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6. Wages. 
The attempt to summarise the wages paid in the electrical 
industry, in the various countries in such a way as to enable 
a comparison to be made, was found to be impossible, owing 
to the available figures, although abundant, not permitting of 
comparison. This is due to the variety of the industrial 
branches comprised (metal industry, machine industry, elec- 
trical industry), to a want of uniformity in the method of 
defining the various trades and classifications of workers (in 
some cases skilled and unskilled workers are lumped together, 
in other cases they are separated), and finally to the lack of 
discrimination between districts with entirely different wage 
scales (city and province). Moreover, the hourly wage 
rates mentioned, give no indication of the piece work rates 
actually paid. 
7. Raw Material employea. 
The only raw material, in the consumption of which the 
electrical industry takes a relatively large share, namely 40 9%, 
of the total consumption, is copper. The industry takes a 
comparatively insignificant share in the consumption of other 
raw materials.