3 2 ▁described ▁the ▁dust ▁as ▁" al most ▁suff oc ating ". ▁ ▁On ▁the ▁spin ning ▁flo ors , ▁the ▁spin ning ▁process ▁required ▁a ▁warm ▁hum id ▁environment . ▁ ▁George ▁Murray ▁stated ▁that ▁they ▁tried ▁to ▁keep ▁temper atures ▁at ▁around ▁ 2 4   ° C ▁( 7 5   ° F ). ▁ ▁Sp inners ▁were ▁regarded ▁as ▁craft s men , ▁and ▁they ▁were ▁paid ▁by ▁the ▁amount ▁they ▁produced . ▁ ▁They ▁were ▁also ▁left ▁to ▁rec ruit , ▁train ▁and ▁pay ▁their ▁own ▁assist ants . ▁ ▁These ▁assist ants ▁were ▁often ▁children , ▁and ▁consisted ▁of ▁" pie cers " ▁who ▁rejo ined ▁broken ▁threads ▁and ▁m ule ▁sc av engers ▁who ▁clean ed ▁the ▁mach in ery . ▁ ▁Child ▁labour ▁was ▁generally ▁considered ▁by ▁mill ▁man agers ▁to ▁be ▁an ▁important ▁way ▁of ▁se cur ing ▁a ▁sk illed ▁adult ▁work ▁force . ▁ ▁Comp ared ▁to ▁other ▁tr ades , ▁w ages ▁in ▁cot ton ▁mill s ▁were ▁relatively ▁high . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 3 3 , ▁the ▁average ▁ear nings ▁of ▁an ▁employee ▁at ▁the ▁complex ▁was ▁ 1 2 ▁sh ill ings ▁( 6 0 p ) ▁per ▁week , ▁which ▁compared ▁fav ou rab ly ▁with ▁other ▁mill s . ▁ ▁However , ▁unlike ▁some ▁other ▁mill ▁own ers ▁the ▁Murray s ▁did ▁not ▁give ▁employees ▁credit ▁to ▁buy ▁goods ▁from ▁company - owned ▁stores , ▁or ▁provide ▁housing ▁for ▁employees ▁beyond ▁key ▁workers .