SECTIONAL TRANSACTIONS.— F. 381 



Transport costs and supplies of specialised labour could explain a great 

 deal of the nineteenth century pattern of location ; although still dominant 

 in some cases, these are of much less importance in the new industries which 

 can absorb the surplus workers from the old staples. 



An analysis of the factors in the location of the growing industries : 

 transport ; the demand for labour ; the market ; other elements, including 

 ' arbitrary ' and non-economic factors, and the various beliefs which may 

 influence the industrialist in choosing a location. 



This analysis, together with other considerations, suggest that the de- 

 pressed areas will not be able to attract new industries with any greater 

 success in the future than has been the case in the past. 



Local and individual effort being limited, the control of location by the 

 State is often suggested ; this has certain implications which are often 

 overlooked, but which would be of great importance in an attempt to apply 

 such a policy. 



N.B. — The factors considered will be illustrated largely by reference to 

 conditions in Lancashire. 



Mr. W. Prest. — The Lancashire coal industry (12.0). 



The problems confronting the Lancashire and Cheshire coal industry 

 are complicated by the wide diversity of technical and commercial conditions 

 in the coalfield. The industry as a whole, however, enjoys easy access to 

 extensive local markets, and this makes possible a higher level of prices and 

 costs than prevails in any other important coalfield. Nevertheless the Lanca- 

 shire coal industry has to meet considerable and increasing competition from 

 neighbouring districts. The industry has consequently declined until 

 to-day output is only about half as great as before the war. This decline 

 is unique among the Midland coalfields and is comparable only to that of 

 exporting districts such as Durham and South Wales. The issues raised 

 are of great social and industrial importance, and they also have some 

 bearing on the theory of industrial location. 



Wednesday, September 16. 



Dr. John Thomas. — The Pottery Industry and the Industrial Revolution 



(10.0). 



The traditional view is that the Potteries either escaped or experienced 

 a belated Industrial Revolution. This paper challenges this traditionally 

 accepted view by producing documentary and other evidence of a steady 

 and unbroken sequence in the economic transformation of the pottery 

 industry, from about 1730 to 1850. 



The progressive application of steam power to pottery productive pro- 

 cesses is traced from documentary evidence, culled from the Boulton and 

 Watt and other archives, hitherto neglected. 



Intimate relationship between the mechanisation of pottery processes 

 and the increase of output. 



Potters as coalmasters, and the parallel application of steam power to 

 the North Staffordshire Coalfield. Josiah Wedgwood as a steam power 

 pioneer and patron of Boulton and Watt. The significance of steam power 

 in converting the pottery workshop into a factory. New light on the 

 pottery ' turn-out ' of 1836. The transport and commercial revolutions, 

 which accompanied the industrial changes. New light on the first attempt 

 at a National General Chamber of Manufacturers. How the consumer 



