The Industrial Revolution

Bibliographic data

Monograph

Identifikator:: 1027928145

URN:: urn:nbn:de:zbw-retromon-159926

Document type:: Monograph

Author:: Cunningham, William http://d-nb.info/gnd/128907487

Title:: The Industrial Revolution

Place of publication:: Cambridge

Publisher:: The University Press

Year of publication:: 1922

Scope:: xxii S., S. 404-886

Digitisation:: 2021

Collection:: Economics Books

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A.D. 1776 —~1850. not only in his schools and co- operative store, but LAISSEZ FAIRE attracted in considerable quantities from the Highlands. The mills had been admirably managed by Mr David Dale, who had established them?!, and Owen made few changes at first. After he had had fourteen years’ experience, the business at New Lanark was reconstructed on lines which gave him a freer hand to develop educational institutions?; these were partly supported by the profits of a shop at which articles of good quality were sold in small quantities at moderate prices. About the same time he formulated his doctrines more definitely in his New View of Society®; he insisted on the 752 1 See the account by Sir T. Bernard in the Reports of the Society for Bettering the Condition of the Poor, mi. 251. Mr Dale took workhouse children ai an early age, but though they were well fed and cared for, Owen regarded the arrangement as injurious and discontinued it. Reports, etc. 1816, 1x. 254. ? Owen's evidence before the Committee in 1816 is very instructive. * There is a preparatory school into which all the children, from the age of three to six, are admitted at the option of the parents; there isa gecond school, in which all the children of the population from six to ten are admitted; and if any of the parents from being more easy in their circumstances and getting a higher value upon instruction, wish to continue their children at school, for one, two, three or four years longer, they are at liberty to do so. “A store was opened at the establishment into which provisions of the best quality, and clothes of the most useful kind were introduced, to be sold at the option of the people, at a price sufficient to cover prime cost and charges, and to cover the accidents of such a business, it being understood at the time that whatever profits arose from this establishment these profits should be employed for the general benefit of the workpeople themselves; and these school establishments aave been supported as well as other things by the surplus profits, because in consequence of the pretty general moral habits of the people there have been very {ew losses by bad debts, and although they have been supplied considerably under the price of provisions in the neighbourhood, yet the surplus profits have in all cases been sufficient to bear the expense of these school establishments; therefore they have been literally supported by the people themselves. «1 have found other and very important advantages in a pecuniary view from this arrangement and these plans. In consequence of the individuals observing that real attention is given to their comforts and to their improvements, they are willing to work at much lower wages at that establishment.” He added an example of a man getting 18s. a week, who went to Glasgow for 21s. and was glad io come back for 14s. The schools did not succeed in Manchester because the children could go into the mannfactories younger. Owen only took them at 10. “I found that there were such strong inducements held out, from the different manufactories in the town and neighbourhood, to the parents, to send the children early to work, that it counterbalanced any inclination such people had to send them to school.” Reports, 1816, mt. p. 256, printed pagination 22. 8 “Any general character from the best to the worst, from the most ignorant to the most enlightened, may be given to any community even to the world at large, by the application of proper means; which means are to a great extent at the sommand and under the control of those who have influence in the affairs of

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