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. and hoped hat shifts would be rgamised. LAISSEZ FAIRE njurious, so far as adults were concerned'. The Commissioner proposed instead, that shifts should be arranged? and that the labour of children should be so organised that they should work in the same mills, but for shorter hours than the adults. An experiment of this kind was tried with great success in 1RA4 works must work. I would rather stay and do it than that any body else should some in my place.” * * * “Have worked here (Milne's) two years; am now fourteen ; work sixteen hours and a half a day. I was badly, and asked to stop at sight one night lately, and I was told if I went I must not come back.” “I have worked till twelve at night last summer. We began at six in the morning. I told s00k-keeper I did not like to work so late; he said I mote. We only get a penny an hoar for over-time.” ‘We used to come at half-past eight at night, and work all night, till the rest of the girls came in the morning. They would come at seven. Sometimes we worked on till half-past eight the next night, after we had been working all the night before. We worked in meal-hours, except at dinner. [ have done that sometimes three nights a week, and sometimes four nights. It was not regular; it was just as the overlooker chose. Sometimes the slubbers would work on all night too, not always. The pieceners would have to stay all night then too. They used to go to sleep, poor things! when they had over-hours in the night.” “In 1829 they worked night and day. The day set used to work from six till eight and nine, and sometimes till eleven or twelve. The children who worked as pieceners for the slubbers used to fall asleep, and we had much rouble with them.” Reports, 1833, xx. 16. 1 It appeared probable to the masters and economic experts that a reduction of aours would involve a reduction of wages. 3 The difficulty which they tried to meet is well stated by the Commissioners: “The great evil of the manufacturing system, as at present conducted, has appeared to us to be, that it entails the necessity of continuing the labour of shildren to the utmost length of that of the adults. The only remedy for this ovil, short of a limitation of the labour of adults, which would in our opinion sreate an evil greater than that which is sought to be remedied, appears to be the plan of working double sets of children. To this plan there have been intimated to us great objections on the part both of masters and of workmen: on the part of the masters, because it will be attended with inconvenience, and somewhat higher wages: on the part of the workmen for various reasons; 1st, Because when working by the piece increased expense in hiring or increased trouble in teaching shildren will necessarily diminish their net earnings: —2nd, Because by a more general limitation to ten hours they expect to get twelve hours’ wages for less work ;:—8rd, Because the reduction to half wages or little more of the children reduced to six or eight hours’ work must necessarily in so far tend to reduce the earnings, and consequently the comforts of the family: «There can be no doubt, from the whole tenor of the evidence before us, that the plan of double sets will be productive of more or less inconvenience and expense to the manufacturer. It has appeared to us, however, that the same objections must attach more or less to any change of the present modes of working; but we consider the object aimed at by the working of double sets, namely, that of counteracting the tendency to an undue employment of infant labour, to be such as more than compensates for the sacrifice to be made in attaining it. And no other mode of effectually accomplishing that most desirable object has occurred to us likely to be attended with so little evil or suffering as that which we have ventured to recommend.” Reports. 1833, xx. 57.

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