Cost and standard of living -- England -- London; London (England) -- Economic conditions; Working class -- England -- London
Mr. Snowden, moreover, considers that Professor Bowley had
under-estimated the number of adult men who, at full rates of pay, were
earning less than 25s. a week. He takes Board of Trade returns, which
show that in the cotton industry, which is one of the best paid of our
great trades, 40 per cent. of adult men earned less than 25s. a week;
that in the wool-combing industry the average wage for adult men on full
time was 17s. 6d. a week; that in the linen industry 44 per cent. of the
adult men earned less than 20s. a week, and 36 per cent. earned between
20s. and 30s.; that in the jute industry 49 per cent. of the adult men
earned less than 20s. a week, and 36 per cent. earned between 20s. and
30s.; that in the silk industry 19 per cent. of the adult men earned less
than 20s. a week, and 54 per cent. earned between 20s. and 30s.; and he
took also a summary of the _actual_ earnings of the adult men in the
textile trades of the United Kingdom, which shows that for one week of
September, 1906, 48 per cent. earned less than 25s. a week.
For other occupations, Mr. Snowden, still quoting Board of Trade figures,
says that in the clothing trade 7 per cent. of adult men earned less than
20s. a week, and 27 per cent. between 20s. and 30s.
Of bricklayers’ labourers 55.9 per cent. earned under 25s. a
week.
Of masons’ labourers 67 per cent. earned under 25s. a week.
Of plumbers’ labourers 54 per cent. earned under 25s. a week.
Of painters’ labourers 33 per cent. earned under 25s. a week.
Of builders’ labourers 51 per cent. earned under 25s. a week.
A still later return of the Board of Trade gives information as to the
wages of railway men in 1911. The figures show that 63 per cent. of
the adult men got less than 25s. a week. The earnings of agricultural
labourers, as given by the Board of Trade, for 1907 were 15s. 2d. a week
in cash, or 18s. 4d. a week, counting all allowances. Mr. Snowden sums up
the clearly set out facts given in his chapter thus:
“The facts cited in this chapter show that on the average something like
one-half of the adult men, most of whom have a family dependent upon
their earnings, do not earn 25s. 9d. a week, and that of this half,
a very considerable proportion receive very much less than a pound a
week. When we have considered the cost of living, it will be seen how
wholly inadequate these wages are, and how inevitable it is that the
consequences of this insufficiency should show themselves in the physical
and social conditions of the wage-earning classes.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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