302
LEIPZIG. 2
The following’ Table shows the birth, death and infantile mortality rates
for the five years 1901-5 : —
Birth rate per 1,000
of population.
Death rate per 1,000
of population.
Infantile mortality
per 1,000 births.
1901
1902
1903
1901
1905
330
315
301
301
29 3
18*6
16-2
17 9
18-1
17 3
235
189
244
243
229
In point of infant mortality Leipzig oceupies a middle position among the
five principal cities of Saxony. To every 1,000 births in 1905 there were 229
deaths of infants under one year old. The corresponding rates for Zwickau and
Chemnitz were much higher than this, viz., 291 for the former and 286 for
the latter, while those for Dresden and Plauen were somewhat lower, viz., 211
and 204 respectively. As in all other German cities the rate of infant mortality
has been declining in the last 15 years. Thus, wLereas the proportion of deaths
of infants under one year old to every 1,000 births in Leipzig averaged 253
during the quinquennial period 1891-5, in 1901-5 it had fallen to 228.
Occupations, Wages and Hours of Labour.
Though its wealth has been acquired by trading, Leipzig has in recent
times been assuming more and more of the character of an industrial town, and
as such it now claims to have surpassed Chemnitz.
It had on May 1st, 1905, a total of 71,001 workpeople employed in 1,649
establishments subject to inspection as factories or workshops. The following
Table shows the distribution of these workpeople among the principal groups
of trades :—
Group of Trades.
Building
Metal-working and engineering
Textiles
Clothing
Printing and allied trades
Bookbinding, &c
Woodworking and carving
Food, drink, and tobacco ...
Other
Total . .
Number of
Establishments.
33
411
38
345
225
96
114
210
177
1,649
Number of
Workpeople.
905
21,166
9,640
5,465
15,213
6,458
2,926
3,562
5,666
71,001
The great prominence of the printing and allied trades among the
industries of Leipzig is reflected in the above figures, no less than 321 establishments,
with 21,671 operatives, being employed either in printing and similar
processes or in bookbinding, &e. A considerable number, moreover, of the
21,166 operatives grouped under the heading " metal-working and engineering”
are employed in the production of various kinds of plant required in printing
and bookbinding works. Under the same heading are comprised the manufacture
of agricultural machines, wood-working machines, pianos, music-boxes,
type-wu'iting machines and motor-car bodies. The next in importance among
the industries of Leipzig is the woollen and worsted manufacture (wool and
worsted spinning, wool-combing and wool-weaving). Among the wood-wmrking
trades, furniture-making and parquet-laying are greatest in local importance.
The building trades are practically unrepresented in the Table, being usually
carried on under conditions which exclude them from the operation of the
Factory and Workshop Acts. Acccording to an estimate made by the local
Trades Council there are some 14,000 workpeople in these trades in Leipzig.
Both as regards the numerical strength of its labour organisations and the
influence of these organisations on local labour conditions, Leipzig stands out
prominently among the great cities of Germany. On January 1st, 1907, the
