Scotland

glasgow, trade, industry, edinburgh, paper, stationery, imports and yards

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(e) Whisky and Beer.—Scotland claims a distinctive manu facture in whisky. Though distillation was originally introduced from England, by 1771 large quantities of spirits were already being consigned to the English market. The legal manufacture of whisky was greatly checked in the earlier part of the 19th century by occasional advances in the duty, but after the reduc tion of 2S. 44d. per proof gallon in 1823 the number of licensed distillers rapidly increased, to the discouragement of smuggling and illicit distillation. In 1900 31,798,465 proof gallons were made, but in 1927 only In that year all but 7 of the distilleries of the United Kingdom were in Scotland, but the number had fallen from 128 in 1923 to 84. The leading distilling counties are Argyll, Banff and Inverness. Brewing is extensively carried on in Edinburgh, whose ales are in high repute, Alloa and elsewhere. The Temperance Act (Scotland), which came into force in 192o, provided for a poll by local authorities in burghs, wards of large burghs, and parishes with reference to the limita tion or abolition of liquor licences, or the retention of the existing licences. In the result 6o% of the votes were for no change.

(1) Miscellaneous.—Paper, stationery and printing are indus tries in which Scotland has always occupied a foremost position. A paper mill was erected in 1675 at Dalry on the Water of Leith in which French operatives were employed to give instruction, with the result, in the words of the proprietors, that "grey and blue paper was produced much finer than ever was done before in the kingdom." Midlothian has never lost the lead then secured. There are paper mills at Penicuik and elsewhere in the vale of the Esk and around Edinburgh and the industry is also conducted near Aberdeen. Stationery is largely manufactured at Glasgow, Aber deen and Edinburgh. In 1921 the number of persons employed in the paper and stationery industries amounted to 19,953. Ever since it was established early in the 16th century, the Edinburgh press has been renowned for the beauty and excellence of its ty pography, a large proportion of the books issued by London pub lishers emanating from the printing works of the Scottish capital. Printing is also extensively carried on in Glasgow. The number of persons engaged in the production of books and kindred occu pations amounted in 1921 to 26,919.

The first sugar refinery was erected in 1765 at Greenock, which, despite periodical vicissitudes, has remained the principal seat of the industry. The making of preserves and confectionery flour ishes in Dundee. Kirkcaldy is the seat of the oil floor-cloth and linoleum industries, the latter introduced in 1877. The head

quarters of the chemicals manufacture are situated in Glasgow and the vicinity, while explosives are chiefly manufactured at Steven ston and elsewhere in Ayrshire, and at certain places on the Argyll coast. Among occupations providing employment for large num bers were trades in connection with building and works of con struction and furniture and timber, while transport (including railways, roads, sea, rivers, docks, harbours, etc.) employed 160, 218 persons in 1921.

Commerce and Shipping.

The following table between 1855 and 1927 illustrates the development that took place in the shipping trade with foreign countries and British possessions, as well as the expansion of the coasting trade.

Foreign trade has shown rapid growth. In 1755 the imports were worth £464,411, and the exports By 1851 the figures were £8,921,108 and £5,016,116. In 190o they were 138,691,245 and £32,166,561, and in 1927 £80,822,241 and £62,670,566.

Though the value of imports into Scotland is less than one-thir teenth of that into England, this does not represent the due proportion of foreign wares used and consumed in Scotland, for the obvious reason that large quantities of goods are brought into the country by rail, nearly all the tea, for example, consumed in Great Britain being imported into London, while several ports have almost a monopoly of certain other imports. The customs revenue rose from 11,965,080 in 1894 to in 1903.

Shipbuilding.

Many of the most important improvements in the construction of ships, especially steam vessels, are due to the enterprise and skill of the Clyde shipbuilders, who, from the time of Robert Napier of Shandon who built and engined the first steamers for the Cunard Company, formed in 184o, have enjoyed an unrivalled reputation for the construction of liners. The prin cipal Clyde yards are situated in the Glasgow district (Govan, Scotstoun, Fairfield, Clydebank, Dalmuir), Dumbarton, Port Glasgow and Greenock. At several of the ports on the lower firth, as at Ardrossan and Fairlie, famous for its yachts, the industry is also carried on. On the east coast the leading yards are at Dundee, Peterhead, Fraserburgh and Aberdeen, which, in the days of sailing ships, was renowned for its clippers built for the tea trade. There are yards also at Inverness. After rising to a "peak" year in 1913, shipbuilding fell off during the World War; and since then its fortunes have been fluctuating and uncertain. The industry was fairly active in 2928, but towards the end of the year the unemployment figures were higher than in any other of the basic industries of the country.

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