OF INDUSTRIES. 73 



reached an average of 425,000,000 francs in 

 1855-1859, and 460,000,000 in 1870-1874, fell 

 down to 233,000,000 in 1887. And it is reckoned 

 by French specialists that at present no less than 

 one-third of the silk stuffs used in France are 

 imported from Zurich, Crefeld, and Barmen. 

 Nay, even Italy, which has now 191,000 persons 

 engaged in the industry, sends her silks to 

 France and competes with Lyons. 



The French manufacturers may cry as loudly 

 as they like for protection, or resort to the pro- 

 duction of cheaper goods of lower quality ; 

 they may sell 3,250,000 kilogrammes of silk 

 stuffs at the same price as they sold 2,500,000 in 

 1855-1859 they will never again regain the 

 position they occupied before. Italy, Switzer- 

 land, Germany, the United States and Russia 

 have their own silk factories, and will import 

 from Lyons only the highest qualities of stuffs. 

 As to the lower sorts, a foulard has become a 

 common attire with the St. Petersburg house- 

 maids, because tjie North Caucasian domestic 

 trades supply them at a price which would starve 

 the Lyons weavers. The trade has been decen- 

 tralised, and while Lyons is still a centre for the 

 higher artistic silks, it will. never be again the 

 chief centre for the silk trade which it was thirty 

 years ago. 



Like examples could be produced by the score. 



