226 DICKSON ON THE ADVANTAGES OF MAKING LINEN 



COST OF A COTTON SHIET. 



3 yards of cotton, 6d. per yard £0 16 



| yard of linen for fronts 006 



Thread and buttons 002 



Making 10 



£0 3 2 



"I will undertake to establish the fact,* that this linen 

 shirt will be a superior article to those in the London shop- 

 windows, marked at from 4s. 6d. to 5s. 6d. each. If such can 

 be proved, it is the duty of every man of influence in the 

 kingdom to encourage, to the utmost of his ability, the 

 cultivation of Flax and such home-made goods. Hoping 

 that such may deserve your attention, 



"I am, Sir, your obedient servant, 



" J. HILL DICKSON. 

 " Flax Works, Grove Street, Deptford. 

 " London, Dec. 18th, 1856." 



The above letter was inserted in the Belfast news- 

 paper, but no attempt was ever made to answer it. In fact 

 it was unanswerable, and I am now informed that there is one 

 firm has not less than 1,000 power-looms at work, and many 

 others are now adding to them every week more and more. 



Looking back at the ups and downs of firms in the linen 

 and cotton trade since 1839, and the views I had then (which 

 have never changed) that linen could be made to take the 

 place of cotton, I am thoroughly certain, that if I had 

 remained in Belfast, and urged my practical views on men of 

 spirit in that enterprising city, the linen trade of Ireland 

 would have been, through the use of the power-loom alone, 

 live, if not ten years in advance compared to what it is, but 



* The calculation on linen and cotton cloth was made in 1858, therefore it is 

 evident such cotton cannot he got now in 1884 at 6d. per yard. 



