As somewhat connected with this subject, we may mention the manufacture of shirt-buttons. This trifling article is made to a considerable amount, in many towns in Dorsetshire, particularly about Blandford and Shaftesbury ; and a practice prevails here, which we have already noticed as prevailing with respect to the making of linen thread at Workington: The shirt buttons arc generally exchanged for goods to the trades men, who in their turn endeavour to force them off, in exchange for what commodities they may want. This practice of paying for one species of manufacture by another, or rather of compelling the labouring ma nufacturer to take goods in exchange for his work, seems to have prevailed at an early period ; since a law was passed against it in the time of Edward IV. and another law in the time of George II.: but the practice still prevails, as we have seen in Dorsetshire; and, when trade is bad in Nottinghamshire, it is resorted to.
As the manufactures of wool, cotton, silk, and linen, may be regarded as intimately connected, both with re spect to the mode in which they are for the most part carried on, and the purposes to which the goods they produce are applied, we shall subjoin to this account of them a curious and striking instance of the division of labour, as related to them, before we proceed to the other species of manufactures in this kingdom. In most places where woollen, cotton, or linen goods are made to any great extent, there are a set of men who are de nominated fine-drawers : the business of these men is to examine the goods, and if they find any rent or blemish, to mend it in such a manner that it either may not he perceived, or at least may not injure the sale of the goods. But besides these fine-drawers, there are in London a set of men denominated packers. Men of the same denomination are found in all the large manufac turing towns ; but a packer, in the London acceptation of the term, is almost, if not entirely, confined to the fnetropolis. His business consists in this :—When a merchant receives orders from abroad for superfine cloths, kerseymeres, &c. or cotton or linen goods, he applies to the packer, who, from his experience, knows exactly the kind of goods which are wanted, and where they are to be procured. The packer takes the orders to the factors, and purchases from them what he deems necessary and proper : but as many of these goods are sold in an unfinished state, undyed, and perhaps un scoured, the packer sees to the scouring, dying, press ing, dressing, &c. Even after this, his labour and more peculiar business only commences; for he has to orna ment and decorate them according to the market for which they are wanted ; since, if goods were taken out to the East Indies, for example, without the appropriate ornaments, the natives would not believe that they were of British manufacture, and would consequently re fuse to purchase them. The packer employs the fine
drawer under him, to examine if there be any flaws, and fine-draw them.
The leather trade of England is one of considerable extent and importance; but there are no materials which can supply even a sketch of its history. In the political essays concerning the British empire, publish-, ed in the year 1772, by J. Campbell, (though without his name), he gives the following estimate of the value of this manufacture in Great Britain. Although it com prehends Scotland, and it does not appear on what data it is grounded, yet, as this author seems to be accurate and well informed on other points respecting the state of our manufactures at this period, we shall, in the ab sence of more satisfactory statements, subjoin it. " Sup posing that there are nine millions of people in Great Britain and Ireland, and that three-fourths of them wear leather shoes, (which cannot be beyond the reality), each person upon a medium five pairs in a year, and the price, on a medium, 6s. a pair, (boots included), The reader will not fail to remark the large sum al lowed for leather breeches, an article now seldom met with among the lower classes, (with whom it was then very general) and not very much worn by any rank. Of this calculation it may be remarked, that it estimates the population of Great Britain and Ireland too low, but probably it does not carry the value of the leather manufacture (if we suppose the calculation to apply on ly to Great Britain, and the population of it, indepen dently of Ireland, to have been 9,000,000,) much too high. In the year 1783, according to the estimate of the annual produce and condition of the principal ma nufactures in Great Britain at that time, already refer red to, the annual produce of leather was stated at 10,500,000; and it was said to be in a declining state.
About two years ago, in consequence of an intention on the part of government to lay a tax upon leather, must of the principal people connected with the differ ent branches of the trade were examined before a Com mittee of the house of Commons. The information on the state of this manufacture, connected with our sub ject, which they gave, we shall lay before our readers, along with information on other points on which they were not called upon to give their evidence. The first point relates to the supply of the raw material. This of course we get in large quantities at home ; though the foreign hides are estimated at three-sevenths of the whole quantity used ; and of the skins of calves, sheep, and deer, one half.