Page:General History of Europe 1921.djvu/650

 494 General History o] Europe The workingman became dependent upon the few who were rich enough to set up factories. He could no longer earn a livelihood in the old way by conducting a small shop of his own, but must seek employment from the capitalist. As long as there were plenty of workers the business man could fix any hours and pay what he wished. The question of how much of the profits shall go to the business man or capitalist and how much shall be given tc the workmen is still the most vital question in the problem of the relation of labor and capital. 877. Women and Children in the Factories. The destruc- tion of the domestic system of industry had also a revolution- ary effect upon the work and the lives of women and children. Before the invention of the steam engine, when the simple machines were worked by hand, children could be employed only in some of the minor processes, such as preparing the cotton for spinning. But in the modern factory, labor was largely confined to watching machines, piecing broken threads, and working levers, so that both women and children could be utilized as effectively as men, and much more cheaply. This tended greatly to increase the number employed in the factories. Under the old system of domestic industry the tasks of the women were varied and performed at home, whereas under the new system they must flock to the factory at the call of the whistle and labor monotonously at a speed set by the foreman. This led to many grave abuses which, as we shall see, the State has been called upon to remedy from time to time by factory legislation. Although women and children have been saved from some of the worst hardships, a great deal still remains to be done. 878. The Capitalists oppose Government Interference. The capitalists and business classes maintained that the government should not attempt to regulate the prices of goods or their quality. Neither should it interfere with the employer and his workmen, except to protect both from violence ; it should not fix the hours of work or the conditions in the factories. Prices, they maintained,