TRANSACTIONS OP SECTION P. 



571 



The women weavers' piece rates are generally about one-half that of the 

 men's and they earn from 126'. to 14s. a week, as compared to the men's 

 30s. It is stated that 



(a) The women need more supervision than the men. 



{b) They require the assistance of a loom 'tackier.' One tackier generally 

 attends 30 to 40 women, and his wages are 30.s. per woek. In Cheadle four 

 tacklers are employed to 300 women. 



Since the War the employment of women has largely increased in the net 

 silk, spooling, and the artificial silk fabric branches of the trade, where women 

 normally predominate. There has been a certain acceleration of displacement 

 of men weavers by women. When this has taken place the men have asked that 

 the "women shall receive the same wage rates as the men. At present no 

 women have been introduced to processes which have been hitherto performed 

 by men only. Since the War the men but not the women weavers have 

 received a war bonus of 7^ per cent. 



Braiding, 2'ic and Scurf Knitting. 



Both men and women are employed as Braid Tenters. They do the same 

 work save that 



1. Women mind 1 to 5 large machines and they are also assisted by a 'tackier.' 



2. Men mind 30 to 60 small machines and sometimes 2 or 3 larger machines 



as well. 



The men are paid on piece-work rates and the women on time rates, the 

 men earning 30s. to 32s. a week, and the women about 16*\ a week (Trade-Union 

 rate). It is said that the men prefer to keep the women on time work as 

 they fear to be ousted by women on piece work ! Since the War a number 

 of women braid tenters have displaced men, but they still receive the women's 

 rates of pay and not the men's, with Is. extra as War bonus. 



On scarf and tie knitting men and women are employed at the same 

 piece-work rates, but the men have the larger output. Women mind 2 to 4 

 machines, and also require the assistance of a 'tackier.' Men mind 6 to 8 

 machines unassisted. Men are also employed on night work, for which they 

 are paid at a rate and a half. Women, however, are increasingly employed 

 on these processes. Since the War women have also been employed as over- 

 lookers. 



Food Tbades. 



The following table shows the increase (per cent.) from 1901 to 1911 of 

 men and women employed in branches of the food trades most affecting women's 

 labour : 



From these figures it is evident that of recent years the proportion of women 

 employed in grain milling, chocolate making, bread and biscuit making, and 



