III. PRESENT CONDITION AND FUTURE PROSPECTS.

Under the adverse circumstances I have described it is almost a wonder that any manufacturers exist, but we still have a British silk industry which, far from being in the decaying and dying condition some people believe or imagine, is displaying much vigour and enterprise and is worthy of being retained as one of our national industries. Certainly the struggle has been and still is extremely hard, and the manufacturer who has managed to exist until to-day has done so by reason of his ability, thorough practical knowledge, closer application of economy, study of every detail in manufacture, and by dogged perseverance in face of a storm of competition compared to which that of 1860 was but a gentle breeze, for in addition to the French industry, which still retains much of its old skill, we have competition from other markets, such as the German, Swiss and Italian, which possess still greater advantages in respect to cheaper labour, and now that the American market is closed against their products, the exporting energy of these countries is concentrated here. Modern fashion with its demand for the cheapest silks, also tends to help the foreign manufacturer rather than the home producer of richer qualities, in the price of which the cost of labour plays a less important part. Also cheap and rapid transit have done away with the advantage the English manufacturer once held by being nearer the home market than his foreign rivals.

I need deal no further with the conditions under which our silk industry is carried on, but will now endeavour to give you some account of the leading manufacturers and their productions. I will begin with Macclesfield, which town affords us a striking example of British determined perseverence in face of declining trade and consequent heavy losses, and ready adaptability to substitute new ideas to fill the gaps caused by the encroachments of foreign competition and ever-changing fashion. A proof of this is the large trade carried on here in the printing of Japanese plain and figured silks for exportation to the Burmese and other markets in the Far East, and in the making-up of vast quantities of thin silk into ladies' neck wear and other fancy articles. Some of the largest and most important manufacturers in this district are— Messrs. J. and T. Brocklehurst and Sons, whose chief productions are handkerchiefs, scarves, gum twills (both plain and figured),

satins and foulards, for dresses, skirtings and light fabrics, for the Burmese market; Messrs. J. Birchenough and Sons, who make handkerchiefs, scarves, and mufflers, of the richest quality, for men's wear, fancy crêpes, and other fancy goods; and the enterprising firm of Messrs. J. Kershaw and Co., celebrated for ladies' neck wear, fichus, &c. In Macclesfield also are woven the black silk handkerchiefs for the Jack Tars of the British Navy, to which I have already referred. This order, formerly given abroad, is now by the wise decision of the Admiralty, confined to British manufacturers, and although open to competition, the bulk of it is usually secured by Messrs. Brocklehurst and Messrs. Birchenough, the excellence and genuineness of whose manufacture have led to the happy result that the Jack Tar once more proudly wears his kerchief which, in the days of foreign supply had become unpopular, owing to the rapidity with which it wore out, and to the black stain which was always traceable whenever it was worn.

The town of Leek is renowned amongst silk centres; for it is here that the famous silk printing and dyeing works of Messrs. Sir Thomas and Arthur Wardle, and of Messrs. Hammersley and Co. are situated. At the former, the principal work is the dyeing of permanent dyes for embroidery, sewing, and other silks, by pure and perfectly fast processes, and the dyeing and printing of silk piece goods; also the dyeing of skein silks, in blacks and colours, both pure and weighted, which has reached a standard of excellence not excelled by anything being done abroad. Leek is also noted as one of the very few towns where the silk trade has prospered, there is but very little weaving, the output consisting almost entirely of sewing and embroidery silks, bindings, braids, and trimmings in the production of which goods the principal firms are Messrs. Brough, Nicholson, and Hall, A. J. Worthington and Co., and Wardle and Davenport. At Coventry, the silk trade that remains has varied very considerably, the old industry of ribbon weaving having been replaced by what may be described as the "odds and ends" of the silk trade, such as tubular ties, ladies* belt webs, brace webs, coat suspenders, silk portraits, bindings, labels, boot loops, and tabbings, elastic web, hat-bands, masonic ribbons, shirt labels, frillings, badges, sarsenet and China ribbons, for tying-up purposes, book markers, &c. The principal manufacturers of these goods are Messrs. J. and T. P. Caldicott, T. Stevens, J. and J. Cash, F.

