512 PARLIAMENTARY COLBERTISM 
anworthy persons” who only made it an excuse for levying 
money?; while the clothiers desired to be free to see to the 
business of dressing cloth themselves? There was a conflict 
between the capitalists and the Company, the members of 
which were sinking to the position of wage-earners’, and 
to a lowered social status, and less secure standard of life. 
It is highly probable that some of the Companies which 
survived, came to discharge functions which were closely 
analogous to those of modern Trade Unions. 
There are some cases in which the differentiation of an 
smploying class was apparently due to the success of the 
capitalist in exercising supervision wisely. The London 
felt-makers¢ insisted that all work must be done under the 
direct observation of the master, and set their faces against 
the weighing out of stuff by employers, to be made up at 
the worker's home. This policy appears to have commended 
itself to the journeymen also, in the face of the competition 
jo which they were exposed by the French immigrants, and 
the trade continued to prosper on these new lines, The Felt- 
makers’ Company seems to have changed in character during 
the period after the Restoration, and to have become a body 
of capitalist employers, rather than an association of small 
masters; while during the same period an active organisa- 
tion had come into existence among the men, which had 
pursued a policy very similar to that which has been 
generally adopted by nineteenth century Trade Unions. 
The possession of material, and ability in supervision, 
aswell as combined to bring about the rise of an employing class in 
ariong fe the tailoring trade. In rural districts, the tailor continued to 
rise of mn Visit the houses of his clients and to work upon the materials 
they furnished; but in London, the customers preferred to 
deal with a man who had a stock of materials. They had 
the advantage of a larger choice of goods, and the head 
of such a business would acquire special skill in cutting and 
a knowledge of prevailing fashions. The differentiation of 
the employer from the employed was almost inevitable; it 
18. P.D. J. L cxu. 64. 2 8. P.D. J.L cxm. 63. 
3 The clothiers of Ipswich appear to have been employing cloth-workers in 
1639. 8. P.D. C. I. ccccxxv, 40, also cccexxvi. 44, 45. 
4 Compare the interesting article by Mr G. Unwin on 4 Seventeenth Ceniury 
Trade Union, in the Economic Journal, x. 398. 
among the 
felt- 
makers. 
In this 
calling