740 EEPORT — 1891. 



4. The Survival of Domestic Industries. By Professor Gonner. 



The complaints at the time of the depression of home industries and their 

 suspension by the factory system lay stress on four main points. 1. Machinery 

 and steam power, 2. Currency changes and taxation. 3. Foreign competition. 

 4. Irregularities. These grievances exemplified from the Reports of Royal Com- 

 missions and Select Committees of the House of Commons. On analysis the chief 

 causes of the change in mode of employment may be deduced from these. They 

 are: — 



(a) The effect of machinery. 



(b) The economy of labour in the factory. 



(c) The need of some centralised system of manufacture to counteract irregu- 

 larity and imcertainty of demand. This owing to what may be termed the de- 

 localisation of demand. 



Importance of these two latter as showing that the tendency to change existed 

 before, though it was much accelerated by the introduction of great mechanical 

 appliances and the use of steam-power. Continuing the investigation it is necessary 

 to observe separately the effect of the two systems (home industries and factories) 

 on (a) the work produced, (h) the condition of the workers. 



I. Industries in which the work is largely affected or which allow of factory 

 organisation. Some other industries, viz., those requiring regular work and not 

 demanding any unusual degree of skill, may be included with these. "Where 

 machinery can be used, the work produced by its aid is cheaper and often better. 

 The condition of the workers in these trades does not seem to have deteriorated on 

 their employment in factories. Reasons for this. The instance of the hosiery 

 trade and the nail- and chain-workers in the midland counties. 



II. Industries in which the three main causes of change are less operative. 

 These may be divided into three classes — 



Cff) Industries requiring individual artistic skill or in which the commodities 

 produced require adaptation, e.<j. carving, hand-lace making, brass-working, &c., 

 of first kind ; and of second, bespoke clothes trade, &c. 



{h) Supplementary trades where a large portion of the labour is given by those 

 who, by reason of domestic duties, &c., cannot or are most unwilling to work in 

 factories, e.r/. straw-plaiting, lace-making, &c. 



(c) Local industries, where the demand is local and the industry local, e.g. 

 crab-pot making, &c. 



In some instances of the two former of these classes a tendency to factory 

 organisation exists owing to the action of the third cause (see above c) and of a 

 fourth cause (rf), viz. the desire to restrict competition by combination. 



Conclusion. — Thcneed of further investigation. Its importance. 



5. Free Travel. By S. 1.1. Burroughs. 



That it would be desirable to have railways throughout the country as free for 

 use by the public as lifts or elevators in hotels are free for the use of the guests, 

 there is no doubt. The only difficulty which arises in making them so is the con- 

 struction and management of railways, which is a very costly enterprise. 



The arguments in favour of free travel are numerous, and apparently un- 

 answerable. It would relieve congestion in towns, it would greatly assist tlie 

 commerce and industry of the country, would create a greater demand for labour, 

 and so advance wages and the social well-being of the people, and at the same time 

 tend to a great improvement in general healthfulness and morality. 



If the cost of travel is not collected from passengers, it must be obtained by 

 taxation. In the vicinity of Melbourne the children are carried to and from the 

 free schools without charge, which, of course, makes it necessary that the amounts 

 otherwise collected from them are collected by taxation in other ways. One aim 

 in taxation should be to avoid taxing any class of individuals for the benefit of 

 another class ; in other words, making some rich and others poor by law. 



