A HISTORY OF THE SODA MANUFACTURE. 257 



merits in Great Britain in which soda is manufactured by Le Blanc's 

 process, producing 



about 3,000 tons of soda ash per week. 



„ 2,000 „ of soda crystals „ 



„ 250 „ of bi-carbonate of soda... „ 



„ 400 „ of bleaching powder „ 



The total annual value of these products may be estimated as ex- 

 ceeding Two millions sterling, which is so much entirely added to the 

 annual income of the country, excepting about 100,000£. paid for 

 materials obtained from other countries. The number of workmen 

 actually employed in the several manufactories, may be estimated as 

 being at least 10,000, exclusive of those engaged in the manufacture 

 of salt, and in mining for pyrites, limestone, and coal ; also exclusive 

 of the men engaged in the transport of raw material and manu- 

 factured goods by sea, canals, and railroads. 



In reference to this part of the subject, I must not omit to notice 

 the promise of a new market for British-made soda, which has been 

 opened up by the successful labours of Mr. Cobden in the Commercial 

 Treaty with the French Government. Although our manufacturers 

 have to meet an import duty of 15 per cent, on soda ash, or thirty-six 

 shillings per ton (exclusive of the commutation for salt tax), also to pro- 

 vide for cost of transit, the cheap supplies of salt and coal at their com- 

 mand, will enable them to carry on a trade in that country where the 

 soda process was first brought into existence. The import duty will be 

 reduced in 1864 to 10 per cent., or twenty-four shillings per ton. 



At the time of this treaty being negociated it was estimated that 

 the consumption of salt in France for the manufacture of soda was 

 59,000 tons, whilst that in Great Britain was 260,000 tons per annum. 



I will now attempt to give a prospective view of the soda manu- 

 facture, but which must necessarily be, to a large extent, conjectural. 

 Many attempts have been made to supersede Le Blanc's process, by 

 some more direct means of operating on salt so as to eliminate its soda 

 at once. Up to the present time the result of all these attempts has 

 been the wasteful expenditure of large sums of money ; therefore I 

 will confine my further remarks to processes depending on the decom- 

 position of sulphate of soda. 



By the existing mode of working, there is required for the produc- 

 tion of a ton of soda-ash, the following raw materials : — 



£ s. d. 



1|- tons of Irish pyrites, costing 1 15 



1 cwt. nitrate of soda „ 12 



U tons of salt „ 10 



l| tons of limestone ,, 10 



3| tons of fuel „ 110 



£4 S 



VOL, IV. X 



