INDUSTRIAL VILLAGES. 341 



attaining now the high figure of at least 250 

 per head. Coal mines in which more than a 

 thousand workers are employed are numerous, 

 and there is a fair number of textile factories 

 in each of which from 300 to 700 workers are 

 occupied. And yet, if we exclude from the 

 industrial workers' population of Belgium, which 

 numbered 823,920 persons in 1896 (1,102,240 

 with the clerks, travellers, supervisors and so 

 on), the 116,300 workpeople who are employed 

 in the coal mines, and nearly 165,000 artisans 

 working single or with the aid of their families, 

 we find that out of the remaining 565,200 

 workers very nearly one-half that is, 270,200 

 persons work in establishments in which less 

 than fifty persons are employed, while 95,000 

 persons out of these last are employed in 54,500 

 workshops, which thus have an average of less 

 than three workers per workshop.* We may 

 thus say that taking the mines out of account 



* Here is the distribution of workpeople in all the industries, 

 according to the Annuaire Statistique for the year 1909 : Arti- 

 sans working single-handed or with the aid of their families, 

 165,000 establishments ; very small industry, from one to four 

 workpeople, 54,000 establishments, 95,000 workpeople ; small 

 industry, from five to forty-nine workpeople per factory, 

 14,800 establishments, 177,000 employees ; middle-sized and 

 great industry, from 50 to 499 workpeople per factory, 1,500 

 establishments, 250,000 employees ; very great industry, above 

 500 workpeople per factory, 200 establishments, 160,000 em- 

 ployees. Total, 236,000 employers great and small ; or 71,000 

 employers out of 7,000,000 inhabitants if we do not count the 

 independent artisans. 



