AND ON THE CONTINENT,

(57

In this respect the concentration of the industry and therewiththe developing division of labour is most striking. Lancashire ,or rather the southerly portion of the county, not 25 English square miles in extent, becomes the sole seat of this world-industry, which was originally by no means so arranged (7).The once not unimportant Irish industry has ceased ; Scotland, which at one time entered into competition with Lancashire, hasbeen confined to some specialties. The population of England has increased threefold since the beginning of the century, thatof Lancashire sixfold; some of the single industrial towns—Oldham, for instance—twenty-fold (8).

As Lancashire to-day is the seat of the industry, Liverpool isthe world’s market for cotton, Manchester that for yarns andwoven goods.

But, closely allied with the local bringing together of theindustry, we have the concentration of the single mills. Accord-ing to official sources these were on the average in Eng-land (8a): —

In 1850, per mill . 10,858 spindles.

But these figures do not nearly represent the real conditions.Remote mills scarcely coming into consideration for the industryare included, as well as such as still combine weaving andspinning. If we only bring those mills into consideration whichsolely spin or weave, there were already in 1878, per mill, 2-1,738spindles and 305 power-looms (9). But much more do> thesefigures increase if we consider the real seats of the industry.According to a personal communication from Mr. Sam. Andrew,the Master-Spinners’ Secretary at Oldham, the average numberof spindles in his district amounts to from GO,000 to G5,000 ; forthe “ limited ” concerns, so early as the middle of the “ eighties,”to 65,312. There are in this district spinning mills up to185,000 spindles. I am also indebted to a personal communica-

7. Compare Baines, pp. 19 and 238.

8. Compare “ Co-operative Wholesale Annual ” (1884), p. 10G ; do. (1887),p. 332.

8a. These statistics are based upon figures which do not distinguish betweenspinning and weaving mills, because the official census of 1350 was so arranged.The number of spindles per spinning mill is, of course, greater.

9. Ellison : “ Cotton Trade,” p. 72.

15,227

5 )

155 power-looms.

213