out comparatively efficiently; but in the country, the truck system, disguised or undisguised, flourishes. In the town of Leicester, too, it is very common. There lie before me nearly a dozen convictions for this offence, dating from the period between November, 1843 , and June, 1844 , and reported, in part, in the Manchester Guardian and, in part, in the Northern Star . The system is, of course, less openly carried on at present; wages are usually paid in cash, but the employer still has means enough at command to force him to purchase his wares in the truck shop and nowhere else. Hence it is difficult to combat the truck system, because it can now be carried on under cover of the law, provided only that the operative receives his wages in money. The Northern Star of April 27th, 1843 , publishes a letter from an operative of Holmfirth, near Huddersfield, in Yorkshire, which refers to a manufacturer of the name of Bowers, as follows (retranslated from the German):
“It is very strange to think that the accursed truck system should exist to such an extent as it does in Holmfirth, and nobody be found who has the pluck to make the manufacturer stop it. There are here a great many honest hand-weavers suffering through this damned system; here is one sample from a good many out of the noble-hearted Free Trade Clique. There is a manufacturer who has upon himself the curses of the whole district on account of his infamous conduct towards his poor weavers; if they have got a piece ready which comes to 34 or 36 shillings, he gives them 20 s. in money and the rest in cloth or goods, and 40 to 50 percent dearer than at the other shops, and often enough the goods are rotten into the bargain. But, what says the Free Trade Mercury , the Leeds Mercury ? They are not bound to take them; they can please themselves. Oh, yes, but they must take them or else starve. If they ask for another 20 s. in money, they must wait eight or fourteen days for a warp; but if they take the