The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1908-04-26

weavers. The Austrian spinners have not
felt the present financial disturbances Of
the world as much as have the weavers,
for they are engaged longer ahead, in
many instances for the whole OF 1905
while the weavers have future orders for
only a few months. The effects of the
present financial situation is seen in the
sudden holding up of the mill-building
boom that has been In full swing in Aus
tria for the last two years 1t is esti-
mated that during 1906 there were 400,0
spindles and during 1907 some 10000 spin
dies added in this industry alone, but
these are estimates. and there are no
definite figures available. The increase,
however has been such as to make cot
ton manufacturing the leading industry
OF Austria.
spindIes and Looms.
In regard TO the actual number of spin
dies and looms in Austria there are no
government or authoritative figures avail
able The best estimate based on such
statistics as are attainable would be
4,0O00 900 spindles, more than half of which
should be credited to Bohemia. There
are twenty-four cotton manufacturing
companies operating more than $1,000
spindles each.
The largest weaving mill is the Aktien-
.Gesellschaft osterreichische Textilewerke.
formerly Isaac MautneF & sohn, which
has 2.S97 looms at Grunwald, near Cab
lonz In Bohemia.
The largest Austrian cotton manufac-
turing company is that Of Johann Liebig &
Co. The beginning Of this company was in
1906, when Count Christian Clam-Gallas,
in company with a certain Francke. OF
Reichenberg, established a cottOn-spin-
ming MILL which began work on October
of that year under the registered firm
name Of Clam-Gallas, Francke & Co.
This factory was sold in 1905 TO Baiabene
& Co. and by them IN 1875 to Gebruder
Liebig. This firm, since changed TO Jo-
ham Liebig & Co.. enlarged the factory
as their business increased. and, besides
at Reichenberg. row have mills at Etsen-
bTod, Haratitz Swarrow. and Mezivod.
with a total OF 13l. $50 spindles and some
200 looms, and employ 400 workers.
The great bulk OF the Austrian cotton
mills are owned by private parties, and
"aktien- gesellsehaft," meaning stock COM
pany. Is seen before the names OF few
mills One reason OF this is that taxes
are cheaper for a private mill than for a
stock company. and another is the fact
that private companies who have nc
shares 10 list on the exchanges do nOJ
have to publish their statements In the
papers, as do stock companies. Owing
to the Increase in mills in the last two
years, and the interest that is taken in
cotton manufacturing by the general
a. fv1craa sing l.
Der OF stock companies listed and some
private mills have changed to stock COM
panies.
The Bohemian mills are situated in
proximity TO coal fields. and they have
cheap fuel, but the quality is low. Or
dinarily the Bohemian coal fields supply
the home demand but in 1907 the con-
sumption overlook the production and
coal had TO be imported, and prices ran
somewhat higher than usual The pres
ent January 1909 price at Reichenberg
for anthracite coal is $50 hronen per i0C
kilos, or, say. 1925 per ton, while the
price for the brown Silesian coal Is g
heller per 100 kilos, or about N.S a ton.
Scarcity of skilled Labor.
In making up their report for the year
1906 the government inspectors said that
many OF the textile districts in Bohemia
needed 80 per cent more hands than they
could obtain. This condition of affairs
/ also existed up 10 the latter part of 1907
when the labor supply caught up with
the demand, on account of a slackenlns
up IL business due to the effects OF the
foreign money crisis. There is an increas.
/ ing demand for skilled labor, which is
hard to supply. and the increased cost OF
| living in the last two or three years has
/ Of itself forced a material increase III
| the wages. The cost Of living has in
| creased fully in proportion to the In
! creased wages. so that the worker has
not benefited materially. This has re-
suited in the increased establishment OF
| canteens. factory kitchens. and soup es-
! adjustments Meat is very high. and
there have been efforts to substitute sea
fishes. The emigration movement is one
| factor that has contributed to the deartf
/ of labor. and it may be noted that en-
pigment agencies also act as emigration
| agencies. Just at present this labor
| scarcity is not so seriously felt. but II
will again become a problem demanding
attention as soon az business picks up.
lNH tuUBE DkUOtNilt 10 dASO oAAEttS4 ~
| the scarcity Of laborers' dwellings, and
rents are high in proportion to wages
| Because OF this fact Easements are used
as habitations in many towns. The mills
have built a good many tenement houses
| in the last year, especially girls and
bachelors homes. Workmen's buildings
are also being put up By municipalities
and by building companies in order 10 re-
! lieve the house famine. Trieste has re.
Gently put up some municipal buildings
| for laborers. One building contains rooms
/ for thirty-two families, of which twenty
eight consist OF one room and the kitchen
and four only OF one large room with
range. and every fat has It's own closet
/ The rent for the two rooms amounts tc
21.5 to 25.5 kronen a month, and for tbs
single room 145 kronen a month The
taxes amount 10 3 per cent OF the rent
and water consumption costs kronen a
month. In Prague the Society for Labor.
ers' Dwellings has done q good work ir
putting up workmen's houses and in pro.
viding for several hundred families Each
| habitation consists Of one room, one
kitchen, and one hall. Some have gar.
dens, and the prices range from 16l to q;
kronen a year ($32 to $40.