situation has meant, of course, a very serious curtailment of the linen industry during the past year. The dependence of the United Kingdom upon Russia for its supplies of flax is shown definitely in the following table: THE SOURCES OF THE UNITED KINGDOM'S RAW FLAX SUPPLY.1 1 Annual (and Monthly) Statements of Trade of the United Kingdom. 2 Not given. Flax spinning and the manufacture of linen goods are centered in north Ireland. The total annual output of the industry before the war had a value of about 15,000,000 pounds sterling, of which nearly 9,500,000 represented goods exported. The amount of capital invested in the industry in 1912 was about £20,000,000. The number of spindles has decreased from about 1,500,000 in 1877 (the heyday of the industry) to 1,200,000 in 1915, and in the same period the number of machine looms in operation has increased from about 40,000 to 60,000. The Irish mills, because of the skill of the operatives and the superior methods employed in bleaching and other phases of manufacture, produce the finest white goods in the world. The machinery used is largely of British origin, as is the case in all of the textile industries. The principal markets are the United States and the British colonies. The United Kingdom's trade in linen manufactures is shown in some detail in the following table: THE UNITED KINGDOM'S TRADE IN LINEN MANUFACTURES.1 1 Annual (and Monthly) Statements of Trade of the United Kingdom. It is noticeable that the trade in linen yarn has changed from a net import in 1912 of over 21,684,207 pounds to a net export in each year of the period 1915-1918, and this net export figure in 1917 totals the relatively large amount of 18,077,655 pounds. This does not mean as radical a change in the value of the linen yarn trade as the figures seem to indicate, as a very large percentage of the total imports before the war were from Belgium and were mainly of the coarser counts, in which the Belgian mills specialized. In this case the import trade has suffered more severely than the export trade as far as quantity is concerned. The shortage of raw material in 1918 is reflected in the decline in the exports of linen yarn to 10 per cent and of piece goods to about 30 per cent of the 1912 total in each case. The net exports of miscellaneous linen manufactures show an increase in value during the war, but this increase is due to higher prices and does not mean an increase in the volume of trade. The very sharp decline in the imports of linen piece goods is explained in part by the fact that these goods before the war were received largely from Belgium, Germany, Austria, and France. It is evident from the above figures that reexports of all classes of linen goods are small. A more detailed statement of the exports of domestic linen goods in 1913, in pounds sterling, is as follows: Yarn. Plain piece goods. Total...... £1, 215, 700 9, 213, 500 The very important position of the United States in this export trade is emphasized when it is noted than the total going to the United States in 1913 had a value of about 4 millions sterling-60 per cent of the piece goods total and 40 per cent of the miscellaneous items. South American countries and the important British possessions absorb the large part of the balance. There is still comparatively little competition meeting the British manufacturers in foreign markets, although in 1913 Germany and Austria together exported about £500,000 of linen manufactures to the United States. The superior quality of Irish linen and its long-established position in the world's trade have thus far prevented European competition from making serious headway in western markets, although European goods have largely supplanted British linens in continental markets. JUTE. The jute industry is also of long standing in the commercial life of the United Kingdom, although, as in the case of linen manufacturing, it has not maintained the predominating position in the world's trade that it formerly had. For the period 1832-1870 the industry developed very rapidly, attaining the zenith of prosperity at about the latter date. Since that date the industry has increased but slightly, while production in India, Germany, Austria, France, Belgium, and other countries prior to the war had been gaining, with the result that Indian and German goods in particular were driving English goods not only out of the continental market but to some extent out of other foreign markets, and even the colonial markets. Indian-made goods have also been competing seriously for the home trade. The development of the jute industry in the United Kingdom was particularly fostered by the fact that the world's entire commercial supply is produced in British India. The total output of India is about 2,000,000 tons, and the output has been steadily increasing in recent years. The takings of this output by the five leading I countries in 1913-14 were as follows:1 India... United Kingdom. Germany. France.. United States. Tons. 1, 100, 000 120, 000 The United Kingdom exports about 40 per cent of her jute manufactures, and her own consumption is accordingly about 