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COTTON TRADE AND CONSUMPTION. 



COTTON TRADE AND CONSUMPTION. 



very coarw quality of good*, or a rery low nte ol wagm and profit*. 

 In tho MUM year the Kronch gortnnMnt table* gave the following 

 flgures: Cotton factories. 094; mulo spinning machine*, 115,1S7; 

 other ..pmnmg.machiix-, 16,362; pindlM. 3,442,060; male adult ..p.- 

 ratirw. 103,663, with average w*gm of 1*. 8rf. per day ; female adult 

 operatives, 8,4M. wage* 1U</.; children, 44.-J73, wage* M. 



,. . 



. The 8wt do not wear many cotton garment* ; but 

 they manufacture cotton for export to neighbouring countries. The 

 tint pinning machine was established at St. UaU in 1800. A oon- 

 derabl* part of the SWIM manufacture consist* in wearing by hand- 

 loom the yarn which U imported ready spun from other countries ; 

 ; ,- and printing piece-goods which hare been woven abroad; 

 in the latter department of the trade they have acquired a high repu- 

 tation. A portion of the raw cotton imported by France U told again 

 to Switzerland. The republic worked up 22,000,000 Ibs. of cotton in 

 1843, and 27,000,000 11*. in 1851. The spinning capabilities have 

 risen from 269,000 spindles in 1824, to about 1,860,000 spindle* in 

 1868, in 270 factories 



ll<Jtad and Hdyium. These two countries are about on an 

 equality in relation to the cotton manufacture. They produce fine, 

 i.l .lurable cotton good*. Much of their cotton is purchased 

 from England. One of the curiosities of their trade is, that con- 

 siderable quantities of yarn, when dyed red, are re-exported to England, 

 for transmission to the East Indies; this seems to imply, that the 

 quality of the dye is preferred to that of England. The cotton-trade 

 of Holland is believed to be chit-fly a transit one, the bales being sent 

 onwards to the Rhenieh districts. Taking the two countries together, 

 Holland and Belgium imported 106,000 bales in 1850, and 170,000 

 bales in 1857. Belgium was supposed to have about 420,000 spindles 

 in 1845, chiefly in the province of East Flanders. 



On-many aiirf the llaltic Port*. Under the somewhat indefinite geo- 

 graphical designation, Germany, it is difficult to discover what is the 

 amount <>f the cotton manufacture; for in some returns Prussia is 

 included, but in others excluded ; while the Baltic ports of landing 

 might include many countries besides those belonging to the Germanic 

 Confederation. It will probably include nearly the whole of the 

 imports of northern and central Germany, Prussia, Russia, Sweden, 

 and Denmark, if we combine the statistics of Germany and the 

 Baltic Ports. In 1850 the importation amounted to 234,000 bales; 

 in 1857 it had increased to 878,000 bales; and in 1856, it had reached 

 "> bales; the extraordinary activity being probably due to 

 the renewed operations of peace after the Russian war of 1854-5. If 

 the average of 400 Ib. per bale may be taken (it was probably less 

 than this), the imports of the year in question amounted to 

 200,000,000 Ibs. 



Although the imports of the respective German States cannot here 

 be separated, the manufactures of several of them admit of being 

 noticed. All the German States together were said to hare 1,815,000 

 spindles in the year 1846, and 2,060,000 in 1857 ; but it U not clear 

 whether Prussia was included in this group. Much of the cotton im- 

 ported by Prussia in 1854-55 was merely in transit to Russia, whose 

 ports were practically closed during the war. Prtuiia counted 6880 

 workers in cotton mills, and 172,000 spindles, in 1846 ; in 1858 there 

 were supposed to be 425,000 spindles, in 26 cotton mills. /S 

 mulling a steady advance in the cotton manufacture, as shown by the 

 following figures : 84 mills and 360,000 spindles in 1830 ; 116 mills 

 and 475,000 spindles, in 1845; 134 mills and 605,000 spindles in 

 1858. The mills are mostly worked by water-power. The spindles 

 vary from 120 to 21,000 in each factory, and mostly weave coarse yarns. 

