In Scotland there are less than 15,000 cotton operatives distributed as follows:—
| In Thousands. | |
| Card and blowing-room processes | .4 |
| Spinning-room processes | 2.1 |
| Winding, warping, &c. | 2.7 |
| Weaving, warping, &c. | 6.8 |
| Workers in other processes or undefined | 2.8 |
| —— | |
| Total | 14.8 |
Operatives employed in Cotton Factories in the United Kingdom and
Percentages of each Class. (From Returns of Factory Inspectors.)
| 1835. | 1838. | 1847. | 1850. | 1856. | 1862. | 1867. | |
| Male and Female under 13, or half-timers. | 13.2 | 45.7 | 5.8 | 4.6 | 6.5 | 8.8 | 10.4 |
| Male, 13 to 18 | 12.5 | 16.6 | 11.8 | 11.2 | 10.3 | 9.1 | 8.6 |
| Male, over 18 | 26.4 | 24.9 | 27.1 | 28.7 | 27.4 | 26.4 | 26.0 |
| Female, over 13 | 47.9 | 53.8 | 55.3 | 55.5 | 55.8 | 55.7 | 55.0 |
| Total number of Cotton Operatives | 218,000 | 259,500 | 316,400 | 331,000 | 379,300 | 451,600 | 401,100 |
| 1870. | 1874. | 1878. | 1885. | 1890. | 1895. | 1901. | |
| Male and Female under 13, or half-timers. | 9.6 | 14.0 | 12.8 | 9.9 | 9.1 | 5.8 | 4.1 |
| Male, 13 to 18 | 8.5 | 8.0 | 7.2 | 7.9 | 8.2 | 7.9 | 7.0 |
| Male, over 18 | 26.0 | 24.1 | 25.3 | 26.4 | 26.9 | 27.6 | 27.8 |
| Female, over 13 | 55.9 | 53.9 | 54.7 | 55.8 | 55.8 | 58.7 | 61.1 |
| Total number of Cotton Operatives | 450,100 | 479,600 | 483,000 | 504,100 | 528,800 | 538,900 | 513,000 |
Subsidiary Processes (excluding Lace-making, but including the Fustian
Manufacture). (From Census Returns.)
| Males. | Females. | Males and Females. | ||||||||||
| Under 15. | 15-20. | Over 20. | All Ages. |
Under 15. | 15-20. | Over 20. | All Ages. |
Under 15. | 15-20. | Over 20. | All Ages. | |
| 1881 | 29 | 39 | 121 | 189 | 40 | 81 | 189 | 310 | 69 | 120 | 310 | 500 |
| 1891 | 36 | 45 | 137 | 218 | 50 | 94 | 197 | 341 | 86 | 139 | 334 | 560 |
| 1901 | 24 | 36 | 139 | 199 | 36 | 92 | 207 | 335 | 60 | 128 | 346 | 535 |
The fact that the branches of work covered by the figures are not identical explains discrepancies between this and the previous table.
Number of Operatives engaged in the Cotton Industry (Processes being distinguished
and Ages and Sex). (From Special Returns made by Factory Inspectors.)
| Males in Thousands. | Females in Thousands. | Total in Thousands. | |||||
| Half- timers. | Under 18. | 18 and over. |
Half- timers. | Under 18. | 18 and over. | ||
| Spinning and Preparatory Processes | |||||||
| 1896 | 5.58 | 22.24 | 71.44 | 4.40 | 30.12 | 78.69 | 212 |
| 1898–1899* | 5.42 | 21.57 | 71.37 | 3.86 | 30.44 | 77.64 | 210 |
| 1901 | 4.98 | 21.10 | 68.98 | 3.10 | 30.98 | 81.68 | 211 |
| Weaving and Preparatory Processes | |||||||
| 1896 | 7.54 | 18.79 | 75.81 | 11.87 | 49.19 | 151.34 | 315 |
| 1898–1899* | 6.21 | 17.29 | 72.74 | 10.38 | 48.38 | 150.99 | 306 |
| 1901 | 4.72 | 14.86 | 73.81 | 8.0 | 45.66 | 155.03 | 302 |
| * Average for 1898 and 1899. |
The figures in this table are not quite complete except for 1901; the relations between the changes shown for each class should nevertheless be accurately represented.
