i88s.] 
On Technical Education . 
155 
interests. There were the broad and narrow weaving, the 
velvet weaving, the figured silk weaving, the upholstery 
weaving, and the trimmings ; all of which would be affected 
still more by the proposed new treaty, unless something 
better were done than existed at present. All English arti- 
cles of pure silk were admitted free into France ; but during 
the last twenty-five years competition had been so keen, in 
consequence of England admitting every article of silk 
manufacture free, that our manufacturers were put to their 
wits’ ends to know what to do to meet the severe character 
of that competition, and also the great demand for cheap 
articles. The consequence was that in the velvet industry, 
where cotton was used in its manufacture, the foreign manu- 
facturer — particularly of France and Germany— was able to 
compete with us on better terms than we could do ; because 
as soon as cotton was introduced into the article of velvet 
manufacturing, we were shut out from every other country by 
systematic high duties . Consequently velvet goods were things 
of the past ; and the competition went through the whole 
length and range of the silk manufactures, and there was 
not a single article now made in Spitalfields but could be 
increased by the use of cotton, if France allowed the British 
article to enter upon the same terms as we admitted the goods of 
France .” Producing several splendid specimens of work 
turned out by the weavers of Spitalfields, he said that, “ in 
face of fair competition with France there would still remain 
a fairly large industry left to the British weaver. When our 
manufacturers,” he said, “ employed French silk, on which, 
of course, they had to pay carriage, and manufactured an 
article of it mixed with a very small proportion of cotton, 
and sent the article to France, a duty of 15 per cent was 
placed by that country upon it. Competition and fashion 
compelled them to use more cotton than silk, and because 
of that they were charged 25 per cent upon their produc- 
tions. Every manufactured article with silk dominant was 
charged 15 per cent, and every article with cotton dominant 
was charged 25 per cent duty.” 
The fact, of which the above extract from Mr. Bucking- 
ham’s statement is but a single illustration, that none of the 
continental nations, nor America, will enter into free and 
equal competition with many of our manufactured goods, 
but require their own manufactures to be protected from 
ours by levying on our goods heavy import duties, cannot be 
left out of view in proposing or considering improved systems 
of technical education for our own artisans. Other countries 
admit they cannot compete with us on equal tei'ms, either 
M2 
