THE BRITISH CORN TRADE. Market value. (Compiled from Public Papers and Parliamentary Returns.) 14 yrs.-1815 to 1828. Wheat, Other grains, Totals, Yearly average, . 40,327,390 Of this there was imported into Ireland, 1829-1841, £648,964 (none before 1829) and from 1842 to 1850, £17,867,320; together, £18,516,284 by official value, but by real value, say £31,107,357, and nearly all 1846-49. The portion for 1850 cannot yet be ascertained. 1849 66 Decrease, 66 4,014,122 12,167,500 3,750,000 £20,443,094 £19,066,584 4,600,000 4,237,678 tons £3,750,000 (See Macqueen's Statistics, p. 11.) Total decrease, . For years 1847-'50 yearly value of foreign grain imported into the United Kingdom, In 1850, other provisions (agricultural) and live stock, say THE FACTORIES OF GREAT BRITAIN. RETURNS have just been published, in compliance with an order of the House of Commons of the 15th August, 1850, on the motion of Mr. Pilkington, the member for Blackburn, which possess great interest, as an authentic record of several of the most important branches of British industry. These are the most complete series of returns ever issued, of the number and power of the factories in the textile manufactures, with the number, age, and sex of the persons employed in them. They are not in exactly the same form as the returns made in 1834, which are to be found in the volume of "Tables of Revenue, Population, and Commerce," for that year. We cannot, therefore, compare the two series at all points. But in the most important particulars they correspond, and thus we are able to institute a comparison, and to show the remarkable progress that has been made, in the space of sixteen years, in these great departments of industry. Of course these returns apply only to the operations carried on in factories, and under the inspection of the Factory Inspectors, and they do not, therefore, include the auxiliary branches of the manufactures, such as hand-loom weavers, dyers, manufacturers of lace, hosiery, &c. We shall look first at the largest branch of manufacturing industry under the head of the COTTON FACTORIES-UNITED KINGDOM. In 1834 the number of cotton factories was 1304; in 1850 it was 1932; increase 628 factories, or 48 per cent. In the hands employed there was a somewhat greater increase, namely, from 220,134 in 1834 to 330,924 in 1850; increase 110,790, or 50 per cent. The increase in the steam and water power employed in the cotton mills is much greater. These particulars are not given in the returns published by the Board of Trade for 1834, but they were furnished by the Factory Inspectors to Mr. Edward Baines, for his "History of the Cotton Manufacture," published at the beginning of 1835, and we extract them from that work (p. 394). In 1834, the horse power was 30,853 of steam, and 10,203 of wa ter-total 41,056 horse power. In 1850 the horse power was 71,005 of steam, and 11,550 of water-total 82,555; being an increase of 100 per cent. The number of spindles used in the cotton manufactures was not given in any returns of the Factory Inspectors in 1834; but it was estimated by Mr. E. Baines, on a comparison of the author ities of Burn, Kennedy, &c., at 9,333,000 (p. 383). In 1850 the number was 20,977,017: being an increase of 102 per cent. The number of power looms was estimated by Mr. Baines in 1834 at 100,000; it is given in 1850 as 249,627: increase 149,627, or 150 per cent. In 1834 there were believed to be 250,000 hand loom weavers; we have no means of stating the number in 1850. The import of cotton wool increased from 303,656,837 lbs. in 1833 to 755, 469,008 lbs. in 1849; being an increase of 451,812,163 lbs., or 148 per cent. Thus, as might have been expected, from the improvements in machinery and the speeding of the machines since 1834, the increase in the hands employed is less than the increase in the steam and water power, or in the spindles, and this again is less than the increase in the cotton wool consumed. The increase of hands has been 50 per cent., of steam and water power, 100 per cent., of spindles, 102 per cent., of power-looms, 150 per cent., and of cottonwool consumed, 148 per cent. Thus the extent of the manufacture has immensely increased; but, owing to the mechanical improvements, the productiveness of each workman and of the machinery has increased far more: of course the consumer gains greatly by the reduction that necessarily takes place in the price of the manufactured articles; the consumption increases, and this reacts upon and increases the manufacture. We give the particulars in a tabular form: 755,469,008 148 Cotton wool, imported, lbs.. 303,656,837 The principal seats of the cotton manufacture are shown by the number of factory operatives in different counties. Out of the whole number of 330,924, there are found 215,983 in Lancashire, 35,772 in Cheshire, 18,691 in Yorkshire, 22,759 in Lanarkshire, and 7,884 in Renfrewshire; the rest are scattered over other parts of the kingdom. WOOLLEN AND WORSTED FACTORIES. In 1834, these two branches of manufacture, which are kindred, yet distinct, were put together under the general head of "wool." They are now given separately. In 1844, there were 1,322 mills; in 1850, there were 1,497 woollen mills and 501 worsted mills,total 1,998; increase 676 mills, or 51 per cent. The hands employed were, in 1834, 71,274: in 1850, there were 74,443 employed in the woollen mills, and 79,737 in the worsted mills-total 154,180: increase 82,906 hands, or 116 per cent. There is no document or authority, so far as we know, giving the steam or water power of the mills, or the number of spindles employed, in either branch of this manufacture in 1834. The quantity of foreign and colonial sheep's wool retained for home consumption in 1833 was 39,065,620 lbs.; in 1849, the quantity imported was 75,100,833 lbs. of sheep's wool, and 1,655,300 lbs. Alpaca wool-total 76,756,133 lbs. of which 12,324,415 lbs. sheep's wool and 126,082 lbs. Alpaca wool was re-exported-leaving for home consumption 64,305,836 lbs. of both kinds. Increase since 1833, 25,239,016 lbs. or 64 per cent. There are no materials for stating the quantity of British wool consumed at the two periods. Mr. McCulloch estimates the quantity of British wool used annually (eight or ten years since) at 110,000,000 lbs. ; but we cannot offer any opinion on the comparative quantities in 1833 and 1849; though it may be said that the increase cannot be anything approaching to the increase in foreign and colonial wool. It appears, then, that the increase in the number of mills in the woollen and worsted manufactures since 1834 is 51 per cent.; the increase in the hands employed 116 per cent.; and the increase in the consumption of foreign and colonial sheep's wool, which forms less than one half the wool consumed, is 64 per cent. We give the facts in the tabular form, thus: The Woollen mills are scattered over a greater number of counties in England, Scotland, and Ireland, than any other description of mills; but of 74,443 hands employed, there are found 40,611 in Yorkshire, 8,816 in Lancashire, 6,043 in Gloucestershire, 2,877 in Wiltshire, and 2,175 in Somersetshire. Of the Worsted mills by very far the largest number are in Yorkshire. Out of 79,737 hands employed, 70,905 are in this county, chiefly in the parishes of Bradford, Halifax, Keighley, and Bingley. |