Semi-weekly herald., 1908-09-21
BELFAST As CENTER
OF THE LINEN TRADE
BY William e. Curtis. Correspondent
of the Chicago Rocord-HeraId.

the thread 80 that 1t does not snaI
in the spindles or the looms and en-
ables the fabrice to be woven closer
and softer. and the purity of the wa
ter for bleaching. were recognized Ion,
ago; and. after the revocation of the
edict Of Nantes In 1885, when 600 OO(
Protestants fled from France, party
OF Huguenot refugees under Louis
Crommelin, we're invited to come ovel
and introduce that industry. Crom
melin, belonged to family that had
woven linen for 400 years. He was O
man OF great business ability, com
mon sense. energy and perseverance
and they called him "Crommelin the
Great" Belfast certainly owes him
n heavy debt. and 1t has not been
paid. Although the Irish parliament
passed resolution thanking him for
his services in 1907, his grave in the
little churchyard at Lisburn, u subur.
ban village, is marked only by an
ordinary slab of stone. There is no
monument to remind the people of the
north of Ireland what they owe to his
ability and devotion.
The business grew rapidly for the
first century and half, and as early
as 1893 Belfast had eighty mills and
was producing $25,000.00 worth OF
linen fabrics annually. In 1910 there
were 100000 spindles buzzing about
this town. but the trade reached its
In the '70s. and has not In
creased much since. There are In
all Of Ireland about $4,000 looms and
100000 spindles. all of them In this
vicinity, except two facto.
ries at Dublin. one at Cork and one
at Drogheda.
These are divided among about 200
factories with out 10000 operatives
of whom two-thirds are women. Their
wages range from SO to "a week
and for men from SO to 81 per week
the weeks work under normal cir.
being flfty-five hours the
year around. beginning at o'clock in
the morning. with an hour off for
breakfast from to 8; another hour
off from to for lunch, and then
they remain at work until o'clock.
An act Of parliament does not permit
operatives in textile factories to re-
main in the buildings where they work
during the breakfast and lunch hours
for any purpose whatever. II they
bring their meals with them. they
must eat them outside the factory. for
the purpose Is to give them change
OF air and require them to take a
certain amount OF exercise. Many Of
the companies here feed their hands
in dining halls connected with. but
apart from the workroomB.
Even these small wages have been
increased from 10 to 20 per cent with
in the last five- years. and 1t is se-
markable how people can live and sup
port families upon such limited In
comes. The wages are paid on Sat
urday noon-when half-hoiiday Is
allowed. and the money is given to
the hands In tin boxes. Each opera.
tive has his own number. AS they
pass the paymaster's window they call
out their number. receive their box
take out the change and throw the
empty tin into a bin that is placed
near the door for that purpose.
There are not less than 7S,00C per
sons employed In the linen trade and
its allied Industries In the city OF Bel
fast. and not less than 10000 people
are dependent directly or indirectly
upon that industry for support. The
situation is quite different here from
many cities, because the fathers ant
husbands can find work in the ship
yards and foundries and thus thu
whole family is able TO get employ
ment. The law does not allow chill
dren under IA years OF age to worl
in the factories. but large numbe
OF boys and girls between IA and j
are engaged at wages from 81 to $
a week. and much is done In the wa.
Of embroidery, hemstitching and othe
forms Of finishing in the households
The patterns are stamped on the clo.l
and the pieces are given out to womel
and girls to finish in their homes.
The employers here exercise pei
sonal interest and have paternal DO
Icy for the treatment Of their emplo!
es. which does not often occur In th
United States and other countries
This Is largely due to the fact this
generations have worked in the sam
mills for the same companies. o.
manufacturing industries are not ol
enough for such an experience. L
Dor II not migratory here az It is
the United States. 1t is customal
for sons 10 follow the trades OF the
fatherp. and whom the daughters q
old enough 10 20 into the mill, Il
lmothsrs leave II. The workmen he
lsrs satisfied with small wages: tht
J standard OF uvtp.s u 10 much loV