Britain at Work
A Pictorial Description of Our National Industries

54 BRITAIN AT WORK. shoes, technically known as “ nurseries,” is sold to offal dealers who have a connection with “ nursery ” men. All instructions for the manufacture of goods are set forth upon a “ ta<* ” like a long lu<wage label. A fore- man, upon completion, usually tears off the portion of the ticket relating to his depart- ment and files it. This ticket enables the office to keep trace of what takes place from the entry of an order into the factory to its delivery in the stock room. The upper leather having been cut and housewife is familiar, two-needle vamping machines, twin-needle zigzag machines, and those making three or four stitches simul- taneously, and machines which trim the edges of the uppers with knives whilst the needle is doing its work. The sections of bench are placed end to encl, so that the trough is continuous, and underneath is fixed the shafting, which drives the separate machines at the will of the operator. The work is passed from one part of the room to another by means of a wicker trolley A BUSY SCENE IN THE “ BOTTOMING ” DEPARTMENT. assembled with the linings, etc., correspond- ing, i-t is despatched to the “ closing ” or machining room. This is where uppers are fitted together, first attached by paste and then sewn deftly by young women on sewing machines—which are of a variety of types. It is necessary for the expeditious closing of uppers for several operators to perform different parts. One will sew the seams in the linings, another will put in backstraps, a third will attach the vamp, and so on; and to facilitate this the modern machiné bench is made in sections, with a trough at the back, into which the work drops as it is reeled off. Here are the old types of single sewing machines with one needle, somewhat like the one with which the on castors, the idea here being, as in other departments, for the process to be continuous until completion. The upper leather must be “ skived,” which means that a wedge-shaped slice is removed from each of two edges which have to be joined, so that the thickness of the two shall not exceed that of the other parts of the upper. Most of the upper leather “ skiving ” is performed on a machine which carries a thin, rapidly rotating circular knife, the feeding of which is very similar to that oi a sewing machine. After “ skiving,” then “ fitting ” ; and the tendency to-day is to do as little “ fitting ” as possible ; partly to save labour, and partly to avoid the use of paste or other adhesives liable to germination if