292 feEPORT— 1902. 



instead of night-shifts, and then men are employed throughout, for it ia 

 not worth while to put on a shift of men for a few hours. In other similar 

 cases, however, some of the men carders work at the combs when the 

 women leave, the remainder keeping them supplied. It seems the general 

 opinion that, were the Acts removed, the women, whose work is cheaper, 

 would be driven to overtime and night- work. 



When there is great pressure men succeed the girls after hours at fly- 

 spinning in Bradford. 



In the card-room the grinders (men) often work overtime. 



At Huddersfield men work fifty- nine hours, women 56|, in the same 

 room at the scribbling machines. The feeding machine starts at 6.0 a.m. and 

 runs without stopjaing till 8.0 or 9.0 p.m. in busy times. The male fettlers 

 leave their proper work to tend it before the women come, after they go, 

 and during meal- times. 



At Huddersfield, when night weaving is necessary, and occasionally 

 only for overtime, the men continue the piece that the women have begun. 

 More than one manufacturer in Leeds and Batley has tried night weaving 

 with men, but found that it did not answer. 



Spinning is also occasionally done at night in the Huddersfield and 

 Batley district, young men acting as piecers instead of girls. 



In Batley it is quite common for men to work overtime on the women's 

 carding machines. They get 5d. an hour, the women 12s. for 56^ hours, 

 i.e., '2^d. an hour. The men do one-third more work in the same time. 



In some factories the men still work the fifty-nine hours general before 

 1874. 



Thus there are many cases where the women work full hours, and are 

 then succeeded by men. On the one hand this indicates that there is an 

 unsatisfied demand for cheaper women's labour ; on the other, that the 

 Acts have a very distinct effect in restricting their hours.' The general 

 opinion seems to be that the women do not resent this interference, and 

 that, though as individuals they would probably work longer hours if 

 allowed, as a body they would be unwilling to do so. 



It is only in special cases that this interchange is possible. I was 

 told that in the Leeds boot trade men aiid women do not compete ; the 

 line of demarcation of work is impassable. In the wholesale clothing 

 factories, ^^ressing is the only work done both by men and women. When 

 there is no necessary line custom may often provide an effective one. 

 The case is, however, often decided by the demand for labour in other 

 industries. Thus in Leeds the men and boys rapidly find employment ; 

 hence the piecers are girls and the weavers are women. In Batley the 

 mines have been progressively taking the men from the looms, and the 

 proportion of men weavers is diminishing. In Huddersfield there is still 

 a large number of men weavers. Of all the factors which decide whether 

 women or men shall be employed on a particular machine, it appears to 

 me that the restrictive laws are the least important ; the relative expense 

 of the labour of the two sexes, the suitability of the work, local custom, the 

 demand for labour in other industries, all have great influence ; but the cases 

 where men are preferred to women, because of the 56^ hours law, are far 

 to seek. I inquired on this point of every one I talked with, and amongst 



' It should be remarked in this connection that in the Beading printing and 

 binding trades the ordinary hours are below the legal limit, yet necessary overtime 

 on the women's machines is done by men. 



