39 



date, under the title I have selected for to-night's paper. Mills 

 are being continually erected in the neighbourhood of Oldham, 

 and sheds in the neighbourhood of Burnley and Nelson, and the 

 question that naturally suggests itself is : Can this state of 

 things continue ? I may say at the outset that I intend to deal 

 with the question from an affirmative standpoint. I shall en- 

 deavour to prove that there has been a considerable expansion 

 in the cotton trade during the past five years, and to show in 

 what parts of the world we may expect our future customers to 

 be found. Owing to their being in some cases no return for 

 1875 I shall not be able to confine myself exclusively to that 

 year ; and the comparison will mainly be confined to the years 

 from 1874 to 1886. The following figures will show the increase 

 in the number of spindles, looms, cotton operatives, and cotton 

 consumed in the United Kingdom : — 



Years. Spindles. 



1874 37,515,772 



1886 42,700,000 



Increase 5,184,228 



Percentage, 13-8. Annual Increase, 1-15. 



Years. Looms. 



1874 463,118 



1886 561,000 



Increase 97,882 



Percentage, 21-1. Annual Increase, 1-75. 



Years. Cotton Operatives. 



1874 , 479,515 



1886 505,000 



Increase 25,485 



Percentage, 5-3. Annual Increase, "44. 



Years. Cotton consumed. 



1874 1,277,400,000 



1886 1,450,700,000 



Increase 173,300,000 



Percentage, 18*5. Annual Increase, 1*12. 



Exports Yarn, 

 Average per Annum. Lbs. 



Five years to 1877 Incl 222,250,000 



to 1882 „ 239,000,000 



Fouryearsto 1886 „ 259,000,000 



Increase 1873 to 1886 36,750,000 



Percentage, 16-5. Annual Increase, 12*7. 



