345 



WOOL AND SHODDY. 



The consumption of wool in the United Kingdom is con- 

 tinually growing, and amounts now to more than 13 lb. per 

 head of the population per annum. It is estimated that the 

 amount of raw wool retained for consumption in the United 

 Kingdom and in the United States since 1880 has been as 

 follows : — 



Year. In United Kingdom. In United States. 



1880 371,000,000 lb 331,681,000 lb. 



1890 427,000,0001b 385,671,0001b. 



1900 ... ... 498.000,000 lb. ... ... 437,003,000 lb. 



1901 541,000,000 lb 465,536,0^0 lb. 



The imports of woollen rags into the United Kingdom were : — 



In 1880 92,279,000 lb. 



„ 1890 77,636,000 lb. 



1900 68,757,000 lb. 



,, 1901 66,936,000 lb. 



In the year 1900 we exported 12,938,000 lb., and in 1901 

 10,761,000 lb., thus leaving a net import for each year of about 

 56,000,000 lb. It is not possible to arrive at the amount of 

 shoddy produced at home with any degree of accuracy, but I 

 estimate it at 64,000,000 lb., which, with the import, gives a total 

 consumption of 120,000,000 lb. 



The consumption of shoddy in the United States in 1900 

 was 71,500,000 lb., or 16*33 P er cent, of the raw wool. Of this 

 quantity 34,500,000 lb. was imported, and 37,000,000 lb. made 

 at home. 



A summary of these figures works out as follows, so far as 

 the year 1900 was concerned, a year, it will be noted, when 

 the British consumption of wool was below the average of recent 

 years : — 



Consumption of Wool : — 



In the United Kingdom ... ... ... 498,000,000 lb. 



In the United States ... 437,000,000 lb. 



Consumption of Shoddy ; — 



In the United Kingdom ... ... ... 120,000,000 lb. 



In the United States 71,500,000 lb. 



Total Wool and Shoddy 1.126,500,000 lb. 



