TRANSACTIONS OF SECTION F. 



579 



future be more advantageously employed, as letterpress feeders, as monotype 

 workers, and in certain of the bookbinding processes hitherto reserved to men. 



There has been some attempt to investigate the conditions of German work 

 to discover whether the inclusion of more women would enable printers in 

 England to take some of the work formerly done in Germany. There appears to 

 be most opportunity in processes connected with lithography. The point is 

 discussed in a paper on ' British Lithography in 1915 ' read before the Royal 

 Society of Arts on Feb. ISth, 1915, by Mr. F. Vincent Brooks. The following is 

 a quotation from the paper : 



' The second point of vantage that the foreigner possesses is the much less 

 cost, and, I must confess, the much better character of his transferring, and 

 this transferring is a very important item in the total cost. The total volume 

 of this work done in a German factory is very large, so that it is much cheapened 

 by subdivision ; a workman is constantly employed filling the barest possible 

 transfers, so bare that the solids generally have to be filled in on the stone or 

 plate ; the work is carried out by quite an army of girls, other girls having 

 previously cut up the transfers on the backing that is the full size of the sheet 

 to be printed. This is work for which women are exceptionally well suited, 

 but such employment would be contrary to general usage in this country, and, I 

 imagine, would meet with sturdy opposition from the trade unions ; and unless 

 working arrangements of the cost can be made, the British printer will be hope- 

 lessly out of it, both with regard to the cost and general efficiency." 



Some comment has been made on the fact that most German factories have 

 been built lately, with a maximum of light and air and are therefore suitable 

 for the employment of women, while those in England are often very old and 

 unsuitable. 



Board of Trade, Earnings and Hours Enquiry, 1906. 

 Based on returns from 110,129 employees. 



Men (over 20) 45-6 per cent. 



Lad>i and Boys and Apprentices (under 20) . . . 174 „ 



Women 24'2 ,, 



Girls (under 18) 12-8 „ 



Average Earnings of above. 



Percentage of Wages. Working full time. 

 31 en. 



