H.—l4.

Buckau. Engineering works — Fitters ... ... ... ... ... ... od. an hour. Locksmiths ... ... ... ... ... 4} „ Turners ... ... ... ... ~ ... 4f „ Carpenters ... .. ... ... ... 4|- „ Blacksmiths ... ... ... ... ... 4J „ Boiler-makers ... ... ... ... ... 4-|- „ Tube-fitters ... ... ... ... ... 4} Labourers ... ... ... ... ... 3J- „ Potsdam. s. d. Brickmakers ... ... ... ... ... ... 20 0 per week. Labourers ... ... ... ... ... ... 10 0 „ Carters ... ... ... ... ... ... 20 0 Glass-blowers ... ... ... ... ... ... 80 0 „ Woollen industry— Washers (male) ... ... ... ... 12 0 „ Carding boys ... ... ... ... ... 60 „ Worsted-weavers ... ... ... ... ... 17 6 „ Labourers ... ... ... ... ... 11 0 „ Carders (female) ... ... ... ... ... 90 „ Spinners ... ... ... ... ... ... 12 0 „ Weavers ... ... ... ... ... ... 12 6 „ Fullers and dyers ... ... ... ... ... 11 0 „ Wool-sorters (female) ... ... ... ... 7 0 „ Cloth-shearers ~. ... ... ... ... 8 6 „ ■ Hat-making— Spinners ... ... ... ... ... ... 12 6 „ Machine-felt makers ... ... ... ... 14 0 „ Sizers ... ... ... ... ... ... 14 0 „ Trimmers (female) ... ... ... ... ... 12 0 „ Hand-felt makers ... ... ... ... ... 17 0 „ Pumice-stoners and spongers ... ... ... 16 0 „ Pressers ... ... ... ... ... ... 14 0 „ Paper-making— Bag-sorters (female) ... ... ... ... 60 „ Hands at machine ... ... ... ... ... 12 0 „ Sorters (female) ... ... ... ... ... 50 „ Rag-engine hands ... ... ... ... ... 10 0 „ Hands serving the-paper-machine ... ... ... 12 0 „ Packers ... ... ... ... ... ... 9 0 „ Building trade— i- Masons and bricklayers ... ... ... ... 20 0 „ Labourers ... ... .. ... ... 12 6 „ Carpenters ... ... ... ... ... 19 0 „ Wood industry— Sawmill hands ... ... ... ... ... 16 0 „ Cabinet-makers ... ... ... ... ... 20 0 „ Wood-carvers ... ... ... ... ... 22 0 „ Polishers ... ... ... ... ... ... 19 6 „ Germans have great prejudice against piece-work, on the ground that it is much more exhausting than day-work; especially if the object produced is small, and a great number must be made in a short time. The monotony, and the continued identical movement of hands and feet, has a hurtful effect, producing nervous exhaustion, especially in women. The opinion is such work should be limited to, at most, ten hours. Working-hours. —ln Alsace-Lorraine about 12 hours constitutes the working-day, but it is varied according to necessity and the pressure of contracts. Thus, in one glass-works the men have worked for 24 hours continuously, but get the same period allowed them for repose. In the district of Potsdam, Frankfort-on-Oder, the working-day varies from 13 to 14 hours (with a mid-day rest), but sometimes it reaches 15 hours —namely, from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. In the district of Magdeburg most factories work between 10 and 11 hours. If overtime at night (from 12 midnight to 6 a.m.) is worked, men receive double-pay for low-rate workmen, and treble-pay for the first-class employes. There is a strong feeling in favour of a legalised working-day of 8 hours, but the employers hesitate to institute such reform, as, unless universal, those initiating the movement would be exposed to competition with the establishments working long hours. Trade Combinations. —The genuine trade union did not exist in Germany until 1868, and was copied in its main form from the already-working English associations of the same nature.. A general congress of workmen was summoned in Berlin on the 26th September, 1868, for the purpose of establishing a central trades union for the whole of Germany. This was opposed by the leaders and founders of the friendly societies; but, from a conciliatory policy on the part of these opposing forces, the now-existing federation (Verband der Deutschen Gewerkvereine) was ultimately formed, which embraces 18 national trades unions and 1,400 local unions with 63,000 members. The

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