.MANUFACTURES. The manufactures of Belgium constitute its chief source of prosperity. They are many and varied, differing not only in the kind of products turned out. but also as to the scale on which they are carried on: for a large number of persons still work with their own tools in home workshops, with little or no help of hired workmen. The two sides of Eel gittm's industrial developments—the progress in the use of machinery awl the survival of the small industry—are well illustrated by the fol lowing figures: In 1846 the number of steam engines employed in all the industries of Bel gium was 1514, with a total of 37,007 horse power; in 1880 there were 7816 steam-engines, of nearly 210,000 horse-power; while in 1890 the horse-power employed exceeded 628,000. On the other hand. out of a total of about 330.000 industrial establishments of all kinds (includ ing mines) in 1896, there were still 87.000 'establishments' conducted in the living-rooms of the workmen without any hired help. In these 87.000 'establishments.' there were engaged at work 118.747 people. or less than two for each establishment. If we add that only 41,689 of these were men and 77,058 were women, it becomes apparent that the house industry thus maintained is largely carried on by members of the family as a mere subsidiary employment. That does not represent, however. the entire ex tent of the small industry, as a large number of workshops employ two, three. or a few more per sons, with little or no machinery, and the em ployers of all of these are included in the total of 704,229 people working for wages. Since they
were employed in 242,000 establishments, the average number of employes per establishment is a little more than three—a clear indication of the prevalence of small workshops. The total number of people engaged in manufactures in 1896 was 1,119,259, including employers and office force. as well as workmen. The following table gives an account of the Belgian manufac tures in the order of their •importanee, shown by the census of 1896.
The chief branches of the textile industry are the manufacture of linen, mainly centring at Brussels, Ghent. Bruges, Courtrai, Tournay, and _Mechlin; the woolen manufacture, employing many thousands of persons at Verviers, Liege, Dolhain, Ypres, Bruges, Limburg, and other towns; and the cotton industry, carried on in the Caine cities as the linen manufacture, besides Antwerp. Among the more fancy articles must be mentioned the Brussels and Tournay carpets; Brussels and Bruges lace, one of the most ex pensive kinds in the world; and the lawn and damask fabrics manufactured at Bruges.
Although the output of the metals mined in Belgium is small, the metal industry is highly important, ranking third in the number of peo at Val Saint Lambert. Poreelain-ware is factured at Tournay, Brussels, Ghent, and Mons.