Bagley, and W. Franklin and Sons. Of the other silk towns, Braintree stands first to-day, both for the beauty and extent of its silk productions. Established here are the two wellknown manufacturers, Messrs. Courtauld and Co., Limited, and Messrs. Warner and Sons. The former (Messrs. Courtauld's), who have also extensive factories at Bocking, Halstead, and at Leigh, in Lancashire, have a worldwide reputation for their manufacture of crêpe, for which they were awarded the "Grand Prix" at the Paris Exhibition of 1900; they also make large quantities of the present day fashionable dress materials, such as crêpe de chine, crêpon, chiffon, mousseline de soie, and all those materials of a soft, draping, diaphanous nature with which the fair sex delight to enhance their charms.

The firm of Warner and Sons, of which I have the honour of being a member, has only of recent years carried on its work at Braintree. It was founded at Spitalfields by my father, Mr. Benjamin Warner, whose skill, taste, and pluck enabled him to build up and carry on a business of manufacturing silk brocades, whilst all around the industry was decaying aud tottering to its fall, and he has done more than any man living to bring to the front that branch of the English silk trade with which his name will ever be associated. The goods made at my firm's factories are of a rich and elaborate nature, such as duchesse satins, rich dress brocades, twills, gros, lustrings, reps, glacé and watered silks, velvets (both plain and figured), damasks for ecclesiastical and furnishing purposes, and other heavier makes for upholstering, such as brocatelles, damasquettes, lampas, figured poplins, silk tapestries, and other specialities of silk weaving. Much study has been devoted to the use of gold and silver threads in woven fabrics, in consequence of which I shall always be proud to remember that we were able to make the cloth of gold for His Majesty King Edward's pallium and also for the canopy used at the Coronation. We also had the honour of making the figured border worked in various gold threads for H.M. Queen Alexandra's Coronation robe, and the purple velvet for the robes of H.R.H. the Princess of Wales and other members of the Royal family, whilst in our velvet looms at Sudbury in Suffolk were woven many hundreds of yards of crimson velvet for peers and peeresses. Another firm of Essex; manufacturers is Messrs. Bailey, Fox and Co., in whose power looms

are made satins for vestings,

dresses and linings, serges, facing silks of all kinds for tailoring purposes, striped sleeve linings, satinettes, black gros, ottomans, and other robe silks, also moiré antiques for which English manufacturers have always been renowned. They also have hand looms in Spitalfields and at Sudbury, in which are made velvets for court suits, coat collars, &c.

Whilst speaking of Sudbury I may mention Messrs. Vanner and Fennell Bros., whose chief product is umbrella silk; it is silk we do not often get now-a-days, it will last as long as stick and frame, and at the end of two years' constant use it will with reasonable care still be sound.

The industry in Spitalfields is interesting for the reason that the few looms which remain are still worked in the weavers' cottages in the old-fashioned way. Messrs. Buckingham and Co., Messrs. Vavasseur, Carter and Co. and Messrs. Slater Bros. are the principal employers in the district, the looms of the former being entirely engaged in making rich quality silk for cravats, such as are retailed in the best West End shops. The well-known firm, Messrs. J. Pearsall and Co., are large manufacturers of both twisted and thrown silks for embroidery and weaving purposes. Of the firms not situated in the old silk centres, Messrs. Lister and Co. Limited, of Manningham, Bradford, are worthy of first notice. Employing over 5,000 workpeople, they are by far the largest silk manufacturing firm in this country, and claim to be the largest in the world. Their products are of a great variety, for in addition to being extensive spinners of silk, they manufacture dress and furnishing fabrics, silk tapestries, Genoa velvets, antique velvets, velvets for millinery, dress, and collar purposes, plushes, tussahs, pongees, fancy silks, fringes, trimmings, sewing silks, twists, &c. But their most marvellous productions, in my opinion, are the silk piled seals, beavers, fox, ermine, mole, minever, &c, which are simply wonderful as imitations of the skins they represent, and it is not surprising that their goods find an enormous sale in Paris, Berlin, and practically all over the world.

