Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-07-03
FLORENTINE STRAW.
A Consular Report on an Industry
Practised in Italy.

From the Londoa Queen.
Consul General Colnaghi has sent to
the Foreign Office an interesting report
on the Florentine straw industry, and it
has just been published as a Blue Book
We extract the following passages: The
industry is 80 generally extended through
out the district that there is scarcely a
family in which some of the members are
nos engaged in the work Children begin
to plat at five and six years of age: while
mothers of families, IN addition 10 their
domestic occupations, and females Of all
ages and almost OF all conditions, who do
not follow. the business as means of
livelihood. employ their leisure time in 1t.
Formerly, when the production was car
ried on by persons connected with agri-
cultural labor only, the work was not
constant; but now, excepting perhaps
with few ''cOntadiue," it goes on all the
year round. The plaiLers work in their
own homes, and their busy fingers are
rarely at rest The larger mum Der work
up the straw on their own account, and
sell the PLANTS, or hats, ON the public mar
kets held at Florence aud in other
towns. Others receive the straw from
and are paid by the "fattOrni," class of
middemen who cOnsign the plaits and
hats in the rough to the principal manu-
facturers, who finish them for export.
Others, again, are in direct cOmmunica-
ton with the manufacturers themselves.
The earnings OF the plaieIs are subject
to considerable fluctuations, partly de-
pending upon the market prices that may
from time to time rule for tue manufac-
tured article, and partly according TO
the higher or lower rates OF the
straw. On an average, the daily earnings
of children aud Of young girls NAV be
taken at from 80 to 10 centimes, and of
women at from - TO 80 centimes. Much
depends upon the ability OF the workers,
and considerable number OF expert
hands earn regularly, under ordinary cir
cumstances, from Ira to ! Ira l0c. and
sometimes as much as Ira soc. per diem.
At sewing hats "a maglIa," about Is
centimes per diem, may be earned. Pay
ment Is always made by the piece. AS
regards cost of production, three-fiths is
credited to labor and twO-ftths to first
material; bat this statement is approx
matively only. as the relative proportion
of value must he subject to considerable
fluctuations depending upon the price OF
the straw. Toe articles chiefly exported
are theFlorentlne bats and plain and fancy
plaits. The principal countries OF export
are France, the United Staies of America,
Great Britain, Germany, and Aus
tria. Tie future prospects OF the Tuscan
straw industry are at present by no
means encouraging, as so many new
articles spring up which are more favored
Dy fashion. The competition Of English
plaits, as far az prices are concerned
fashion apart), does not much affect the
sale OF Italian straw products; but that
Of the Chinese plaits in tho coarser quail
ties is almost crushing, and - very
considerable extent now supplies the
various markets Of Europe and America,
to the nearly total exclusion OF the same
qualities Of Italian plaits AZ regards for
are or excellent quality, well made,
strong and seryceable, ana supplied at
prices with which it is impossible to COM
pete In Italy.