446 PROGRESS OF THE SMALL ARMS MANUFACTURE. 
Number of guns made in England for ordinary trade 3,822,427 
Of this number England exported .... 2,685,309 
Number of guns made in Belgium for trade . . 5,390,675 
„ assumed to be exported by Belgium . . 3,960,450 
Declared value of Belgian exports .... £4,743,296 
Value of each gun £1 5s. 2d. 
The arms manufactured by the English trade for Government use, I 
estimate at 21. each. This is somewhat below the real value, but it will 
be near enough for our present purpose. These data will give us the 
following results as the value of the production of the two trades during 
the ten years, 1855 to 1864 inclusive : — 
Belgium 
Number of guns, at 25s. 2d. each . . . 6,842,265 
Total value of Belgian guns .... £8,609,849 
England— 
Number of guns at 33s. lOd. each . . . 4,632,954 
Value of ditto .... £7,837,409 
Number of guns at 3?. each . . — 978,249 
Value of ditto .... 2,934,747 
Total number of English guns — 5,611,203 
Total value of English guns . £10,772,156 
Although the value of our trade is thus shown to be more than equal 
to that of the only source of supply which at all approaches us in the 
extent of manufacture, it is manifest that the Birmingham gun trade 
must be on the alert if it is to maintain its ground. To contend against 
the cheap labour of Liege is not an easy task. The establishment of the 
machine factory, we hope, is a step in the right direction. It will secure 
for the town the trade in the highest class of military work, which other- 
wise would have gone to our competitors. Excessive prices for labour 
are still paid in certain branches of the work, particularly when sudden 
pressure comes upon the trade. A more uniform rate of wages would 
benefit all parties ; the master would feel more confidence in tender- 
ing for contracts at moderate rates, and the workmen would secure more 
regular employment. I hope the facts now produced will serve to call 
the attention of the trade to points so closely affecting its future progress 
and well-doing. 
