Page:The Economic Journal Volume 1.djvu/667

 DIFFERENCES OF WAGES PAID TO MEN AND WOMEN 645 work, and their piece-work rates are then the same. A similar report comes from the carpet-weaving industry. In fustian cutthug (velveteen) men and women do precisely the same work, and the piece-work rates are identical: women earn nearly as much as men, but not quite, the men gaining the advantage of their superior strength and endurance. I am informed, although the statement seems incredible, that h this hdust a man can only earn 13s. to 14s. per week by cutthug two full'pieces,' and that this involves a daily walk of 15 or 20 miles, not to mention the other muscular exertion required. machinery is employed, and each operative works independently by hand. The women's hours are restricted by law, but this has apparently made no difference to their piece-work rates, and they do not find it any disadvantage. The Trade Union includes both sexes. It should be noted that in all these instances of equal remun- eration for equal work, both sexes are practically equally restricted by the Factory Acts; there are strong Trade Unions for both; both sexes have been at work in the inclustry for a long period; and the influence of competition appears to be very little checked by economic friction of any kind. Mor. eover, although women make as good weavers as men, and are paid at equal rates, they are never promoted to any higher paid work. The oYerlookers' places are reserved exclusively for men, probably because, even if women were found fit for them, the male operatives would not accept a woman supervisor. It may also be suggested that h these industries, as h most other cases where it is customary for men and women to work together, neither man nor woman earns as much as an equally skilled worker in a trade where men alone work, and the result is that husband and wife have both to work for little more than the wages of an engineer or an iron-moulder, whose wife seldom earns money. The economic ;reit is th family, and to the family hcome husband and wife make, in Lancashire, often equal contributions. On the other hand, women compositors in London receive uniformly lower piece-work rates than men obtain for exactly similar work. Omitting minor details, the general rule is that, for setting up ' 1,000 ens,' for work, that is to say, of precisely the same quantity and quality, the Trade Unionist gets 8d., the non-unionist man about 7d., and the woman only 5d. x  Women compositors in London do not number more than 800. (I am inforeed by other authorities that this estimate is probably much in excess of the truth: one