282 



REPORT — 1881, 



Soots and Shoes, Eats, S)'c. 



Boots and shoes constitute an expensive and necessary article of 

 dress. Their cost at 8s. 6d. per pair would be 14,800,000?. Of gloves, 

 the home production is small. In 1880 there were imported 17,469,000 

 pairs, valued at 1,742,000Z. There were also imported 463,000Z. worth 

 of artificial flowers, and seal-skins to the value of 623,000L Sealskin 

 jackets are a great luxury. The import price in 1880 averaged 19'08s. 

 per skin, and it is not uncommon for such jackets to be sold for 40L and 50Z. 

 On hats, the amount expended may be taken at 2,000,000L, making a total 

 for these articles of 19,600,000, and with 20 per cent, for distribution 

 23,o00,000Z., or in the proportion of 0'4A<d. as a gross, and 0-39d. as a net 

 expenditure per head per day. 



Gold and Silver Plate. 



There is further the expenditure on gold and silver. According to 

 Mr. Giffen's evidence before the House of Commons' Committee on hall- 

 marks, about four and a half million ounces of silver are aniiually used 

 in the United Kingdom for manufacture. At 4s. 6d. per oz. that would 

 represent little more than 1,000,000?., but in the manufacture of the 

 precious metals the cost of workmanship is greatly in excess of the value 

 of the raw material. Taking an average of IZ. per oz., the total amount 

 expended would be 4,500,000?. The amount expended in gold plate 

 and jewellery must be considerable, but there is no means to estimate 

 the same. The expenditure of the precious metals differs considerably 

 in years of commercial prosperity and years of commercial depression. 

 Therefore it can scarcely be considered a constant in the expenditure of 

 the people ; nevertheless it may be safely estimated that upwards of 

 5,000,000?. are yearly expended in gold and silver plate, to say nothing of 

 diamonds. Allowing 20 per cent, for distribution the expenditure would 

 be in the proportion of 0-09d. gross, and 0'07c?. net per head per day. 



Total Hxjpenditure in Dress. 

 The amount spent in ordinary articles of dress is as follows : — 



Cotton 



Wool . 



Linen . 



Silk . 



Leather, Felt, Jcc, 



Gold and Silver Plate 



Gross Expenditure 



£ 



31,000,000 



63,000,000 



7,700,000 



17,600,000 



23,.500,000 



5,000,000 



Xet Expenditure 



£ 



25,800,000 



52,800,000 



6,400,000 



14,700,000 



19,600,000 



4,000,000 



£147,800,000 £123,300,000 



Dividing the expenditure among the entire population, the proportion 

 is i'TS'.?. per day for the gross and 1'ZOd. per day for the net, as follows:-— 



2-7.5<^. 



2-i()d. 



