42 REPORT — 1867. 



of silicon, phosphorus, or sulphur; but these experimenters have never 

 taught us how to separate, ccouomically, those almost infinitesimal amounts 

 of substances, lo rid our produce of which has defied their science and our 

 practice. 



Both on the continent and in this country, the success attending the use 

 of the blast- and puddling-furnaces rests, in a great measure, with the work- 

 men ; and so far as waste of material, quality of produce, or any other test, 

 enables one to judge of the results, it is as absurd to impute any superiority 

 to either side, as it is impossible to find a higher degree of science, Avhcre 

 both British and foreign artisans are equally uninstructed in respect to the 

 true nature of the process under their control. 



It may be well, at the same time, for our own workpeople to know that, 

 although we had the start in this particular field of industry, there is not one 

 department, from rolling the finest wire iron and the thinnest tin plates or 

 hoops, to turning out the largest rails or heaviest armour plating, in which 

 these operations are not performed quite as well by foreign labour as by the 

 most expert rollers in the best mills in this country. 



Reverting now to the relative facilities enjoj'cd on the continent and here 

 in the manufacture of iron, it may be remembered that ours have been stated 

 to lie in the possession of mines yielding coal upon more favourable condi- 

 tions, and in the more convenient geographical distribution of our minerals. 

 To the last may be added the easier transport of our manufactured produce 

 to a seaport, due to the insular character of our country. Against this we 

 have to set the lesser charge for roj^alties on coal and ironstone abroad, 

 together with the fact, not previously noticed, that their railway trausijovt 

 is somewhat less costly than with us, reckoned for equal distances. The 

 saving thus efifcetod in France and other places cannot account for the dis- 

 appearance which occurs, to a great extent, of the effect of those natural 

 advantages, economically speaking, placed at the disposal of the iron manu- 

 facturers of this kingdom. 



So far as a careful examination of iron-works producing above one-half 

 of the collective make of France, Belgium, and the lluhr district has enabled 

 Mr. Lancaster, the iron-master of Wigan, and myself to judge, this is dp.(_> 

 neither to greater science possessed by the iron-master, nor to greater skill 

 on the part of the workmen, but is wholly to be ascribed to the cheaper rare 

 at Avliich labour is obtained abroad than with us. 



To ascertain as exactly as possible whether the foreign artisan could, from 

 surrounding circumstances, dispose of the work of his hands upon cheaper 

 terms than persons of his own condition are able to do with ourselves, I 

 made myself acquainted, while in Sweden, France, Belgium, and Prussia, 

 with the cost of the necessaries of life consumed by the working population. 

 It is almost superfluous to say that the creation of additional industry abroad, 

 and above aU, the ecjualizing effect on prices by the introduction of free trade 

 here, have entirely changed the aspect of affairs, and that, in consequence, 

 provisions are at least 20 to 30 per cent, dearer to the foreign labourer than 

 they were twenty years ago. Without going into details, it may suffice to 

 say that animal food is only 3 per cent, cheajier in the chief seats of con- 

 tinental manufacture than with us — while house-rent and clothing are aL'out 

 the same in value with both. On the other hand, at the present moment, 

 'wheat is fully lower in England, and our own workmen do not pay half the 

 price charged to persons of their own class abroad for firing employed for 

 domestic use. 



Notwithstanding this almost perfect equality in the cost of the necessaries 



