44 Industrial Experiments in Colonial America. 



year. In case more was produced than would be necessary for 

 consumption in Her Majesty's dominions, a beneficial trade 

 with Spain and Portugal could be maintained from the surplus. 

 The commissioners to New England had reported that tar might 

 be had under £5 a ton ; then supposing the freight in time of 

 peace to be £4 a ton, which would be exactly covered by the 

 premium recently granted,^ there would appear to be no reason 

 why tar should not be imported as cheaply as from the north- 

 ern countries. The good quality of New England tar had been 

 acknowledged, for, in the year 1707, 4.704 barrels were certified 

 to be satisfactory enough to receive the bounty. 



To bring the productions of the Palatines to perfection a con- 

 siderable outlay would be necessary, at first, for the necessary 

 supervision of the workmen and the disposal of the supplies 

 when manufactured. As the people would have no knowledge 

 of the proper methods of work, three or four skilled superin- 

 tendents must accompany them ; or Mr. Bridger, the surveyor, 

 might for a consideration come to the settlements with one or 

 two assistants and teach the people how to go to work. In any 

 case, it would be necessary to have a resident overseer to keep 

 the people busy, at a salary of, perhaps, £100 a year. A tempo- 

 rary storehouse for finished productions would be needed at the 

 settlement, and another at New York, from which the stores 

 could be shipped. A commissary would be required at the latter 

 place (at a salary of £200 for himself and clerk) to keep an exact 

 account' of the amounts received and the names of those from 

 whom the stores were received and of those to whom they were 

 delivered. The " neat produce of the stores," after all expenses 

 had been paid, was to be handed over to the commissary, or 

 other person appointed to receive the same, " to and for the 

 proper use and behalf of such Palatines respectively to whom it 

 doth of right belong." The Board of Trade was pleased to rec- 

 ommend these proposals to the Queen and Council, with the 

 result that Hunter secured from Parliament an appropriation of 



13 and 4 Anne c. 9. Cf. Part II, Ch. I. 



