As regards the years 1896-99, there is no general agreement as to any two years, but the figures are consistent with a slight general improvement from 1895 to 1900.
There is nothing in the figures to show that the course of wages in Firm A. given above is different from that in the trade in general, while there is just a little evidence that it is the same. We therefore repeat the annual average wage in that firm:—
1885. 1886. 1887. 1888. 1889. 1890. 1891-2. 9s. 1d. 8s. 10d. 9s. 9s. 4d. 10s. 1d. 10s. 6d. 9s. 6d. 1892-3. 1894. 1895. 1896. 1897-8. 1899. 9s. 8s. 11d. 9s. 4d. 9s. 8d. 10s. 4d. 10s. 1d.
IV.—WAGES IN DIFFERENT OCCUPATIONS.
The occupations are so involved, and the arrangements differ so much from firm to firm, that it is impracticable to state a definite wage for any occupation, and the wages are so diverse that it is useless to speak of an average wage. The table on p. 135 gives a general view of the wages of those hands who can be labelled with some exactness, and it is seen that the facts are so complex that they cannot be summarised in a few words. The wages included are the actual weekly averages (total annual receipts divided by fifty-two) in 1899, except where they are otherwise distinguished.
WAGES IN DIFFERENT OCCUPATIONS.
| Numbers whose average weekly wages were | |||||||||||
| Under 6s. | 6s. to 8s. | 8s. to 10s. | 10s. to 12s. | 12s. to 14s. | 14s. to 16s. | 16s. to 18s. | 18s. to 20s. | 20s. to 22s. | Above 22s. | Median | |
| BOOKBINDING HOUSES: | s. d. | ||||||||||
| Hand-folders | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 13 4 |
| Folders who were also sewing machinists, gatherers, placers or sewers | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 6 |
| Hand-sewers, or collators and gatherers | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 15 0 |
| PRINTING HOUSES: | s. d. | ||||||||||
| Folders who were also sewers or stitchers | {18 6 | ||||||||||
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 12 | 3 | 6 | {Maximum | |
| {26 10 | |||||||||||
| Folders in typical week, 1901 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 5 | 15 6 |
| Gatherers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 18 0 |
| Inserters | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Numberers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 17 8 |
| Counters in typical week, 1901 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 11 7 |
| Stitchers | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 11 6 |
| Compositors | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 18 6 |