The calculation is likewise made at an unusually high price of wool ; for though during the year 1800, the average price was about eleven guineas, the average of the four preceding years was certainly not more than from ten pounds to ten guineas ; upon the whole; the estimate, therefore, will be much less objectiona ble, if formed on 500,000 packs at 101. 10s. per pack, which will make the value of the wool 5,250,0001. ; to this must be added at least 500,0001. for the value of Spanish wool imported, and the manu factured value of the whole will be 17,250,0001. That the total value of the manufacture cannot exceed this sum will appear highly probable from the exports. The average value of woollen goods ex ported from Great Britain at the close of the last century was 5,647,928/.
Most of the Custom House values of goods exported are greatly below their present value, but not so much so in this article as in some others ; they are found, however, to be about thirty eight per cent. below the actual value, and this ad dition being made to the average amount, the value of woollen goods exported will appear to be 7,794,1401.
The value retained for-home consump tion may be nearly equal to the value ex ported, although in quantity the former may greatly exceed the latter, a very considerable proportion of which consists of superfine and second cloths; whereas the consumption of fine woollens in Great Britain has much diminished of late years, from the general use of Manchester ma nufactures of cotton in clothing, particu larly for waistcoats and breeches. The whole value of the manufacture thus ap pears to be about 15,538,0001. and, as a medium between this sum and the amount before stated, it may be taken at 16,400,0001. Deducting from this amount at the rate of ten per cent. on the cost of the goods for the profits of the manufac turer, including the interest of his capital, there remains 14,909,0901. consisting of the cost of the material, and the wages of labour ; the value of all the wool em ployed, we have seen, is about 5,750,000/. and including the cost of sonic other ne cessary articles, the materials cannot be valued at less than this sum ; the remain der, therefore, or 9,159,0901. is the amount of workmanship, or the wages of all the persons employed in the manufacture. it is scarcely possible to assume with precision an average rate of wages, with respect to any manufacture, as they vary in different parts of the country, and the proportion of the different classes of 'per sons employed is in no instance known with certainty. In the West, where the woollen-manufacture has been for some time past in a very depressed state, few workmen get above 14s. per week, and
many much less, from not being fully em ployed ; in Yorkshire, good workmen earn from 16s. to 188. per week, children 3s. older children and women from 5s. to 68. and old men from 9s. to 12s. If on taking all classes together, 8s. per week is not thought too high, it will appear that the whole number of persons employed does not exceed 440,340. The value of the leather-manufacture was some years ago stated at 10,500,0001. and from the state of the trade of late, particularly those branches of it which supply military accoutrements, harness, sadlery, carri ages, &c. combined with the high price of skins of most kinds, it cannot be sup posed less than that sum at present. De ducting 954,545/. for the profits of capital employed, and 3,500,0001. for the cost of the raw article, there remains 6,045,4551. for the wages of persons employed there in, which at 251. per annum for each per sm, makes the number employed 241,818. The cotton-manufacture was formerly of little importance in this country, in com parison with its present state. The total quantity of cotton-wool imported into England, on an average of five years, end lug with 1705, was 1,170,881 pounds, and even so late as the year 1781, it amounted to only 5,101,920 pounds. About that time, however, the British calicoes, which had been introduced a few years before, bad arrived at some degree of perfection, and the branch of muslins being added, in which great improvements were soon af ter made, the whole manufacture experi enced such a rapid and great increase, that previously to the commencement of the war with France, the consumption of cotton-wool amounted to upwards of 30,000,000 pounds, per annum. The average value at the time referred to was 35,540,200 pounds, the value of which, when manufactured, cannot he less than 11,000,0001. allowing for a considerable quantity exported in a partially inannfic lured state. The total quautity of British calicoes and muslins printed in England and Wales in the year 1800 was 28,6;92,790 yards, and in Scotland 4,176,939 yards, the duty on the whole amounting to 479,3501. 4s. 33d. Upon the supposition that the duty is one-tenth of the value, the value of this description of goods printed in 1800, will be 4,793,502/. The quantity of white calicoes and muslins made in Great Britain is probably much greater than that of the printed ; and though they do not incur the expense of printing and duty, yet as a greater pro portion of them are fine goods, the va lue of them is probably rather above 3,500,000/.