OF LINEN BY POWER LOOMS. 225 



from having large and unemployed families depending upon 

 them alone for support. The hand-loom weaver, who is so 

 short-sighted as to fear the introduction of power-looms and 

 would prefer the slave-Tike "life and' system of weaving in a 

 smoky cabin, sooner than he and his family should walk a 

 mile to work in a warm but well- ventilated, clean factory, is 

 only fit to sit in his cabin and feed geese for those in Man- 

 chester who know how to earn what they will have a good 

 living. 



" A girl or boy, with a few month's practice, can attend on 

 two looms in weaving from 9 to 14 linens. I have seen 

 them do it in Messrs. German, Petty, and Go's factory in 

 Preston, and earn from 6s. to 9s. per week. 



' ' Strong 14 shirting linens can be made from my white 

 Flax for 7d. per yard, and a light 14 for fid. per yard, 

 and being confident that either will be better and stronger 

 than the same quality of goods made from grey yarns spun 

 from retted Flax, which must become considerably lighter 

 and weaker from being first boiled and then bleached, I would 

 just ask the British and Irish farmers and tradesmen why 

 they continue to wear cotton shirts when they can be so much 

 better served with linen, the production of our own country, 

 and at all but the same price ? The mistake has arisen from 

 two false ideas, viz., that linen cannot be made to compete, 



with cotton, and that cotton is the healthier of the two 

 materials. I feel confident that six linen shirts, at the prices 



named below, will wear longer than nine cotton shirts at the 

 prices quoted : 



COST OF A LINEN SHIET. 

 3 yards 4-4 ths 14 linen, at 7 d. per yard. . . .0 1 9 



| yard of fine linen for fronts, etc., 10 



Thread and buttons 002 



Making . 010 



3 9 



