48 



factnrers were already competing successfully with us in East 

 Africa, and he did not think we should make much headway in 

 China owing to the exclusiveness of the iDopulation. He had 

 not a word to say against the workpeople of this country, who 

 he believed were as industrious as those in any part of the world, 

 and if strikes were common here they were common in every 

 civilised country ; but he thought the Factory Acts might be 

 better administered. Eetired military officers on half pay were 

 not the men to superintend our mills, but we should have as 

 inspectors men who could cai'ry out the Acts in a little more 

 conciliatory manner thSiU at present. 



Councillor Thornber, J. P., considered the figures which had 

 been adduced proved rather the reverse of what Alderman Green- 

 wood had argued. Through the competition of other countries 

 that were now commencing to manufacture their own cloth, 

 English manufacturers were being driven on to finer counts of 

 cloth, and if we were to maintain our position it would be 

 through our supremacy in this direction, owing to the superior 

 intelligence of masters and workpeople in the country. The 

 establishment of technical schools throughout our weaving 

 centres would enable the operatives to become better fitted for 

 these elaborate makes of cloth to which we were being driven. 

 Burnley had been considerably behind other towns in this respect, 

 having had goods more of a " bread and cheese " type. However 

 they were moving in the direction of having to make less plain 

 sorts, and he indulged the hope that the proposed technical 

 school would give an impetus to the movement in that direction. 



Mr. James Lancaster was of opinion that while the competi- 

 tion from India would increase very considerably, there was a 

 wonderful field for the development of our trade in China, where 

 the first railway had only been open a short time. After pointing 

 out that the crops of cotton in India increased in quality every 

 year, he said our consuls ought to be more like travellers, and 

 follow in the steps of consuls representing other countries who 

 were constantly sending samples of goods and valuable com- 

 mercial information to their respective Governments, for the use 

 of Chambers of Commerce. There had been a tremendous 

 increase in the production and export of yarn ; but it must not 

 be forgotten that many old spinning mills in Burnley and other 

 towns were killed off, whilst many gigantic concerns at Oldham 

 were to-day standing in the books at double their value. 



Mr. J. S. CoLLiNGE, J. P., reminded the members that India 

 formed part of the Empire, and a great deal of the capital em- 

 ployed in her mills was Lancashire wealth. India was dependent 

 upon her agricultural prosperity, and in case of a ruinous harvest 

 there, one half of the looms, in this part of Lancashire at all 

 events, would, according to Mr. Greenwood, have no work at all. 



