With regard to the patterns of paper-hangings, we may remark, that the attention which has Lately been given to the promotion of the arts of design will probably lead to much improvement in the devices for paper-hangings, as well as for other ornamental productions. Mr. Owen Jones and other artists of distinguished ability, have supplied manu facturers with designs of a very superior character ; but the great bulk of English designs are utterly inappropriate, and many, even when the paper-hangings are of an expensive kind, in extreme bad taste.
Sir Robert Peel made fiscal changes which greatly improved the paper-hanging manufacture. There used to be an import, duty of Is. per square yard on foreign paper-hangings ; this was nearly prohibitory, and the home manufacturers had not the stimulus of foreign com petition; when the duty, however, was reduced to lid., elegant French papers came in, and taught a lesson. A further improvement was made by lessening the duty on paper itself from 3d. to lid. per lb., and by wholly repealing the extra duty of lid. per square yard on paper
hangings. Whatever may be said as to taste in fine art, it is certain that cleanliness and comfort have been promoted by these reforms ; seeing that wall-papers can now be sold at so very low a price as to come within the reach of nearly all classes. At present, nothing beyond the paper-duty of 1 id. per lb. (plus 5 per cent) presses on the trade ; yet it has been recently shown that this lid. is, in many cases, more than as much as the paper-stainer receives for all his expenses, labour, machinery, anxiety, risk, and profit of every kind. He buys a ream of self-coloured or grouud-coloured paper, weighing 300 lb., and con I taming 480 pieces of 12 yards each ; he gives for it 51. 15s., of which 11/. 19s. 4d. is for excise duty. He prints and sells it wholesale for 6/. 17s. 6d., or 3!d. per piece ; and this price is made up of lid. for paper, Id. for duty, and id. for colours, tools, labour, machinery, rent, skill, risk, and profit.