The reduction in the hours of labor and the increase in the rates of wages in English cotton-mills are shown in the following table:
Statement showing the average weekly earnings of operatives in cotton-mills during the years 1839, 1849, 1859, and 1873.
| OCCUPATION. | SEX. | WORK OF 69 HOURS. | WORK OF 60 HOURS. | ||
| 1839. | 1849. | 1859. | 1873. | ||
| Steam-engine tenders, | $5 76 | $5 72 | $7 20 | $7 68 | |
| Warehousemen, | 4 32 | 4 80 | 5 28 | 6 24 | |
| Carding: | |||||
| Stretchers, | Women and girls, | 1 68 | 1 80 | 1 92 | 2 88 |
| Strippers, | Young men, | 2 64 | 2 88 | 3 36 | 4 56 |
| Overlookers, | 6 00 | 6 72 | 6 72 | 7 68 | |
| Spinning: | |||||
| Winders on self-acting mules, | 3 84 | 4 32 | 4 80 | 6 00 | |
| Piecers, | Women and young men, | 1 94 | 2 16 | 2 40 | 3 84 |
| Overlookers, | 4 80 | 5 28 | 6 24 | 7 20 | |
| Reeling: | |||||
| Throttle-rulers, | Women, | 2 16 | 2 28 | 2 28 | 3 00 |
| Warpers, | 5 28 | 5 28 | 5 52 | 6 24 | |
| Sizers, | 5 52 | 5 52 | 6 00 | 7 20 | |
| Doubling: | |||||
| Doublers, | Women, | 1 68 | 1 80 | 2 16 | 3 00 |
| Overlookers, | 5 76 | 6 00 | 6 72 | 7 68 | |
“Other branches show the same ratio of advance.”
The following statement was furnished to Dr. Young by the proprietors of the cotton-mills of Messrs. Shaw, Jardin & Co., of Manchester, operating 250,000 spindles, and producing yarns from No. 60 to 220, sewing cottons, lace yarn, crape yarn, and two-fold warp yarns:
Average wages (per week of 59 hours) of persons employed in 1872.
| OCCUPATION. | WAGES. |
| Carding: | |
| Overseer, | $10 89 |
| Second hand, | 7 26 |
| Drawing-frame tenders, | 2 66 |
| Speeder-tenders, | 3 14 |
| Grinders, | 5 32 |
| Strippers, | 5 32 |
| Spinning: | |
| Overseer, | 14 52 |
| Mule-spinners, | $13 31 to 15 73 |
| Mule-backside piecers, | 2 42 to 3 87 |
| Repair-shop, engine-room, etc.: | |
| Foreman or overseer, | 14 52 |
| Wood and iron workers, | 7 74 |
| Engineer, | 9 68 |
| Laborers, | 5 32 |
These tables will be found on pp. 330-31. Now let us compare the wages there given with those paid to the same class of operatives in the United States. On pages 750-51, Dr. Young gives a table showing the average weekly wages paid in American cotton-mills in various States in 1869 and 1874. We select
Rhode Island, for the reason that the rate of wages there appears to be a good average, being lower than is paid in Massachusetts and higher than in New York.
Wages in cotton-mills (weekly average).