INCREASE OF FACTORIES DAY AND NIGHT WORK. 113 



quintals of cotton, allowing fairly for waste, will yield, 183,420 lbs. 

 of twist and filling, and that the weekly product of cotton cloth will 

 be 8479 pieces of 32 varas each, from 2609 looms, each loom ave- 

 raging about three and one quarter pieces per week. But allowing 

 this correction of the above table of the Junta de Fomento, and ad- 

 hering to its data in other respects in which it appears to be entirely 

 faithful, we attain some important results. By comparing the number 

 of spindles actually in Mexico at that epoch, with the number known 

 to be there in 1842, viz : 131,280, and adding to the number now 

 stated 8050 which are in the various factories closed in the interval 

 but whose machinery is still in existence, we show an increase of 

 2132 according to the most accurate accessible information. Since 

 the war the number has been no doubt largely augmented if we 

 may judge by the numerous shipments of machinery to Mexico 

 from Europe and North America. 



In order to show the importance to Mexico of allowing the libe- 

 ral importation of cotton from the United States, inasmuch as it is 

 not likely she will become a cotton growing country in proportion to 

 the increase of her manufacturing population, we have prepared the 

 following comparative estimates. In our chapters on the agriculture 

 of the republic we have endeavored, and we hope successfully, to 

 demonstrate the impracticability of inducing the Indians to produce 

 sufficient for present purposes, or to devote themselves to the labor 

 of extensive cotton plantations for the benefit of the future. 



Working by day alone the Mexican factories consume yearly 

 105,976 quintals, or 10,597,600 lbs. of raw cotton, whilst the whole 

 cotton crop of the republic according to recent estimates, is not 

 more than 60,000, or, 70,000 quintals, equal to 7,000,000 lbs. ; but 

 if they worked by day and night, they would use 18,545,800 lbs. of 

 the raw material, allowing three-fourths of the day consumption for 

 night work. From these calculations we derive the following im- 

 tant results, as to deficiency: 



1st. 



Working by day only, the yearly consumption of 



cotton is 10,597,600 lbs. 



Deduct the whole Mexican crop of 70,000 quin- 

 tals, at 100 lbs. per quintal, .... 7,000,000 " 



Deficit, . . . 3,597,600 « 



o 



