FRANCE. 277 



WAGW8. 



Wages fluctuate ft om time to time, but since the last quaiter of a 

 century they have risen a great deal, especially in Paris. But the rate 

 of wages for women has not risen in anything like the same proportion 

 as for men. At present, wages rise more quickly in the province's than 

 in the capital, but in spite of this, the Paris workmen are far better 

 paid than their provincial brothers, as the following table will show: 



The figures given in the second column show the usual rate of wages. 

 It must be remembered that wages vary according to the part of the 

 country in which the work-people live, and that, in some places, they 

 are allowed their food. They are often fed, or both fed and lodged, and 

 receive an inferior wage. In this case the figures given above are 

 usually reduced in the proportion of from one- fifth to three -fifths. 



HOURS OF LABOR. 



All ages and both sexes work twelve hours daily, except apprentices, 

 who work ten hours only. 



WOMEN WORKERS. 



The number of women and girls employed amounts to nearly 50 per 

 cent, of the entire number of hands. Though the demand for female 

 labor is always considerable, the wages given to women and girls show 

 few signs of increasing in the same proportion as the men's. This is 

 explained by the great abundance of the supply of female labor. 



APPRENTICES AND PIECEWORK. 



The system of apprenticing boys and girls is fast dying out in the 

 carpet industry. The piece-work method has produced excellent re- 

 sults, on the whole, and it is now being adopted generally. It follows 

 that work-people do not require the same amount of technical skill as 

 formerly. They have to know what more immediately concerns their 

 own particular division of labor, and are not expected to know any 

 more. Any additional knowledge is not generally of use to them, and 

 hardly increases their value in the labor market. 



The law on apprentices is very rigidly enforced, and masters hesi- 

 tate to take apprentices in order not to place themselves within its 