 In the year 1855 about 24,000,000 Ibs. of cotton were worked up into 

 '.'".110(1,000 Ibs. of yarn, worth 800,0002. The cotton was about in 

 equal quantities from the United States and the East Indies. The 

 fixed capital invcUil in the manufacture was estimated at the rate 

 of about 30*. per spindle, and the working capital at 27. There were 

 5979 men and boys employed, 5717 women and girls, or 11,696 alto- 

 gether. The aggregate of wages paid was 188,0002. about III. lit. 

 per head, or 4. 5rf. per week each operative on an average : a rate very 

 much lower than that which prevails in England. It was computed 

 that, of every 1002. received for the manufactured goods, (J7I. went for 

 raw cotton, 162. IQi. for wages, and the remaining 161. 10. for working 

 expenses, interest on capital, and profit ; this affords another proof that 

 both wages and profits must have been low. Of Bararia we learn 

 only a few facts ; that in 1847 there were 11 mills, 56,000 spindles, 

 and 1140 mill hands; and that by the year 1858 the mills had 

 somewhat increased in number. The German States of llanurcr, 

 .iilxry> Ba/dat, 01' ' , 1 Nauau, were collectively entered in 



1868 as possessing 82 cotton mills and 480,000 spindles. 



Jlnaia.--V<>T the reasons already stated, the amount of import of 

 cotton into Russia in recent yean is uncertain ; there are records, for 

 instance, that 187,000 bales were landed at Baltic ports in 1857 : but 

 we do not know how many of these port* were Russian. Concerning 

 the manufacture, there were 700,000 spindles in 1846. In 1853 the 

 government returns told of 495 cotton mills, 2,000,000 spindles, 

 !i mill hands employed, and 41,000,000 Ibs. of yarn produced. 

 The import of raw cotton is steadily increasing, and that of English- 

 spun yarn decreasing; showing that the Russians can now 

 themselves at a profit. There is good calico-printing conducted in the 

 governments of Moscow and Vladimir. 



A'oncoy and A*K(M. The cotton trade and manufacture in the** 

 northern countries are small ; but they are steadily increasing. It U 

 computed that about 22,000,000 Ibs. of cotton were imported in 1866, 

 mostly at GoUenburg. 



Aiuiria and /laly.lt is not easy to separate the accounts of these 

 two countries ; for although most of the cotton landed at Trieste is 

 forwarded north-eastward to Austria, Bohemia, Ac., some of it is con- 

 signed to northern Italy. If we combine the import* at Trieste v ith 

 those at all the Italian port*, we arrive at an average in eight yean, 

 I860 to 1867, of abo.it 160,000 bale* ; they exhibit a gradual dimi- 

 nution at Trieste, and a remarkable increase at the Italian ports due, 

 possibly, to a literal policy on the part of the government of Piedmont. 

 In Austria and Austrian Italy it is computed that, in 1846, there were 

 208 cotton mills, 1,270,000 spindles, and 28,000 null hands : and that, 

 In 1867, the mills had increased to 289, and the spindles to 1,740,000. 

 The looms, in 1851, were 24,000 in number, mostly hand-loom*. 

