45 



the people of India with which to conduct a large trade, are we 

 not warranted in hoping that China will make much larger 

 demands upon us than in the past ? Mr. J. C. Fielden, in an 

 article in the " Co-operative Annual" says the present value of 

 the world's cotton products is not more than about 350 million 

 sterling, and allowing the population of the world as 1,400 

 million, and that the consumption is 12s. per head, which is that 

 of England, then the total requirements of the world amount to 

 840 million sterling, or considerably more than double that 

 which is used at present. This is certainly taking an exceedingly 

 sanguine view of the future, and a view which perhaps it may be 

 somewhat difficult to sustam ; but in taking this view which I 

 have adopted in regard to China we are proceeding upon actual 

 experience of an Eastern country, viz. that of India. It has 

 been found that India takes a Uttle over 2ilb. of cloth annually 

 per head of population. The same remark apphes to Java and 

 Japan, and I see no reason why it should not apply to China. 

 The more I think of the matter the more I am satisfied that 

 China is the great hope of the future for the Enghsh manufacturer. 

 Should my expectations in regard to China be realised, the ma- 

 chinist, spinner, and manufacturer of this country will have as 

 pleasant an experience in the future as they have had of the past. 

 India is our greatest customer both in yarn and cloth, in evidence 

 of which last year (1886) she took over 18 per cent of the entire 

 export of yarn and 43 per cent of our cloth exports. Of the 

 entire increased exports since 1878 India has taken of yarn 51 

 per cent and of cloth 83 per cent. The Board of Trade returns 

 show that the export of cloth in 1886 exceeded that of 1881 to 

 the extent of 73 million yards, but during this time the exports 

 to India increased 479 million yards, showing an actual decrease 

 to other parts of the world to the amount of 406 million yards. 

 This shows very clearly our great dependence upon India as a 

 customer for our cotton manufactures. No one in the light of 

 these facts can fail to see how important the prosperity of India 

 is to the trade of Lancashire. Anything which seriously inter- 

 fered with the prosperity of India would be absolutely ruinous 

 to Lancashire, seeing that she takes nearly half of our exports 

 of cotton cloth. It is therefore important that Lancashire men 

 should encom-age in every possible way the development and 

 prosperity of India. Experience shows that the more easy and 

 the greater the facilities for the conveyance of produce from one 

 part of India to another the greater has been the trade of India. 

 Hence the importance of encouraging railway, river, and road 

 improvements. The following statistics, culled from an address 

 dehvered before the Manchester Geographical Society by J. K. 

 Bythell, Esq., on the 2nd March, will be found very valuable 

 and interesting to those who are desirous to obtain information 



