Cost of living in German towns

Bibliographic data

Monograph

Identifikator:: 866449027

URN:: urn:nbn:de:zbw-retromon-93831

Document type:: Monograph

Title:: Cost of living in German towns

Place of publication:: London

Publisher:: Stat. Off.

Year of publication:: 1908

Scope:: 1 Online-Ressource (LXI, 548 Seiten)

Collection:: Economics Books

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224 ELBERFELD. The following were the wages and hours of municipal workpeople at the same date :— Road Department :— Workpeople in the permanent service of the municipality receive, after a year’s uninterrupted employment, two-thirds of their wages during absence owing to military duties, if married or responsible for the support of relatives ; they are allowed to perform all their civic duties (e.g. as jurymen, electors, witnesses, members of public bodies, &c.), also urgent duties of a private character, without loss, and after four years’ service they have claim to an annual holiday of four days, and after ten years’ service to one of a week. Although the factory dominates the textile industry in Elberfeld to-day, the hand loom weaver is still a factor to be reckoned with, both by the manu facturer who employs him and the house owner who finds him accommodation. In some hundreds of houses one room at least is given up to the loom and its auxiliary mechanism. For the most part it is the older generation, the handloom weavers by descent, who perpetuate this primitive form of pro duction, and comparatively few young people are to-day being brought up to their fathers’ calling in Elberfeld itself, though it is otherwise in many of the villages round about. The handloom weaver owns his loom, and works for wages, the manufacturer supplying all the raw material and cards, and paying the price fixed either on the delivery of a certain length of material or on the completion of the commission. In reality there is little difference between the position of the hand loom weaver and the factory operative, save the sentimental one that the home worker is his own master, to the extent that he is subject to no regulations as to when he shall begin and when cease work. In practice he begins quite as early as the factory weaver and he continues much longer. From twelve to fourteen hours a day is the usual worktime, the loom seldom stopping until dusk even in the long summer evenings ; yet the weaver has a certain compensation in the independence of his movements. As a rule the goods woven are waistcoat and other silk materials which are of too “ fancy ” a character for the power loom. The handloom weaver nowadays regards 25a. as good earnings for a long week’s work, in which the wife has done her part as well ; but earnings of 20a. and even. 15a. are not uncommon when work is interrupted or time broken. It should also be remembered that a large amount of time is lost when the loom is changed to a new class of goods, and for this loss, which may run to some days, the weaver receives no compensation. Bad times also come when there is no work at all, for the manufacturer has first to Foremen... Paviors ... Paviors’ labourers Road makers „ sweepers ... 32s. 31&. 6d. 21s. 19s. 6d. 21s. 60 60 60 60 60 Gasworks :— Foremen.. Stokers .. Labourers 47 s. 30s. 22s. 60 60 60 Waterworks :— Skilled men Stokers ... Labourers 60 56 60 Electrical Works and Lighting :— Fitters and Installers ... Enginemen Stokers ... Fitters ... 60 60 60 60 keep his factory employed and the hand loom weaver can only count on what

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