STRAW PLAT. 161 



not made up, and merely an ad valorem duty of 10 

 per cent, on straw not platted. Such, however, is the 

 cheapness of labour upon the Continent, in compa- 

 rison with its rate in England, that the best Hertford- 

 shire straw has actually been sent to Switzerland, 

 platted in that country, and returned to England, 

 where, notwithstanding the import duty of 17s. per lb., 

 it can be sold at twenty-five per cent, cheaper than 

 plat made at home*. 



In consequence of this difference of duty on the 

 wrought and unwrought materials, a straw manu- 

 facturer a few years since imported a considerable 

 quantity of prepared straw from Leghorn, and not 

 succeeding in the platting, placed it in the hands of 

 Mr. Parry, who first made himself a proficient in the 

 Leghorn method of platting, and then taught it to 

 other persons with so much success that in a short 

 time he had above seventy persons, women and 

 children, employed in this manufacture. On dis- 

 closing the particulars of the mode employed, he 

 received an honorary reward from the Society for the 

 Encouragement of Arts, &c., which society has at 

 various times offered premiums for improvements in 

 the home production and manufacture of straw plat, 

 " influenced by the desire of thereby obtaining em- 

 ployment for the poor in the agricultural districts, by 

 contributing to the revival and improvement of a 

 manufacture at once healthful and domestic, and 

 particularly valuable as accustoming children to habits 

 of industry without the imposition of any hurtful 

 degree of bodily labour." 



At nearly the same time another candidate ap- 

 peared claiming a reward connected with this sub- 

 ject, and which revived the desire of rivalling the 

 Italians in their straw produce as well as in its manu- 

 facture. Miss Woodhouse, the daughter of a far- 

 * Trans, of Soc. for the En, of Arts, 40th vol. 



p 3 



