In November the wages are much higher than in July, and evidently more regular in character; the number earning near the average is also greater. Thus the "dispersion" in November is generally about ·2 (the quartiles and median being, for example, 12_s._, 15_s._, 18_s._); while in July it is generally about ·4 (_e.g._, 3_s._ 9_d._, 6_s._ 3_d._, 8_s._ 9_d._). Again, it seems quite doubtful each year whether there will be any July wages worth the name; the median in four weeks selected each year in July changes from 2_s._ 11_d._ to 8_s._ 2_d._; while that for selected weeks in November is from 10_s._ 8_d._ to 17_s._ 11_d._, a smaller proportionate variation. The majority are piece workers. The following table shows the wages in two weeks (slack and busy) in 1899. The figures are probably typical of similar weeks in previous years. +-------------------+------------+------------+ | FIRM A. | July 14th, | Nov. 29th, | | | 1899. | 1899. | | From to | Numbers | Numbers | | _s.__d._ _s.__d._ | earning. | earning. | +-------------------+------------+------------+ | 24 0 26 0 | 1 | 2 | | 22 0 24 0 | 0 | 5 | | 20 0 22 0 | 1 | 12 | | 18 0 20 0 | 0 | 9 | | 16 0 18 0 | 2 | 5 | | 14 0 16 0 | 4 | 14 | | 12 0 14 0 | 5 | 10 | | 10 0 12 0 | 4 | 11 | | 8 0 10 0 | 11 | 1 | | 6 0 8 0 | 17 | 2 | | 4 0 6 0 | 11 | 2 | | 2 0 4 0 | 6 | 2 | | -- -- 2 0 | 1 | 1 | +-------------------+------------+------------+ July 14th, 1899: Median, 7_s._; Quartiles, 5_s._ 8_d._, 9_s._ 11_d._; Dispersion, ·27. Nov. 29th, 1899: Median, 14_s._ 6_d._; Quartiles, 11_s._ 10_d._, 19_s._; Dispersion, ·23.