1922.] CivATE-PiOD AND Barrel.-Hoop Teades. 825 



proved if freights could be reduced. Pottery for export is packed 

 in " tubs " or barrels, except for big ware which is packed in 

 crates. For the home trade only about one-fifth to one-sixth of 

 the ware is packed in barrels, and the rest in crates. There has 

 been much pilfering from crates at the ports and therefore com- 

 panies have refused to insure small pottery unless it is packed 

 for export in enclosed packages. The two crafts of crate-rod 

 cutting and barrel-hoop shaving are branches of the woodman's 

 art rather than separate industries, since the material for either 

 can be found in the same woods, the same woodman can prepare 

 both with a little experience, and the destination is the same 

 for both. There is no direct foreign competition in the crate- 

 wood trade, therefore it would be well, at times when foreign 

 competition hits the barrel-hoop trade, to be able to turn to the 

 other trade. 



The crate-makers affirm that pottery manufacturers will only 

 make their own crates if they can get plenty of cheap material 

 and do it at a low cost. To protect their trade, the crate-makers 

 must be sure of getting the material, and an interesting sug- 

 gestion was made, emanating, it must be admitted, from a firm 

 of coopers, not crate-makers. This was to keep up the price of 

 crate-wood, which is the staple trade and does not «ui¥er from 

 foreign competition, and to lower the price of barrel-hoops so 

 that there should be less disparity between the English and 

 Dutch prices. The suggestion is quite in accordance with rural 

 practice in regard to various wood products, especially where 

 there are mixed woods. For example: — "We can't make a 

 profit on firewood alone, it doesn't pay for the cutting; so we 

 make up on turnery poles which fetch a good price if grown 

 straight." When we did a big trade in hop-poles, there was a 

 lot of work in the woods, and it paid men to make barrel-hoops 

 and crate-rods and hurdles." It may be, therefore, that 

 organisation for protective purposes among the Master Crate- 

 Makers and Coopers, may have a good influence on the conditions 

 among the woodlanders. If there were some corresponding local 

 organisation through which the interests of the landowners, 

 woodland craftsmen, and local dealers could be expressed, much 

 might be done to stabiHse the uncertain and spasmodic woodland 

 industries. 



Conclusion. — It is useless to expect any appreciable improve- 

 ment in the position of the English woodlanders unless market 

 conditions are watched, not only by the dealers who buy up coppice- 

 wood, but by the estate agents or landowners who are responsible 