Messrs. Robinson and Millington, whose works are at Patricroft, Manchester, are principally engaged in making that class of goods which has been harder hit by the foreigner than any other, and it is very much to their credit that they are so successfully holding their own. Their productions are entirely dress materials, such as brocades, satins, gros, failles, moiré antiques, armures, and foundation silks.

At Sherborne, in Dorsetshire, is the oldestablished business of Messrs. J. and R. Wilmot, Limited, whose factory has been at work since 1760. It was entirely engaged in silk throwing until 1889, when the falling off of the trade, through Italian competition, induced them to set up power looms in which are made large quantities of the best class foundation silks, satins, checks, brocades, &c. There is still some silk weaving at Yarmouth, Norwich, and other places, but those I have mentioned are typical of the industry as carried on in this country.

I ought not, however, to leave this subject without referring to the silk lace industry at Nottingham. This beautiful material has not been fashionable for the last ten years, but the demand for it is now showing signs of improvement, and a few manufacturers have again mounted machines with silk, but it is too early to speak about results. The trade here is divided into three distinct classes.

The first make lace proper, viz., large and in many cases elaborate designs. The second make light goods with spots or sprigs suitable for veilings and for trimming hats and bonnets. The third, which is the most important branch of the trade, make plain net for endless purposes, frequently for embroidery, a large trade being done with the embroidery centres.

In addition to the lace industry in Nottingham there are large hosiery manufacturers in the town, who use a considerable quantity of silk in various forms for hosiery purposes.

Before concluding my remarks on English silk productions, I will briefly refer to silk throwing and the spinning of spun yarns. The former is the process of doubling and twisting the raw silk into a weavable thread, either for warp or weft purposes, and it is to be regretted that this has not been so successfully done here as in France or Italy. Many of the largest manufacturers, whose names I have already mentioned, throw silk for their own requirements, but silk throwing as a separate industry is now but little carried on in this country. Of the best throwsters I may mention Messrs. Chas. Woollam and Co., of St. Alban's, and Messrs. Anderson and Robertson, of Glasgow, who have a well deserved reputation for turning out a sound and reliable thread.

The spinning of waste silk and spun yarns is, on the contrary, not only a very large industry in this country, but our spinners make the finest qualities and counts in the world, and their products are extensively used in the

lace trade of Calais, St. Etienne, Lyons, and other silk-consuming centres. The utilisation of silk waste, which consists of the floss which is removed from the exterior of the cocoon before reeling, unreelable cocoons or the remains of those from which the reelable thread has been taken, waste from the reeling and throwing processes, &c., and its conversion into yarn, we chiefly owe to the inventive genius of Mr. Lister, now Lord Masham, and it has resulted in a very large addition to our available supply of silk, as the waste amounts in quantity to about one-third of thread ruled from the cocoon. The great centres of the silk-spinning industry are at Brighouse, Halifax, Manningham, and other Yorkshire towns. A yarn called "Schappe," similar to English spun, is largely produced on the Continent by a slightly different process, which in ordinary qualities has made serious en-. croachments on the home product, both in this and foreign markets, and it is chiefly in the finest counts that the English spinner is holding his own.

As to the future of the industry, it is, under existing circumstances, impossible to speak hopefully, although we shall in all probability retain what we now hold. Forty-three years exposure to the killing competition of the world's lowest-priced labour, has removed all, or nearly all that was assailable, that which remains exists by virtue of its undeniable merit in technical skill, genuiness of quality, and excellence of design and colour. There has been admittedly of late years a vast improvement in taste and knowledge of design in this country, resulting in an appreciation of and demand for purer and more beautiful styles. The grotesque hideousness of the Victorian era has passed away, and following the example set by the genius of William Morris, English draughtsmen have established a school of design which may be said to stand, if not alone, certainly first in the world to-day for originality and

merit.

