217 



this time, the importing merchant, who has advanced his money for the 

 firfl coft, and incident charges, receives no return for it. On whom, 

 then, does this lofs of interefl:, for the period, fall ? Not on the mer- 

 chant; — for, in addition to the fum advanced by him, and a profit for his 

 rifque and trouble, he will enhance the price proportionably, and the ma- 

 nufadurer muft have the commodity at any rate. The whole lofs, there- 

 fore, of the intereil for this period falls on the manufafturer, and operates 

 for fo much, as a further tax on his induflry. 



Anderfon obferves, * " If the manufafture is of fuch a nature, as to 

 " admit of being carried on in feparate, detached houfes, in the country ; 

 " and may be pradifed, by any fingle perfon, independent of others, it 

 " muft invariably happen, that the whole of the money that is paid for 

 " the working up thefe foreign materials, flows direftly iuto the hands of 

 " the lower ranks of people, often into thofe of young women and chil- 

 " dren, who becoming giddy and vain, ufually lay out the greateft part of 

 " the money that is thus gained, in buying new clothes, and other gew- 

 " gaws, that catch their idle fancies ; and as thefe are almoft always the 

 " produce of other countries, the greateft part of this money flows out of 

 " the country, again, by innumerable channels, almoft as quickly as it ar- 

 " rives. So, that the benefit that refults to the community in this cafe, is 

 " far from being fo confiderable as a fuperficial obferver would, at firft 

 " fight, imagine." Tliais, the induftry employed in working up foreign 

 materials, is too often a ftrenuous idlenefs, which, inftead of replacing 

 what has been advanced, from the capital of the fociety, for the purchafe 

 of the primum, occafions a conftant drain of the circulating capital, for 

 the purchafe of foreign luxuries, particularly tea, fugar, and fpirituous li- 

 quors. The foregoing obfervation of Anderfon, applies particularly to 

 the filk manufafture, feveral branches of which, as, the winding, the 

 making of lace, of ribbands, and other trimmings, are carried on by children 

 and women, who too often employ their earnings in a manner, neither 

 advantageous to themfelves, nor profitable to the community. 



• Letters on Scotland, Vol. ift, page 38. 

 Vol. IX. ( E e ) Sect. 5. 



