SILK-TRADE.

HC Deb 21 February 1832 vol 10 cc580-5

Mr. Alderman Venables

presented a petition from persons engaged in the various departments of the Silk-trade of the metropolis, complaining of the importation of foreign silk goods, and praying for an inquiry into the condition of the silk-trade. He begged leave to state to the House, that the persons who had signed this petition usually employed 150,000 persons, and they were individuals who represented a considerable portion of the capital employed in the silk-trade. He must, therefore, express his anxious opinion, that this petition deserved the most serious attention of hon. Gentlemen. The petitioners stated the present dreadful condition to which operatives were reduced, and represented to the Legislature the immense losses they had sustained in their business; they stated, that the distress which at this moment pervaded the silk-trade throughout the empire was unexampled; and that, whereas, on former occasions, they had some cause to look for future improvement in their trade, they could not, at the present moment, indulge in any hope of a removal of the pressure under which they suffered though their manufacture generally was cheaper and much better than formerly, because the British public were supplied by the French manufacturers. They affirmed, that the distress, of which they complained, did not arise from any diminution of the consumption of silks, but from the unprotected state in which they were placed by the policy of the Government of this country. The petitioners also affirmed, that a great proportion of the inhabitants of the parish from whence this petition chiefly emanated, were employed by themselves, and that they were almost unable to continue their trade. They stated that the employment which they were able to give, would scarcely keep the workmen from actual starvation, and that these poor men had scarcely any clothes to cover them. They attributed this unexampled pressure to the extensive use of foreign goods, and the consequent want of labour for the weavers. They stated their anxiety that a revision should be made by the Legislature, in the law relative to the importation of foreign silks, as they represented the whole of the silk-trade of the country to be in a similar condition with that of the metropolis. He must observe, in giving his most earnest support to the prayer of this petition, that it had never been his practice to make strong, unnecessary, or unfounded statements of the distresses which might be suffered. He assured the House he would much rather be engaged in the attempt to alleviate that distress, than to blazon forth exaggerated accounts of the pressure complained of. But he was bound in duty to state, that the present situation of the weavers in Spitalfields was more deplorable than upon any former occasion. There were at this moment not less than 1,100 persons in the parish workhouse, and upwards of 6,000 paupers on the parish books. As a further illustration of the depression of the trade, he must state, that the reward for their labour, as indicated by the rate of wages, was in itself decisive as to their condition. In 1825, the average was 16s. 7d. per week—in itself comparatively a very imperfect remuneration. After that, the reciprocity system of Mr. Huskisson was applied to the silk trade, and, as a consequence, in the next year, the wages fell to 7s. 9d., from which they had since fallen to 6s., and, in some instances, to 2s. 10d. He hoped that an inquiry would be instituted into the general state of our manufactories as connected with the silk trade, and he was sure it would be found that the pressure arose from the inability of our manufactures to compete with those of Lyons at the present scale of duties, and not from any removal of the trade to Manchester, Coventry, or other places, or to a decreased consumption of silk. The petitioners did not presume to press any specific remedial measures upon the House, they merely wished their situation to be thoroughly inquired into, but he knew their opinions went to the extent of desiring the prohibition of foreign silks, as they felt the present duty of 10l. per cent afforded them no adequate protection.

Mr. Hunt

regretted that none of his Majesty's Ministers were in their places, as he had called their attention to the state of the poor in Bethnal-green, and he had hoped that some inquiry would have been made on the part of Government into their condition.

Mr. Alderman Waithman

fully concurred in the prayer of the petition, and would take that opportunity of stating, that he had a similar petition from the operative silk weavers of Spitalfields. He had presented petition after petition on the subject for years, and every word he had stated had been verified. He always thought it unjust that foreign silks should be allowed to interfere with the home market, particularly when we could produce more than sufficient for our own consumption. The petition with which he was intrusted was signed by 9,000 heads of families, who stated that the fears which they had long entertained had been realized, and that they were reduced to the greatest distress; that their wages had fallen from 18s. a week, to 6s. and 8s.; and that they were in a worse state than slaves in the West Indies. The petitioners went on to state, that 10,000 looms were superseded, and 30,000 persons were thereby thrown out of employ. Owing to the introduction of French goods, the fancy trade had been destroyed, and, what was worse, till the French fashion was known, no stock could be laid in. The whole trade now was in heavy goods. The complaints from Macclesfield, Man- chester, and Coventry, were of a similar nature. At the latter place, the Poor-rates proved the distressed state of the trade. In 1826 the rates amounted to 11,000l., in 1831 to 20,000l., and in 1826 the casual relief to the poor amounted to 2,000l., and in 1830 to 4,000l. He regretted to see the higher classes so backward in relieving that class who ministered to their luxuries, and, in place of purchasing from the regular trader, rushing to those places where there was an extensive sale of goods at a low rate.