The study of colour, which I consider of even greater importance than design, as regards textile fabrics for dress and upholstery purposes also shows vast improvement, but it would be absurd to claim that we have nothing further to learn in this respect, and we can only hope that the increased attention that is being given throughout the country to matters relating to art will enable us to obtain even better results.

The present taste for colour shows a tend

ency in the right direction, the days of dowdy, muddy semi-tones, are passing away, and the demand is for richer, purer colours, such as we associate with the best days of Italian art.

As to the revival of the industry, it is most essential that, for economical reasons, the locality should be taken into consideration, and if we are to succeed we must not allow any absurd conservatisms or sentiment with regard to localities to mar our efforts. Spitalfields, for instance, if we put aside sentiment, is now altogether undesirable and utterly impossible for silk weaving. When the industry first settled there, the weavers' houses were built on what was at that time open fields; rents were low, the light was unimpaired, and the atmosphere free from smoke and grime, and, in those days, of slow and costly transit, it was most essential that the weavers should be near to the centre [of distribution, so as to effect a great saving in time and expense.

All these things are now completely changed, and it would be a serious mistake for any one, whether from philanthropic or other motives, to endeavour to restore the industry in a locality so heavily handicapped by excessive rentals, dull, gloomy light, and dirty surroundings.

There is absolutely no hope for those who still cling to obsolete ideas, but I find that where manufacturers show originality and enterprise, and adopt the most modern and economical methods of production, they have mostly succeeded in finding a market for their goods at remunerative prices, and I am confident that in some directions even more might be achieved, although in the lowest qualities which form the great bulk of silk goods used, and the sale of which, by the manufacturer to the merchant and distributor depends, in many cases, on the fraction of a farthing per yard, all the skill and enterprise in the world will not overcome the substantial advantage which the foreign producer possesses with his vastly cheaper labour. There is but little chance of the price of foreign labour becoming as costly as our own, and we are therefore bound to face the difference in the cost of production which, so long as our own ports remain open, is an insurmountable difficulty, and to ask ourselves the question whether it is better for our national welfare to rest content with our present shrivelled silk industry, or to modify the conditions under which it exists, and enable it to become great and flourishing. We have in this country the skill, the means, and the market, the only thing required is

power to prevent our being undersold, and this can only be done by protective duties. Raw silk should of course be admitted free, as we do not grow silk in this country, and therefore do not reel it, but an ad valorem duty of 5 per cent. should be placed on imports of thrown silk, spun, schappe and tussah yains, and another 5 per cent. if imported al: eady dyed. On woven silk fabrics of all kinds there should be a duty of 20 per cent., with an additional 5 per cent. if made up into gowns, costumes, and other finished articles ready for wear. Safely sheltered behind such a barrier, by no means prohibitory, capital and enterprise would rapidly assist those other qualifications we undoubtedly possess in building up a great silk industry, capable of supplying the requirements of the home market, and of our colonial markets also, should they be added by means of a preferential tariff.

It may be thought that the revival here of silk manufacturing in its various branches would be a matter of considerable difficulty, but by the adoption of up-to-date power machinery an increased output is easily possible, as the labour required for attending power looms and other power machinery is much more rapidly acquired and trained than would have been the case fifty years ago, when the bulk of the goods were hand-woven, although there is no doubt that a great impetus would also be given to those goods for which hand looms are still absolutely essential.

