H.—l4.

s. d. Artisans ... ... ... ... ... ... 2 3 Assistants ... ... ... ... . . ... 111 Apprentices ... ... ... ... ... ... 1 2| Labourers ... ... ... ... ... ... 1 7 Foremen .., ... ... ... ... ... 3 10 There are about 2,000,000 women employed in industrial labour, and 3,000,000 in agricultural. Women are in the majority in cotton, linen, jute, and silk trades, in the proportion of 117,000 women against 17,700 men. In the silk trade3B,ooo young girls are employed, against 2,000 boys; and in all trades, 47,500 girls, against 22,700 boys. The artisans are of an aspiring character, and wish to rise in the social scale; they are frugal, honest, and tractable. They are also very sober, except in Northern Italy, where drunkenness, arising from the use of ardent spirits, is unfortunately on the increase. The house-rent of an average artisan is about £4 16s. per annum, and the price of bread 4d. for the 21b.-loaf. Strikes take place occasionally, but the bond between master and workman is less strained than in other countries. The strikes have been accompanied in some instances by boycotting men ready to work in place of the strikers, and by practically putting the "blackleg" (called by the Italians " bedouin" or " krumiro") outside the pale of society. Most of the strikes have been on a small scale only, as there is a lack of money and of organisation. The principal trades union is that of the working printers ; its functions comprising the application of a normal tariff of wages, assistance to sick or unemployed members, and to widows and orphans, also the technical instruction of operatives and apprentices. The benefit societies proper are 4,817 in number, and have 740,280 members on their rolls. A National Insurance Fund, providing in case of accidents to labourers, has been started, and already about 400,000 men have been insured under this head. Germany. ■ Legislation affecting the interests of labour has received much attention in Germany. The most important measure was the passing of the Industrial Code (Geiverbeordnung) on the 21st June, 1869, but it received important amendments on the Ist June, 1891, especially the portion referring to the employment of women and young persons. The Industrial Code was also affected by the law of Industrial Courts (Geiverbegerichte) of the 29th July, 1890, respecting Courts of Arbitration. The compulsory insurance of workmen was insisted upon in the Imperial Rescript of the 17th November, 1881, this comprising three very important measures: First, that of the insurance of workmen against sickness. The second is an accident insurance, to which employers only contribute, these employers being generally united in a trade association which superintends the collection of funds for this purpose. The third is the insurance against old age and infirmity, the Act legalising which came into force on the Ist January, 1891. It includes all workers over sixteen who are wage-earners, and who would be left destitute if unable to work.* The following schedule of wages shows the current rate : — Upper Bavaria. Per Diem. s. d. s. d. For skilled male labourer ... ... ... ... 2 0 to 5 0 „ unskilled „ ... ... ... ... 110 „ 210 „ skilled female labour ... ... ... .... 16 „ 30 „ unskilled „ ... ... ... ... 1 11 „ 16 Alsace. Cotton-mills— Young person working 12 hours ... ... ... 0 9f „ 1 0 Girls at drawing-frames ... ... ... ... 1 2J „ 1 9-| Boys at carding-machines ... ... ... ... 1 6 , 1 8J Spinners ... ... ... ... ... ... 210 ~3 10^ Cotton-weaving mills— Young persons working for 12 hours ... ... ... 10 „ 1 2-J-Spooling ghls ... ... ... ... ... 1 2J „ 1 7£ (1 4i Male weavers (according to number of looms used) ... 0 8 „ -|2 0 (2 U

* The law demands that every person, male or female, sixteen years of age and over, occupying the position of labourer, servant, or clerk, whose wage amounts to less than 2,000 marks (about £100) per annum must insure. The premium is paid in equal parts by employer and employe, the Government contributing about £2 10s. to each premium annually. The premiums are divided into four classes, adjusted to the rate of wages received—viz. (the mark being equal in value to the English shilling and containing 100 pfennigs) : First, those earning 350 marks per year or less pay 14 pfennigs per week ; second, those earning from 350 to 550 marks per year pay 20 pfennigs a week; third, those earning from 550 to 850 marks per year pay 24 pfennigs ; fourth, thoso earning from 850 to 2,000 marks per year pay 30 pfennigs. As from a sick fund, the insurer receives benefits as follows : First class, 114 marks 70 pfennigs per annum; second class, 124 marks 10 pfennigs ; third class, 131 marks 15 pfennigs ; fourth class, 191 marks. The pension accrues to every person who reaches seventy years of age after the Ist January, 189 l' whether able to work or not, provided that he or she worked three years prior to that date. It also applies to those over seventy years of ago before that date. The age-pension is as follows : First class, 106 marks 40 pfennigs ; second class, 134 marks 60 pfennigs ; third class, 162 marks 80 pfennigs ; fourth class,. 191 marks. Every female in case of marriage may demand the return of half her paid premiums. About eleven millions of people come under the operation of this law. Accidents happening during work come under provisions of another Act.

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