THE INDUSTRIES OF LEICESTER 67 
the world, the industry supporting 30,000 operatives (of whom 20,000 are 
men) and producing an annual output of approximately 25 million pairs. 
The statistics of employers, employees and output for Leicester and 
county are 130, 350,000 and 40 million pairs respectively. 
From the bitter fight between employers and employed in 1892 (the 
only serious dispute in Leicester in the history of the trade) emerged the 
Boot and Shoe Operatives’ Union and the Federation of Boot and Shoe 
Manufacturers. The Arbitration Board (founded in 1878), which 
gathered strength from the same struggle, affords a notable example of 
how trade disputes may be amicably settled without recourse to strike or 
lock-out. This conciliatory spirit has been responsible for the almost 
entire absence of industrial disputes during the last forty years. Few 
large manufacturing centres can claim so happy a record. 
The actual wages earned are good. For men of 22 years and over, as 
for women of 20 years and over, standard minima have been established, 
with the following graduated scales for boys and girls : 
Sano So, ots 
Boys: Ages. » askgreud Girts: Age 15 . q tol esd 
56. epptQe6 307 LOK ote ee 
did Foe win 2Bi20 35: SEGAL 2 pahide 
swonkbis sy 290E 0 sso ntSies 256 
fon Lhe a5 GS gx Ques shiBih}-2 
yhnc2Or» vere 42030 519 2 213620 
isk s and§Se00 
Lp 2rio . 60 0 
The National Conference Agreement provides that ‘ Piece-work or Quantity 
Statements shall be prepared on a basis to ensure the average worker 
earning not less than 25 per cent. over the minimum wage.’ When 
employed full time, men may earn as much as £5 Ios. or £6, and women 
from £2 10s. to £3 10s. per week. Piece-work is the usual basis of 
payment. 
Agents and merchants, who supply manufacturers with their raw 
materials, owe their commanding position in the industry to the fickleness 
of fashion, which effectively frustrates manufacturers’ attempts to place 
orders for any considerable period ahead or to produce largely for stock. 
This increasing inconstancy tends to cause the flow of orders to become 
more and more irregular and to result in alteration of periods of * rush’ 
and of short time, tendencies whose ultimate influence may be reflected 
in comparatively high production costs. As in Leicester women’s shoes 
form the bulk of the output, this tendency is marked. 
While women’s shoes make up the bulk of the output, there is also a 
very large production of boys’ and girls’ footwear and of sports goods. 
Leicester-made football boots have long been well known in the trade, 
while white duck and canvas shoes for tennis and other purposes are 
exported to all parts of the world. On the whole, it may be said that the 
great mass of production is for the ‘ medium ’ and ‘ better medium ’ trade, 
and aims at the making of good-wearing shoes at a reasonable price. 
