Jan. 1, 1865.] THE TECHNOLOGIST. 



THE SILK INDUSTRY OF BALE. 269 



of the pecuniary value of the material worked up by a mill in the course 

 of the year. 



Notwithstanding that the ribbon-mills were at last allowed, the quarrel 

 still continued between the lace-makers and the ribbon-makers, particu- 

 larly with regard to the sort of ribbon which both parties were entitled to 

 manufacture, the fairs they were allowed to frequent, &c. A difference 

 arose among the manufacturers themselves, which lasted very long ; the 

 same with the lace-makers. Such disputes were mostly settled by the 

 Government, by amicable interposition. They were not able to prejudice 

 the rapid progress of the ribbon manufacture, in spite of the prohibition 

 by the Germanic Empire of the import of Bale ribbons, which induced 

 the Government in 1725 to send an envoy to the Diet at Augsburg, who 

 succeeded in procuring the removal of the prohibition. This branch of 

 trade suffered more severely in a moral point of view in the middle of 

 the late century by the numerous thefts committed by the operatives on 

 the silk entrusted to them, and which obliged the Government to take 

 more stringent measures. In February, 1738, they appointed a com- 

 mittee of six, and issued a severe decree against this abuse. In July of 

 the same year a second decree was issued, directed rather indirectly 

 against it. Therein it was ordered — first, that all the manufacturers 

 should inscribe themselves on the books of the committee, and that the 

 non-inscribed should be forbidden to manufacture ; secondly, that the 

 manufacturers should pay the wages of their operatives as fixed by 

 the Government, in full, and that they should make no deductions 

 whatever under any pretence ; thirdly, no operatives were to be allowed 

 to work cheaper, either for a native or a foreign manufacturer ; fourthly, 

 no operative could work at another manufacturer's, unless he produced 

 a regular permit or discharge from his former employer. In the same 

 year it was fixed how many ells each sort of ribbon should contain per 

 piece. An occurrence which took place at this time is worth mention- 

 ing, as it throws a strong light on the state of affairs at that period. A 

 Bale ribbon manufacturer, Hans Henrich Hummel, asked the Govern- 

 ment to give him the Hospital-mead near the Stein enthor, together with 

 the waterworks, in fee simple, against an annual ground rent of twenty- 

 four batzen (a trifle more than three francs), for the water privilege, and 

 an annual rent of 1^ per cent, of the purchase-money to be fixed by the 

 Government ; he offered to build a manufactory on the spot at a cost of 

 600 florins, to work his looms by water-power, and manufacture lace- 

 ribbons, and to employ orphan children for throwing the silk, as well as 

 board, lodge, and clothe them. His request was refused and declared 

 impracticable by the Government. In consequence, Hummel tried to 

 remove his industry to another place ; he determined to emigrate to 

 Paris, to take his looms with him, and to induce lace-makers to emigrate. 

 He himself and several of his people travelled about in the canton, 

 promising to give high wages and to pay travelling expenses. The 

 Government and the other manufacturers endeavoured to prevent this, 



