Having thus provided for their Diets, we next appointed their Times of Working; which in the Summer was ten Hours and a half every Day, and an Hour less in the Winter; by which means we answered the two Objections raised against the Poor, _viz._ Thar they will not work, and that they spend what they get in fine feeding. But we soon found, that the great Cause of begging did proceed from the low Wages for Labour; for after about eight Months time, our Children could not get half so much as we expended in their Provisions. The Manufacturers, who employed us, were always complaining the Yarn was spun coarse, but would not advance above Eight-pence _per_ Pound for Spinning, and we must either take this, or have no Work. On the other side, we were labouring to understand how we might distinguish, and put a Value on our Work, according to its Fineness. This we did by the Snap Reel, which when we were Masters of, the Committee made an Order, That the Master should buy in a Stock of Wool, and Spin it up for our own Accounts, and then proceeded to set the Price of Spinning by the Snap Reel, wherein we endeavoured to discourage coarse Work, and to endeavour fine, because we saw the latter was likely to bring more Profit, not only to the Poor, but to the Kingdom in general. We likewise ordered some Things to be made up of the several Sorts of Yarn, at the Rates we had set them; and on the whole, we found the Commodities made of fine Yarn, though they were much better than those made of Coarse, yet stood us in little more; because what the one exceeded in the Charge of Spinning, was very much made good in Abatement of the Quantity used. We therefore sent to the Manufacturers, and shewed them what Experiments we had made; but finding them still unwilling to advance above the old Rate, the Committee voted, that they would give Employment to all the Poor of the City, who would make Application to them, at the Rates we offer’d to work, and pay them ready Money for their Labour. We soon found we had taken the right Course, for in a few Weeks we had Sale for our fine Yarn as fast as we could make it, and they gave us from Eight-pence to Two Shillings _per_ Pound for Spinning the same Goods, for which a little before they paid but Eight-pence, and were very well pleased with it, because they were now able to distinguish between the fine and the coarse Yarn, and to apply each Sort to the Use for which it was most proper: Since which, they have given us Two Shillings and Six-pence _per_ Pound for a great many Pounds, and we spin some worth Three Shillings and Six-pence _per_ Pound Spinning. By this Means we had the Pleasure of seeing the Children’s Labour advanc’d, which a little before I came up, amounted to near Six Pounds _per_ Week, and would have been much more, but that our biggest Girls, we either settle forth, or put in the Kitchen; and those we receive in being generally small, are able to do but little for some Time after.