TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 183 
of Yorkshire were 78,994, namely 26,750 males, and 52,244 females. Within the last 
few years the worsted industry had attained the proud position of being the second of 
the textile manufactures of the kingdom, ranking after that of cotton; but in York- 
shire it was predominant. There the cotton branch was insignificant, and that of 
woollen only employs in its factories 42,982 persons, In the worsted trade of York~- 
shire there are 35,298 power-looms, and in woollen only 6275, Mr. James objected 
to any estimate which would raise the woollen manufacture above that of worsted in 
value; and claimed for Bradford the high honour of being the metropolis of the second 
manufacture in the kingdom. He alluded to the present tendency to employ adult 
labour in worsted factories. Formerly one-fourth of the factory hands were children ; 
now the proportion is one-eighth. Notwithstanding the panic of last year, which 
caused such disastrous effects in the worsted districts of the North, and paralysed its 
trade, it had wonderfully recovered from the shock, and, like a sick man who in a 
fever had thrown off his morbific humours, now appeared to be in a sound and healthy 
state. He estimated the whole of the worsted manufactures of England to be of the 
yearly value (inclusive of materials) of £18,000,000. Of this, the Yorkshire portion 
is at least £13,000,000, made up thus :— 
Worsted pieces of all descriptions..........0+..6. bs aed erate £10,000,000 
Yarns—for export, and for the Glasgow, Manchester, Nor- 
wich, and other markets ...... nv eedih ares Besides eile e's 3,000,000 
Mr. James spoke highly of the worsted operatives, whom he described as superior in 
condition to those in any other manufacture, whether physically, morally, or intellec- 
tually. ‘The worsted factory girls were, he thought, much superior in cleanliness and 
appearance, and orderly habits, to those in cotton factories; he remarked on the 
elegance and respectability of their attire on Sundays, and concluded by expressing 
an opinion that the worsted manufacture was destined to furnish a large portion of 
female dress for the whole of the civilized globe, suitable alike for all climes, whether 
cold or hot, and for all classes, whether grave or gay. 
On the Iron Trade of Leeds. 
By James Kitson, jun., of Monk Bridge Iron Works, Leeds. 
The iron trade of Leeds is at once the most ancient and most modern of the 
branches of industry carried on in the borough; the most ancient, because it can be 
proved, by the remains of the scoriz of ancient iron works, that this metal was manu- 
factured here hundreds of years ago; the most modern, as it has attained its present 
ment within the last thirty years, before which time it existed on a very limited 
scale. 
Extensive beds of scoriz and other remains have been found at Horsforth, within 
the borough, and near to the old Roman town at Adel. Four branches of the iron trade 
flourish in Leeds; the manufacture of—1. Iron; 2. Cut Nails; 3. Textile machinery 
and machine tools; 4, Locomotive engines and railway plant generally. 
1. There are six smelting furnaces manufacturing iron on the cold-blast system, for 
the production of the highest qualities of Yorkshire iron. Four were in blast last 
year, which made 12,745 tons of pig iron. The hands employed in this branch are 
2120. The average amount of weekly wages £2540. Total wages paid during 1857, 
£132,080. Total consumption of coals, 198,122 tons, Total production of malleable 
iron, 41,734tons. Average price of pig iron sold, £5 1s.; total annual value, £30,426. 
Average price of malleable iron, £15 4s.; total annual value, £634,356. Capital 
vested in plant, buildings, &c. £348,500, 
The average price of the malleable iron is double that of ordinary Staffordshire 
iron, which is a sure indication of the esteem in which it is held; it is used principally 
for the highest engineering purposes. 
2, Cut nails are manufactured extensively. The number of hands employed in 
this branch is 188, Total wages paid in 1857, £6188, Total production of nails, 
3452 tons. Average price, £14 13s. Total annual value, £50,575. For those curious 
_ In numbers, it has been calculated that about seventy millions of nails are cut in Leeds 
every week. 
3. Fenton, Murray and Co. were the founders of the machine trade in Leeds; 
