276
KÖNIGSBERG.
three other large cities in Germany, viz., Breslau, Stettin, and Posen. The
infantile mortality declined even more rapidly than the general death-rate.
Thus, considering the number of infants under one year of age dying in a given
year, for every 1,000 children born alive in that year, we find that the mean of
these annual rates fell from 304 in 1881-5 to 268 in 1896-1900, and 217
in 1900-5.
Occupations, Wages, and Hours of Labour.
For purposes of an inquiry into the wages of the urban working classes in
Germany, Königsberg is interesting, not as being a centre of German industry
—a title to which the town can hardly lay claim—but as the most important
city of Eastern Germany and one of the busiest seaports of the Empire,
occupying a position so close to the Russian frontier that its prosperity is
influenced no less by the political and economic happenings of Russia than by
those of Germany. Many Königsbergers indeed speak of their town as a
Russian seaport, for its chief business consists in the handling and exportation
by sea of Russian produce, more especially timber, cereals, pulse, oil-seed, flax,
and hemp. Moreover, of one at least of the chief articles imported into Königsberg
by sea, viz., cured herrings, the bulk—336,000 barrels out of a total of
450,000 imported in 1905—is sent to Russia. It may be added that of the
450,000 barrels, 258,000 were Scotch and 167,000 English.
A classification of the workpeople of Königsberg, in so far as they are
■employed in establishments subject to inspection under the factory and workshop
laws, is appended :—
Group of Trades.
Number
of
Establishments.
Number of Workpeople.
Males.
Females.
Total.
Building
Metal working and engineering ...
Textiles
Plothing and cleaning
Printing, lithography, bookbinding, &c
Paper ... ... ... ...
Woodworking and carving
Resins, varnishes, oil, soap, candles, &c
Stone and earth
Food, drink, and tobacco ...
Other ... ... ... ...
Total ...
78
74
14
79
24
7
81
6
11
358
21
834
4,718
156
85
529
717
2,394
288
406
2,221
464
753
12,812
1
32
401
848
228
278
178
18
13
957
310
3,264
835
4,750
557
933
757
995
2,572
306
419
3,178
774
16,076
The above table cannot be regarded as presenting an absolutely true picture
of the relative importance of the various groups of industrial occupations in
Königsberg, except in so far as the establishments where they are engaged come
under the factory and workshop laws, and one of the largest groups of manual
workers in Königsberg—that of the dock, wharf, and riverside labourers—is
outside the scope of those laws. The same is true of the bulk of the men
employed in the building trades. The number engaged in these two important
groups of occupations is therefore, more or less, a matter of conjecture, except
as regards particular branches where the labour leaders have made special efforts
to extend the influence of the Trade Unions. It is known, for instance, to the
Secretary of the Dock Labourers’ Union that there are some 700 stevedores in
