Jan. 1, 1865.] THE TECHNOLOGIST. 



THE SILK INDUSTRY OF BALE. 271 



restriction. At the request of the latter, however, in 1811, the prescribed, 

 length of the pieces had again to be sworn to. In 1820 a table of the 

 length of pieces was decreed, under a penalty of 4,000 Swiss francs 

 old currency {5,710 francs new currency) in case of contravention. The 

 little importance attributed to these renewed decrees may be seen from 

 the fact that already, in 1823, the President of the Ribbon Manufac- 

 turers' Union in their name again petitioned the Government to prohibit 

 the export of ribbon-looms and the employment of foreign workmen. 

 This step, however, produced no result, and there was no question any 

 more of a renewal of the old decrees, or even of the establishment of 

 new ones. At the Peace of 1815 the ribbon manufacture assumed quite 

 a new shape. The number of manufacturers increased, ribbun manu- 

 factories were established also in other cantons, and the number of 

 looms increased in a still larger proportion. 



The following are the data relative to the extension of the Bale 

 ribbon manufacture at different peiiods : — 



According to official census, there were in the whole canton of Bale 

 1,225 ribbon-looms, 219 of which belonged to operatives. 



Thirty-two years later, in 1786, there were 2,246 ribbon-looms, 250 

 of which belonged to operatives. 



According to a reckoning of Councillor Sarassin, in 1846, there were 

 3,550 ribbon-looms, 2,950 of which were in Bale town, and 600 in 

 Bale country. 



In 1863 there were about 7,250 in the cantons Bale town and 

 country, Argovy, and Soleure. 



The number of ribbon manufacturers, who are at the same time 

 inscribed as mercantile firms in the " Book of Firms " (" Razionsn- 

 bueh "), was — 



In 1760 20 



1786 21 



1811 19 



1823 .21 



1863 38 



while the number of manufacturers in general is stated — 



In 1837 46 



1860 78 



Actual State of the Ribbon Manufacture. — From the preceding state- 

 ment of Professor Kinkelin, it appears that the conditions of the ribbon 

 manufacture in this city have entirely changed in the course of the 

 present century. Whilst formerly a prudent government superintended 

 the adjustment of the relations between employer and operative, the 

 rate of wages, the length of the pieces, and the relations between the 

 manufacturer and the dyer, there is now no question of such interference 

 with the private rights of each citizen. It can no longer forbid the 

 citizen to transact business and to manufacture at his own pleasure ; 

 it can no longer prescribe to him the number of operatives nor the 

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