 There is a probability that some of the cotton spun and wm 

 Bohemia and Moravia comes through France or Germany; and that 

 thus the import* at Trieste are not a fair index to the totality of the 

 Austrian manufart 



S/iatV This fine but misgoverned country, in cotton manufactures 

 as in most other things, is far behind the position which she on 

 occupy. The spinning and weaving of cottons have slightly revived 

 within the hut few years ; but they are far below the proper lev. 

 a country with fifteen millions of inhabitant*. The cotton import 



1857 was only 82,000 bales. 



d xtitiet. We now cross the Atlantic, and briefly trace a manu- 

 facture which is advancing with rapid strides. In the year 1 789, the 

 State of Massachusetts procured models of carding ami spinning 

 machines from England, and manufactured machinery to be put in 

 operation by water-power ; but the first cotton mill actually set to 

 work in the United States was at Rhode Island in 1791. A second 

 was built in 1792. Then a series of years occurred, during which the 

 Americans made no advance whatever in the manufacture ; the s. ..it h- 

 eru States eagerly and successfully endeavoured to improve the eulturo 

 and increase the sale of the raw material ; but the Northern State* 

 took no steps to advance the spinning and weaving. It was not 

 the present century that anything noticeable was effected. In 

 there were three cotton mills altogether, which were increased to four 

 in 1804. In 1805 and the two following years there were ten mills 

 built in Rhode Island and one in Connecticut The war with England 

 in 1812 induced the Americans to pay more attention to the home 

 manufacture of cottons ; and from that year this branch of industry 

 has never flagged. The mills, which were only numerous enough to 

 use up 1000 bales of cotton in 1805, and 10,000 bales in 1810, used 

 90,000 bales in 1815 employing (or perhaps supporting) in various 

 ways 100,000 persons, and 40,000,000 dollars of capital 

 power-loom factories were erected, and then the manufacture ext 

 very rapidly. In 1830 the cotton worked up amounted to 127,000 

 boles; and in 1840 to 389,000 ; the value of the manufactured produce 

 in these two year* was about 4,700,0002. and 9,700,0002. respectively. 

 America had too brisk a demand at home for these goods to induce 

 her to export much ; down to 1834 the export of cotton barely reached 

 a value of half a million sterling annually. The cotton worked up in 

 1850 was about 640,000 bales; the mill hands were about 92,000; 

 and the gross value of the manufactured produce 12,900,0002. In 

 1855 the cotton consumed was set down at 689,000 bales ; and 

 the value of the manufactured cotton goods at 14,800,0002. There 

 can thus be no question that the cotton manufacture has spread 

 widely and rapidly in the United States. Some English manu- 

 facturers fear that the Americans will by-and-bye spoil our market 

 for spun and woven cotton goods in that country, and will even 

 undersell us in other countries. They point to the fact that whi! 

 total exports of cotton were higher in 1857 than in 1856, and hij.-; 



1858 than in 1867, that portion of the exports which v 

 United States receded being (in woven goods, excluding yarn. h. 



and lace) 8,800,0002. in 1856, 8,100,0002. in 1857, and 2,600,00n/. in 

 1858. On the other hand, as England is the great source for highly 

 effective machinery ; as coal and iron are abundant and cheap ; :. 

 wages are somewhat lower than in the United States, it 

 appear that our country ought not to lose much iu the race, in the 

 long run. 



A few words concerning the total consumption of cotton 

 countries. In 1835, Mr. Woodbury, Secretary of the United > 

 Treasury, compiled, by order of the American Congress, an. < 

 to the House of Representatives, a Collection of tables and n..- 

 the cultivation, manufacture, and foreign trade of cotton. 'I 

 were apparently prepared from all the authentic data at that time ob- 



. Leaving out those Asiatic and African countries of \ 

 indni-trial concerns we know so little, he estimated the consumption 

 of cotton, in all the countries where . ,.I,HH. i. ial statistics are of any 

 avail, at 490,000,000 Ibs. in 17'.H; 630,000,000 Ibs. in 1*-1 

 900,000,000 Ibs. in 1834. Mr. Bailey, Chairman of the Manchester 

 Chamber of Commerce, has made an estimate that in 1853 there 

 were 1,500,000,000 Ibs. worked up in Europe and America ; of which, 

 about one-half was wrought in England, and one-sixth in the United 

 St.it.- II. further estimated, that if all this cotton were 

 the yarn known as No. 40, it would have required 47,000,000 spindle* 