180,000 tons. (The trade figures given later show a considerably larger amount available.) The jute industry is centered in Scotland, in the Dundee district. A comparative distribution of the crop in bales of 400 pounds each to the principal manufacturing districts of the world is as follows: 2 It appears from the above figures that while the manufacture of jute has increased tremendously in India and only slightly less noticeably on the Continent, the industry in Dundee has remained stationary for the last 30 years. The Dundee mills now are producing in particular floor cloths, linoleums, fine yarns, and other specialties, having found it difficult to compete with the cheaper grades of materials as made in the Indian mills in Calcutta and the German and Austrian factories. During the war, of course, the supply of raw jute has been practically cut off from the Central Powers, and the serious competition which the British mills have had to face has been that of the Calcutta production. In 1913 jute mills in Scotland turned out about 12 per cent of the world's total production, whereas 52 per cent was made in India. 1 Report of Departmental Committee on Textiles Trades, p. 34. 119025-19-5 2 Ibid., p. 89. The situation in the United Kingdom with respect to raw jute for the period 1912-1918 is shown as follows: THE RAW JUTE TRADE AND CONSUMPTION OF THE UNITED KINGDOM.1 1 Annual (and Monthly) Statements of Trade of the United Kingdom. According to the above figures, the imports of jute during the war have averaged considerably less than pre-war importations, particularly in the last two years. But reexports of raw jute have declined still more sharply, and the amount available for consumption has thus been fairly well maintained, except in 1917. This decline in the imports of raw material from India indicates no serious crop shortage, but rather a scarcity of ship space, a very large extension of the jute manufacturing industry in India, and the loss of the reexport trade in raw jute. The United States has also increased its takings from 83,140 tons in 1915 to 112,695 tons in 1917. There has been some increase in jute manufacturing in South America. The following table shows the United Kingdom's trade in jute manufactures: THE UNITED KINGDOM'S TRADE IN JUTE MANUFACTURES.1 According to the foregoing figures, the export trade in yarn and piece goods has shown a considerable decline, particularly in 1918. The decrease in production has not been as great, but there have been greater demands for home consumption. The principal markets for bags and sacks have been Argentina and Germany. Before the war a very large number of sugar bags were sent to the latter country. Yarn markets have been Brazil, Portu gal, and Canada. Considerable competition is now being encountered in the Brazilian market from native manufacturers. Of the piece goods exports the United States takes about 50 per cent, the other principal markets being Canada and Argentina. The imports are largely of continental yarns and Calcutta piece goods. These imports are not listed separately in the official statistics, but are probably included in the "Other jute manufactures" heading. There is considerable agitation at present in jute circles of the United Kingdom looking toward the protection of the British industry against continental and other foreign competition by levying an export tax of £5 per ton on all jute exported from India, with a rebate of the amount in the case of jute consigned ultimately to the United Kingdom or to British possessions. It is impossible to say whether or not such a policy will be adopted. The number of operatives employed in the jute industry in 1914 was 51,000, and the machinery used was largely of British manufacture. SILK. The United Kingdom produces no raw silk and the domestic silk industry does not furnish an adequate quantity of silk goods to supply domestic needs. Nevertheless, the British silk industry is still important, although it has declined with various fluctuations since protection was removed in 1860. The census of 1907 gives the production of the industry as follows: The annual exports of British silks before the war amounted to about 50 per cent of the total output, but this amount was greatly exceeded by the imports. The silk industry is located in the Yorkshire district, employs over 30,000 operatives, and is well organized and fairly prosperous. The chief competition for the home market is from Switzerland, France, and Japan. The recent increase in the imports of Japanese spun yarns is regarded by British spinners as presenting a serious menace for the future of their business. The trade in raw silk, yarns, and waste for the years 1912-1918 is shown in the following table:1 THE UNITED KINGDOM'S TRADE IN RAW SILK AND SILK YARNS.2 1 Export items given in the table are domestic exports only. Reexports are small, amounting in 1913 to about 90,000 pounds in the case of raw silk, thrown silk, and yarn, and to about a million pounds of waste. During the war these reexports fell to still smaller figures. Annual (and Monthly) Statements of Trade of the United Kingdom. |