Mr. Alderman Wood

most heartily supported the prayer of the petition. He well knew the distresses which had caused it to be presented, and which had been borne with the greatest patience and resignation by the sufferers, who were a most industrious class of persons, and deserved every attention from the House.

Alderman Thompson

said, he must also bear testimony to the miserable condition to which the operative silk weavers of Bethnal-green and Spitalfields were reduced. He would not, at the present time, enter into the causes which, in his opinion, had created, or at least increased, these evils, but he was apprehensive prohibitory enactments alone would not relieve them, as it was notorious that the importation of the raw material had increased 30l. per cent within the last seven years. Other trades were also in the same depressed condition, he, therefore, on the whole, rather wished that an inquiry should be instituted into the distressed condition of our manufacturing interests altogether, than confined to a particular branch. The distress was not confined to the silk trade, or glove trade, or ribbon trade, but extended to every branch of our manufacturing industry.

Mr. Wynn Ellis

contended, that a great fallacy prevailed among the abettors of free trade principles, with respect to the amount of material consumed in a manufacture, being a test of the condition of the manufacturing workmen. In the silk trade, for example, the quantity of raw silk worked up in a given time by the weavers had more than doubled of late years, while his remuneration had fallen off more than one-half. This was owing to the nature of the manufacture being coarser, and consisting chiefly of plain articles. The more costly fabrics and fancy articles, those which required most skill in workmanship, with less of the raw material, were not now produced in any quantity; consequently the quantity and value of the workmanship had declined, though the consumption of the raw material had increased.

Mr. Hume

had also a petition to present, which would show the distress then in Bethnal-green, inasmuch as it stated, that the funds from whence the Poor-rates were drawn were not sufficient for the purposes required, in fact, that they were inadequate to the maintenance of their paupers. This petition was drawn up by a Mr. Wakley, who had visited Bethnal-green at the request of some respectable parties. He states, that the Poor-house, which is intended to afford accommodation for only 500 inmates, is now crowded with 1,090; and that, in 334 beds, are laid 1,090 persons, in a state which, he submits to the Legislature, is calculated to generate the dreadful disease which now threatens us, and to spread it amongst a dense population. He adds, that the rents of the houses in the neighbourhood are but small, but that such is the unfortunate condition of those who inhabit them, that they are not able to pay the rates. The petitioner states, that every attention has been paid to these people by the Overseers, and every exertion has been used to afford relief, but that their humane efforts have been crippled from the want of sufficient funds. That the distress was very great there could be no doubt; but he agreed in opinion with those who said, that the pressure was not confined to the silk trade. He felt confident that much mischief had arisen in that trade in consequence of the book of prices, a system which ought to be abolished, as prejudicial to the trade. In no extensive branch of our manufactures had there been so much alteration as in the silk trade. In 1816 the distress was very great; and he could not imagine that prohibitory duties could avail the trade, inasmuch as they tended to create greater prices than the trade could afford to pay. At that time, too, the changes of pattern had increased in number beyond what could yield a profit in the trade. He believed that, after a most mature consideration of the subject, this House came to the determination of doing away with the book of prices, and of leaving the masters and workmen to arrange the rate of wages amongst themselves. He was sorry to say, that, while he admitted the existence of this distress, he saw little hope of a speedy amelioration of the pressure. Partial assistance might be given, but it would require great prudence and caution to legislate on a subject which so deeply affected a most important interest. Great as the evil was, he did not see how they could remedy it. He was fully prepared to say, that, if it could be shewn that, by the alteration in the regulations of our trade, that trade had decreased, and distress increased, the law ought to be revised. But seeing that the trade had increased, he could not believe that those alterations in the law had caused the distress. He believed that the distress was owing, in part, to the great change which had been effected in the whole trade within the last seven years. The petitioners stated their belief, that the best means of alleviating the pressure under which they suffered would be, to put the corn trade on the same footing as the silk trade, and other branches of our commerce, by placing it on a principle of free trade. He was quite satisfied that country gentlemen would soon find that they were not benefited by keeping up their high prices, and, therefore, it would be much better to open the trade in corn. At any rate, the state of distress in which these unfortunate people were placed was such as to demand the serious attention of his Majesty's Government, and he was sorry that not one of the Ministers was present, because this case, in his opinion, thould be made an exception to a general rule. Throw open the corn trade, and a benefit would thereby be conferred not only on the silk weavers, but on the country at large.

Petition to be printed.