TEANSACTIONS OF SECTION F. 763 



Friday . . .... . 1,277 persons 



Saturday 1,144 „ 



Simday 603 „ 



8,030 „ 

 or a daily average of 1,147 persons. 



Eeading-rooms for boys have been established at the Chorlton and Ancoats 

 branches. In Hidme the cellar has been converted into a reading-room for boys, 

 in which upwards of 250 boys can be accommodated at one time. The room is 

 light, pleasant, and comfortable, and has been attended by as many juvenile readers 

 as can be conveniently admitted. 



In the Lending Libraries there were, in September 1880, 31,138 borrowers' 

 cards in force, being an increase of 321 over the previous year. 



Parcels of periodicals and papers, which have been out on the news-room tables, 

 are made up weekly, as well as volumes not wanted, and are sent to various chari- 

 table institutions, such as the Infirmary and the Hospital for Inciu-ables, and are also 

 sent to the guardians of the Manchester and Chorlton Unions, for the use of the 

 inmates of the Workhouse Hospitals, and are thankfully accepted. 



Out of more than half a million of books, which have been lent out for reading, 

 only 74 have been lost. Of these, 44 were replaced or paid for by the borrowers 

 themselves, and 10 by guarantors. 



There have been in the yeai-, 1,091,000 visits to the Eeadmg-rooms for the 

 perusal of newspapers, magazines, and periodicals. There have been 966,468 books 

 read in the year, or an average of 2,777 on each day. 



The ratepayers in Manchester are contented that the money for their Free 

 Libraries is wisely laid out. 



In Netting Hill, London, a Free Library, belonging to Mr. J. Ileywood, F.E.S., 

 has been established for seven years, and contains 5,000 volumes. Of this number, 

 in the year 1881, between January and July, there were 6,482 volumes lent out to 

 read. During the same half-year there were in the Library 



10,404 readers on week-days, and 

 834 readers on Sunday afternoons. 

 March had 



2,119 readers on week-days, and 

 155 readers on Simday afternoons ; 



and during the month of March there were 



1,178 volumes lent out to read. 



A borrower of books pays one penny to this Library, and either deposits half- 

 a-crown, or gives a certificate, signed by two ratepayers, guaranteeing the safety 

 of the volimie. 



2. On the Progress of British Ccmimerce in a Generation. 

 By E. J. Watheeston. 



The author maintained that a great mistake was commonly made by writers on 

 ' commercial depression ' by examining years when they should look to decades, 

 and decades when they should take generations into account. Taking thirty-two 

 years, being about a ' generation,' the total value of our exports of home produce, 

 in 1848, was 52,849,445^., being ia the proportion of 11. 18s. per head of popula- 

 tion. In 1880 the figiures were 223,060,446^., or 6/. 9s. 5d. per head. This shows 

 that the expansion of our foreign trade in the coui-se of thu'ty-two years has been 

 enormous. Except, perhaps, the commerce of the United States, it stands unparal- 

 leled in the history of any nation. Taking the amounts, the colonial exports aug- 

 mented by about 61^ millions, while the foreign exports increased by more than 

 108^ millions. The total value of imports into the United Kingdom in 1854 was 

 152,389,053/., or in proportion of 6;. 10s. 2d. per head of population. In 1880 