It is quite a usual thing for silk manufacturers to be told by those not engaged in the industry that their salvation can be more easily and effectually secured by improving their methods of manufacture and by means of technical instruction. In reply to the first exhortation, I find that English manufacturers are for the most part keeping well abreast with the times, and are not the sleepy antediluvians that some people imagine. On the contrary, there is a desire to benefit by every new invention, and the manufacturers possess individually a better knowledge of the technique of silk manufacture than most of their foreign rivals. As regards technical education we have been admittedly behind Germany, and even now we are at best only muddling into it. Technical education is a very excellent thing, but much money can be, and is, wasted on it, large sums being annually frittered away by the various County Councils throughout the country on nearly useless subjects, such as wood-carving, pokerwork, &c., which are generally taken up

by a certain class of people as mere hobbies and nothing more, to the sacrifice of the more solid teaching in those districts where bond-fide industries exist. The silk industry, however, has not much cause for complaint, as its chief centres such as Macclesfield, Leek, and Coventry, it excellent technical and art schools, the former of which are fitted with looms and machinery of the most modern kind, and large numbers of candidates from these schools pass annually through the examinations of the City and Guilds of London Institute, giving evidence of a thorough practical training which fits them to enter the lists of silk workers in various capacities. Unfortunately, the industry, owing to its present undeveloping condition, cannot give them employment, and they either go abroad or pass to other occupations, so that the money spent on their early training is to a large extent wasted. To put it into the words of one who has spent many years in connection with silk instruction : 66 There is really no encouragement for a man to study and find out things, as there does not seem any market for him to sell his knowledge."

At Manchester, the "Municipal School of Technology recently opened, has a special department devoted to silk manufacture, capable of giving instruction in its highest forın, and when on my visit there a few weeks ago I was much struck with the wonderful completeness of the arrangements for instruction in silk spinning, throwing, and conditioning, as well as in all those operations of preparing the silk for the loom, such as winding, mill and sectional warping, turning on, &c.

There are looms for every kind of silk weaving, such as treadle, Jacquard, and ribbon hand-looms, English and foreign Tappet, Dobby, and Jacquard power looms, with single and multiple boxes, and Jacquard swivellooms, and, in fact, so complete in every arrangement that I would strongly advise manufacturers to send their sons here for a course of study, which is as good as, or better than anything existing abroad.

The silk dyeing department is also on the latest principles, and connected with it is a special laboratory for analysis and other chemical work relating to dyeing.

To the great and valuable assistance which these technical schools have been to the industry, must be added the kind interest and practical help which our Royal Family and

many members of the aristocracy have so generously given, and although I cannot speak of the silk industry as having in any sense revived, I can honestly say that I firmly believe that its condition to-day would have been infinitely worse without their valuable support and influence, and I should like to give a brief review of the benefits that the trade has received at their hands.

About the year 1873, the attention of the upper classes was called to the fact that great progress was being made in the manufacture of high-class silks in this country. Previousto this, it was the accepted opinion that English manufacturers could not produce goods equal, either in design, quality, or execution to those made abroad.

In the spring of 1882, the Hon. Mrs. Percy Mitford visited Spitalfields for the purpose of ascertaining the state of the trade there. A meeting was afterwards held at the warehouse of Messrs. H. W. Eaton and Sons, in Broad-street, which Mrs. Mitford kindly attended and spoke of the necessity of efforts being made to revive this industry, for which she felt a warm interest, and, I am pleased to say, still continues to do so.

At the Manchester Jubilee Exhibition, in 1887, still further notice was taken of the progress made in English productions, and the Silk Association of Great Britain and Ireland was formed under the presidency of our chairman this evening, Sir Thomas Wardle, with a council composed of those engaged in the trade, together with many who felt an interest in the cause.

In 1890, a Silk Exhibition was held in St. James's-square, at the house of Lady Egerton of Tatton, who at this time held the position of honorary secretary to the Ladies' Committee of the Silk Association. As a result of this exhibition, the Ladies' National Silk Association was formed and H.R.H. the late Duchessof Teck graciously consented to be president, and entered warmly into the matter.

The following extract is taken from the first report of the Ladies' Committee :

"We consider that the time has come to invite the attention of the ladies of England to the revival of this ancient industry. In order to do this the committee propose to form a Ladies' Silk Association on an extended scale. Its members will not be pledged to the exclusive purchase of English made silks, but they will be asked to interest themselves and their friends in this British industry, and to make enquiry for and inspect English silks before deciding to purchase those of foreign manufacture. We trust that