The National tribune., 1891-09-24
WAGES IN ENGLAND.

WAGES IN ENGLAND.
The final report OF the House Of Lords |
Committee to investigate the sweating sys- /
TEN has been made, and it affords much
material for interesting study by economic
students The committee finds, in the first
place, that the sweating system is the direct
result Of the decay Of the apprenticeship
system. Under the old system employers
took apprentices for period Of seven years,
in which they agreed to teach them the
whole art and mystery Of the handicraft."
best but nominal ones, and the employer
was bound to give much time and attention
10 instructing him. During the last period
the apprentice got less wages than he could
have earned outside Of the shop, but this
was his employers profit, and the return for
the loss Of his earlier years. The employer
stood in parental position toward his APP
prentices, looked after their morals and we'll
being, and frequently lodged them in his
own house as part Of his family. This
system has disappeared from all but a few
trades, and even there the period has been
shortened TO five years and less.
in place Of the old system Of small shops
and limited number Of workmen under
one man, who was simply "master work
man" there has grown mp one great shops,
where the work has been infinitely divided
and subdiyidod; where the employees are
taught in the shortest way possible, some
one detail Of manufacture. This knowledge
is so slight that even man or woman Of
very ordinary intelligence can master il in
very short time, and then he or she does
nothing else. The advantage Of this is, that
the cheapest possible labor can be employed,
and by combining the operator to one branch
he gains EXPERIENCES, and is able 10 turn out
an enormous amount of work. For example,
under the old system, tailor was thorough
workman, capable Of doing all that was re-
quired TO produce a whole suit Of clothes
directly from the cloth. Now, one man
cuts coat sleeves and nothing else; another
the collars; a third, the body; a fourth,
vests; a flnh, pantaloons; sixth, presses.
I One man or woman sews only coat sleeves,
another makes buttonholes, and so on. 1t
requires little time 10 learn TO do any one Of
] these things passably well, and with the
intense pressure for employment, wages are
forced down TO the lowest possible level.
The same il true of cabinet-making shoe
making, harness-mal:ing cutlery, and all
other trades where articles are produced in
large quantities Of any given pattern.
The women who work on clothing get on
an average 3G cents day for IS hours work.
For making children's knickerbOckers they
are paid from TO 20 cents a suit, but the
number they can sew mp in a day is not
stated. For sewing trousers they get from
20 10 % cents a day when working at home,
and 81 cents a day in the shops. Button
hole makers are paid from 40 TO 81 cents a
day. Men who run sewing machines average
6s cents a day. In Birmingham the tailor
esses get from s. cents TO g. a week, accord
ing TO ability. In Glasgow those who run
machines get from $3.50 10 So week; fel-
lers from $3.50 10 50; buttonholers, S3l2 a
week on an average.
Shirt-makers get from IA 10 90 cents q
dozen, and can make from two TO three
dozen a day.
; Women who sew on silk mantles get from
: e to 10 cents mantle and can do two a day
The most that any OF them have been abb,
to make is from 30 TO 81 cents day. Fur
sewers make from 62 cents to SIPS pei
week.
In South Stanordshire and North Worces
D teTshire a great many women are employed
in chain and Matchmaking. A large numbe
: Of women-worllers testified that full week
work, Of u hours day, would only brin,
7 them in from S125 10 Si.75, from which q
I cents must be deducted for fuel. In tn,
! hand-nal trade the best Of them make a