Page:The Economic Journal Volume 1.djvu/663

DIFFERENCES OF WAGES PAID TO MEN AND WO?W.N 641 spinning, where the women now seldom perform the same ?ind of work as following mills :-- the men,. and where they receive lower wages. The are the usual rates in Yorkshire cotton-spinning Unskilled Labourers .... Half-Skilled ...... Highly Skilled .. .... . . Hen. 16s. to 18s. 2?s. to 25s. 30s. to 35s. Women. l?s. 15s. ?)s. The mill-owner who supplied these figures added, 'If men had from any cause to be employed in the work which women now do, they would undoubtedly get higher wages, though they might not do more or better work; the standard of their wages is higher.' But this is contradicted by another Yorkshire mill-owner, who says, ' Should we employ men and women together in our "doubling," they would have to work "on piece" at the same rate, just as in our weaving-sheds.' The explanation of the discrepancy probably is that women and men are not actually employed at the same work in spinning, and that both the sup- positions refer to imaginary cases. Nor does the equality extend to other branches of the cotton industry, a fact clearly brought out by the following table :-- Average Earnings per Week in 1885 of Operatives (other than Weavers) in the Cotto? Manufacturing Industry i? branches employing both Men and Women. Heft. Women. Scutchers ..... Feeders ..... 16 9 12 0 Card Minders. . . 24 10 10 5 Sweepers .... 15 6 9 1 Jobbers (doubling) 18 0 10 4 ?.oublers .... 16 0 12 0 Paecers ..... 17 7 13 0 Beam-wa.rpers.. 25 0 18 2 Drawers-m . . . 25 ! 17 9 Twisters-in... 20 9 15 9 Cloth-lookers . . . 24 5 11 0 Folders up . . . 17 5 10 9 Roller Coverers . 26 8 16 6 Compiled from pp. 1 6 of C. 5807 of 1889. No 4. VOL. I T r