t Is enough to make any ono Ill to
see 60 much poverty and misery among tho industrial
classes"
1t will be seen by this that some mill owners
themselves know nothing of the real condition OF
their operatives.
As we returned from one Of these excursions we
met large number of girls and women streaming
out of the mills Their pointed wooden shoes ciat-
tered on the pavement l wonder what the Lowell
factory girls, with their neat hats and sunshades.
and natty boots and white cotton gloves would
think of wooden Shoes the uppers nailed to the sole
with brass headed nails Cheap ss clothing is said
to be in England the Manchester girls wear no hats;
an old shawl and a dirty print gown and wooden
shoes form their street toilet as they 60 to and re-
turn from.tber daily toll.
The following estimate of the rates of wages in
cotton, carding and spinning in Manchester and
neighborhood is from the forthcoming Miscellaneous
Report 1882 and was kindly furnished me IN ad-
vance of publication by Mr.. Gifen. 1t is
only fair to say that Mr.. Gffen is DEEPEN
dent for these statistics on the returns
obligingly communicated to his department by the
Councils and secretaries of Chambers of Commerce
nd by private firms. The following estimate,
though coming from the manufacturers, so nearly
accords with the statements made to me by the
operatives that believe it the most accurate esli-
mate of the kind ever published:
Der