LEATHER GOODS. 



83 



From 1870 to 1880 the prodiictioii contiimed to increase without much imprdve- 

 inent beinj;: made in the manufacturing processes. 



D A T E. 



Number of 

 tanneries. 



Number of Production 

 hands, in roubles. 



1871 

 1875 

 1879 



3,065 

 2,764 

 3,317 



14,400 

 14.577 

 20,132 



26,111,381 

 26,506,000 

 41,986,300 ' 



These figures show that the production in 1871 amounted to 26 million roubles, or 

 1 .200,000 more than that of the preceding year; from that time until the end of 1877 

 the mean production was about 27 million roubles per annum. In 1878 it rose with a 

 l)Ound to 42 million, that is to say, that during the space of two years it increased 

 55 per cent. This sudden increase was due to a very lively demand for boots and 

 other leathern goods during the Russo-Turkish war. The following statistics show* the 

 state of the trade during the subsequent years. 



During the tirst year after the war the trade was still engaged in completing 

 the large orders given diu'ing the campaign as the operations of tanning and dressing 

 the thick hides required for boot soles and for strapping occupy about a year, and 

 consequently the pelts received in 1879 were only finished in 1880. In that year the 

 maximum production of the Russian leather trade was attained. In the following year 

 it fell to 37 million roubles, or about 10.2 per cent, and then during the three sub- 

 sequent years, up to 1884 inclusive, it averaged very nearly 38 million roubles, which 

 is about 11 million roubles or 29 per cent more than the average of the preceding 

 ten years, excluding the two years of the Russo-Turkish war. The production during 

 the next five years is shown by the annexed table. 



6* 



