The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-07-08

MANCHESTER, June 20.-Whitsuntide
in Lancashire means more than any
where else in the world. From Tues
day, June 7, when the mills close, and
from Wednesday, June 8, when business
is suspended, until Monday, June 18,
the English flag is flying. the scnool
children marching and in fact all is
gaity and enjoyment. This is the con-
dition in which I found Manchester,
Oldham and Ashton-under-Lyne Hard
ly chance to obtain authentic informa-
tion; still we must do the best we can
for valuable time is passing.
Manchester, with its population, (ac.
cordiDg to the census of 1887 of $780,
300, approaches nearer to being an
American mercantile city than any we
have visited thus far. For long time
the metropolis of the cotton manufact-
ure, she has now forced considerable
percentage Of her mill property into the
suburbs and outlying towns, to make
way for new town buildings, immense
stores and larger warehouses, but
withal holds the reins as of yore, over
cotton manufacturing in Great Britain.
Instead of the stately, stone buildings
seen throughout Scotland, we observe
an extraordinary use of brick. Wooden
shoes are much in vogue, and as one
hears them in the evening, musically,
Gathering down the street, no other in
formation is necessary to know we are
in Lancashire. No criterion Of the
people at large can be given, for each
has donned his holiday clothing, and
with pipe and cane, feels fully as inn
portant as prince.
The public buildings, (as elsewhere
throughout England, thus far, have
gloomy appearance, from an exterior
view. The new Town hall is beauti-
ful structure, erected in 168S-77, at a
cost of e1,000,0 1t is 32S feet long,
800 feet wide, with a clock-tower 2S6
feet high. There are $50 rooms in this
immense structure.
The cotton spinners of Lancashire are
without doubt the best organized,
strongest and farther advanced thar any
other labor organization in Great
Britain. OF late years, through amalga-
nation, they are even stronger, but be-
fore that time well able to cope with any
issue, and through cooperation kept
some standard of wages which even the
employers could not break.
These tables of wages are changed
now and again by mutal agreement, ac-
cording to improvement and changes in
machinery. For instance, in Oldham,
withlimproved machinery, spinners are
able to earn a trifle more. That is,
machines of more dozens capacity, and
requiring ceaseless watching, pay the
minders and their assistants trif1e more
wages but this extra percentage is
divided equally between the minder and
employer.
Now, for this really extra work, the
employer receives half the profit, as
have said, while the minder m ust divide
his share proportionally between two
others and himself. Again, sooner or
later the owner of the mill must feel
this increased outlay in machinery, and
naturally be Obliged to cut down this
percentage, thus the spinner at Ashton
under-Lyne, earning fair wages, with a
moderate amount of work, is about as
well off in the end, and this is true of
Manchester. / have written in detail
about this difference that you may have
the benefit of what l have learned.
Will send tables that you may all see
for yourselves the actual wages paid
cotton spinners in Lancashire at the
present time. have made as careful
research as time would permit into their
condition, and find the expression one of
them used covers the ground that l
might convey to you by many examples.
The expression was: : - receive fair
wages, but if spend a very little for
extras or luxuries I feel IL for some
time" This is the practical idea to be
conveyed. With economy, in all its
details, the middle class are comfortably
able to live from week to week, but even
with this great cooperative system and
the thousands that belong to il there are
many more thousands who are CON-
pelled to have each member of the
family (sometimes man, wife and three
to five children) working fifty-two TO
fifty-four hours per week to live even
economically.
As far as the spinners' wages of Ian.
cashire are concerned Gncluding Man
chester, Oldham and Ashton-under-
Lyne), / think. after carefully averag-
ing. that the following figures are about
as correct as possible:
First assistant piecers .......... .......... lbs
second assistant little piecers............ SIS Cd
OF course there are spinners getting
30 TO 35s per week. and there are many
getting considerably less than eos. This
means in American money that first
class spinner receives $40. first assist
ant $500 and second assistant generally
"a boy, $2.04. This is their income.
Let us take this mans income and see
what IL costs him TO live. He receives
26s week, pays As n week rent; 15d
20 trade society; 2s a month TO benefit
orders, in case Of sickness: 2s Sd a week
a. ~ n
a week school tax. These items figure
mp TO 12s and sd.
Total net incore......
Rent, ........l2s Sd
Balance for food. clothing and pleasure. i3s I'd
~ 4 "A. =