H—l4

10

SUMMARY— continued.

The Condition op Laboue in Europe. As an accompaniment to the tables appended to this report showing the -wages, &c, of the industrial classes in New Zealand, it may be useful if we compare with these the following statistics concerning the position of working people on the Continent of Europe. Russia. Eussia has no law restricting the hours of adult labour. The average day is 12 hours. In the large mills the hours vary from 6 to 20, and in one or two cases are uninterrupted for 24, with a long rest afterwards. Juvenile labour is limited in its admission to 12 years of age ; from 12 to 15 years young persons are permitted to work for 8 hours. There is no importation of foreign labour, this being prevented by the long hours and low pay. The Russian labourer receives wages up to 84 roubles (£8 Bs.) a year, whereas the German will not work under the same conditions for less than 228 roubles (£22 165.). In the case of cotton-spinners, while the average hours of labour are 10 in England and. 12 in Russia, the English workman receives about £7 a month (70 roubles) and the Russian 19J roubles (£1 18s.). France. In 1848 a law was passed limiting the working-day to 12 hours of effective labour. In 1883 an Act concerning the hours, &c, of child-labour was passed, and a staff of inspectors appointed. Only 21 inspectors received appointments, and, as the establishments which numbered 100,000 in 1883 had increased to 110,000 in 1889, it was found impossible for the staff to cope with the work. M. Waddington in 1889 presented a Bill to the Chamber of Deputies, the preamble to which made the statement that " long hours of daily labour caused an undue multiplication of stoppages by the application and extension of machinery. They lowered wages by fatal competition between workmen at work and workmen without work. Considering that they exhaust prematurely the productive classes, and attack the mainspring of the nation which thus becomes less and less apt to reproduce and defend itself, it is proposed that a day's work should under no. pretext exceed eight hours in any mines, works, manufactures, or in general in any mechanical workshops whatever; and

Number employed. Average Wages per Week. Apprentices. I Number employed. average Wages per Week. Apprentices. Ages. 'imework. Piecework. I Male. Female. Time-work. Piecework. Male. Female. Male. Female. Male. Female. 15 16 17 18 19 20 iver 20 6 2 1 6 i 3 58 Sugar Kefining Works. £ s. d. £ s. a. 0 8 0 0 14 0 110 14 6 19 9 1 12 0 2 9 4 Works. £ s. d. 18] 16 17 18 19 20 Over 20i Cig i i ;aretfce and Tobacco Factor: £ s. d. £ s. d. 9 0 6 0! 3 0 7 0 4 0 12 0 5 0 12 6 2 0 16 0 10 0 2 10 0 10 0 6 i 2 10 i 8 0 0 ;co Factor: £ s. d. 10 0 10 0 3 0 0 ies. 2 8 ! Calico-bag Factory. 1 I 0 8 0 I 3 0 9 0 2 0 12 9 2 0 12 9 2 0 12 9 5 j 0 13 6 actory. 15 16 18 19 20 1 1 Umbrella Factories. 10 5 0 0 10 0 0 15 0 2 0 10 6 I 1 0 12 0 j j 1 male at 6 ! 0 12 3 13 0 0 •15 17 18 19 20 Over 20 "l \ iver 20 1 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Over 20 6 3 2 3 1 I 1 19 Iron Boiling Mills. 0 12 6 0 15 0 0 18 0 14 0 1 10 0 15 16 17 19 ivor-20; Gunsmith Factory. 1 1 1 1 ■ 1 .. I 0 10 0 .. 0 10 0 .. j 0 10 0 15 0 3 0 0 2 5 0 1 10 0 2 18 0 Galvanised Iron Works. 0 10 0 i 0 19 3 10 6 12 0 1 10 0 14 15 16 17 18 19 Over 20^ Pott 5 3: 2 itery and Earthenware Fac 2 10 6 0 1:066 070 0 11 6 .. j 1 2 0 3 ! 0 12 0 0 12 0 11 1 0 0 19 6 2 J 1 14 9 1 15 0 ,nufacturing and Eepairing .. 10 8 0 0 14 0 0 15 0 2 13 6 ;ory. 16 18 19 20 Over 20 i 2 8 4 18 "2! 20 Lime and Cement Works. Pi a 16 17 19 Over 20i ino Ma: 'acto: :es. 18 20 Over 20 2 1 16 10 0 1 16 0 2 10 0 1 1 1 6 Total males, 14,464 ; fe: lies, 5,9£ 32: in i all, 20,456.