Index Numbers of Money, Wages and Prices.
| 1840. | 1855. | 1860. | 1866. | 1870. | 1874. | 1877. | 1880. | 1883. | 1886. | 1891. | 1902. | |
| Cotton operatives. | 50 | 54 | 64 | 74 | 74 | 90 | 90 | 85 | 90 | 93 | 100 | 105 |
| Average wages for eight trades | 61 | 61 | 73 | 81 | 83 | 97 | 94 | 89 | 92 | 90 | 100 | 108.7* |
| Sauerbeck’s index number | 103 | 73 | 99 | 102 | 96 | 102 | 94 | 88 | 82 | 69 | 72 | 69 |
| Average price of wheat per quarter | 66/4 | 40/3 | 53/3 | 49/11 | 46/11 | 55/9 | 56/9 | 44/4 | 41/7 | 31/- | 37/- | 28/1 |
| * Average for a slightly different group. | ||||||||||||
Weekly Wages in the Manchester and District Cotton Trade.
| 1834. | 1836. | 1839. | 1841. | 1849. | 1850. | 1859. | 1860. | 1870. | 1877. | 1882. | 1883. | 1886. | |
| s. d. | s. d. | s. d. | s. d. | s. d. | s. d. | s. d. | s. d. | s. d. | s. d. | s. d. | s. d. | s. d. | |
| Spinners’ average | 23 4 | 23 11 | 22 1 | 22 0 | 21 7 | 20 5 | 24 1 | 23 2 | 27 8 | 34 4 | 31 6 | 32 4 | 35 7 |
| Big piecers’ average | 11 0 | 9 3 | 8 6 | 8 8 | 8 6 | 13 0 | 10 0 | 10 0 | 11 0 | 12 4 | 16 0 | 16 0 | 13 7 |
| Weavers’ average | 11 0 | 10 2 | 9 6 | 9 6 | 10 6 | 10 3 | 11 2 | 10 8 | 12 2 | 15 1 | 15 6 | 15 0 | 13 3 |
The most noticeable features of these tables are the decrease in the proportion of children employed and the steady increase in the number of operatives as a whole until recent years. The contraction of the body of operatives of late years seems to have occurred primarily among children and young persons (where the first check would naturally be looked for), and secondarily among adult males. If allowance be made for the smaller value of children as compared with adults, and the census results be taken, it is not evident that there has been any diminution in the amount of labour-power; and if the factory inspectors’ returns be accepted, the falling off in the number of operatives cannot be proved to have taken place in either of the chief branches of the industry at so rapid a rate as to have occasioned the enforced dismissal of any hands. An industry which was not recruited at all would have dwindled at a greater rate. At least it may be inferred from these figures, when taken in conjunction with the large increase in spindles and looms, that the output per head has considerably advanced in spite of the rise in the average quality of both yarns and fabrics produced. This rise in the value per unit of the output accounts to some extent for the fact that wages have not been adversely affected of late.
Mr A. L. Bowley has calculated index numbers of wages for the leading trades, including the manufacture of cotton. Those for the cotton industry are given below, together with averages for cotton and wool workers, the building trades, mining, workers in iron, sailors, compositors Wages and piece-rate lists. and agriculturists (England), the numbers in each class being allowed for in the average. Side by side with these figures, Sauerbeck’s index numbers of general wholesale prices are given, together with the average prices of wheat per quarter.
It must be remembered that the figures given above for cotton workers and average wages for eight trades do not measure the differences between each, but only the differences between the movements of each. Actual average money wages in the cotton industry have probably been approximately those stated in the second table beneath, but as these figures are culled from various sources they must not be taken to indicate fluctuations.[1]
The wage of fine spinners exceeds the average wage of spinners- ↑ See chapter on cotton in Bowley’s Wages in the United Kingdom and table there given.
