552 



TRANSACTIONS OF SECTION F 



the parts, which work was formerly considered for the most part too intricate 

 for them. 



It is impossible to forecast the future of a trade which depends upon a 

 luxury demand. If the industry continues to be carried on in Birmingham as 

 extensively as before there is little doubt that women will retain much of the 

 ground they have gained. Men who desire to return will be reinstated if they 

 have not so hardened their hands by other work as to unfit them for the 

 delicate processes of the jewellery trade, but it is expected that many will be 

 permanently lost to the industry. Since, moreover, the average working years 

 of a woman are much longer in this than in most other local industries, a train- 

 ing of some length should be possible for the girls where necessary. On the 

 other hand, the difference of class which made the jewellery trade more attrac- 

 tive than the other metal industries has largely broken down as a result 

 of the War, and it is believed that many girls as well as men have lost their 

 taste for this occupation. This is perhaps not to be regretted until the future 

 prospects of the trade are somewhat more assured. 



Electro Plate. 



The electro-plate trade suffered severely from lack of demand in the early 

 months of the War, but now suffers mainly from lack of labour, botli'male 

 and female. 



There are certain processes (soldering, shaping, and polishing) in which 

 women ^re being employed to a greater extent than before. There would 

 probably, however, have been much more replacement if female labour were 

 more abundant. 



Hollow Ware. 



The hollow-ware trade is suffering from lack of labour, both male and 

 female. The shortage of men is greater than that of women, and considerably 

 more overtime is being put in by the men, especially by those most highly 

 skilled. Certain processes are now being done by women on machines which 

 were formerly done by men by hand. The total number of women is, how- 

 ever, decidedly less than before the War, so that if the trade is anywhere near 

 normal when the War is over there should be no unemployment. If there is 

 difficulty in reinstating the men who return, it will be rather the result of the 

 falling off of Government orders than the competition of women. 



Leather. 



The following shows the distribution of the numbers of men and women 

 employed in the leather trades 1901 and 1911 : 



