evil

CONTENTS

granted allowances from the rates, and this tided over the transition to
spinning by jennies in factories, and subsequent spinning by power. 653
254. Legal and Illegal Woollen Weavers. The flying shuttle brought
large earnings to those woollen weavers who found employment, but the
anemployed commenced an agitation for enforcing the old rules, The
obligation of a seven years’ apprenticeship was get aside temporarily, and,
jespite the evidence in favour of retaining if, the system was abandoned.
 . “ . . . . . . . . . 657
255. The Shearmen and the Framework Knitters. The use of gigmills,
 though possibly illegal, was permitted, since they did the work well;
the newly invented shearing frames deprived skilled workmen of employment
 and roused them into violent opposition, in which they were associated
with the Luddites. When the regulation of framework knitting by the
Company ceased, complaints of hardship arose from the hands, who paid
frame rents; and subsequently inferior goods were produced, which spoiled
the market. The evils were aggravated by the practice of spreading work,
and were not due to machinery, but to reckless competition. . 661

III. AGGRAVATIONS OF THE Evirs oF TRANSITION.

256. The War and Fluctuations in Maritime Intercourse. The insvitable
 difficulties of transition were aggravated by the fluctuations of trade,
which rendered manufacturing speculative and tended to lower the operatives’
standard of life. The breach with the American colonists was taken advantage
 of by French and Dutch rivals; and Russia insisted on maintaining
a new doctrine of neutral trading, to the disadvantage of the English, who
sustained heavy losses, but no permanent damage to their maritime power.
Though England relinquished many possessions in 1783, her maritime
superiority was more striking than ever, and enabled her to monopolise the
carrying trade and to ruin her rivals. During the Revolutionary War a
stimulus was given to English tillage; and after the Peace of Amiens, to
manufactures for American markets. English prosperity was securely
founded, as industry and agriculture bad all been developed ; a large revenue
was derived from customs ; England, despite the pressure of debt, could defy
competition through her wealth in coal, and was bound to triumph in the
end. The attempt of England to destroy the commerce of France embroiled
ber with the United States, since they bad developed a carrying trade
between France and her colonies to the disadvantage of British traders.
The Orders in Council against neutral trading called forth the Berlin and
Milan Decrees ; these pressed severely on the customers of England, but did
pot break down her monopoly, as Napoleon failed to develop industries, and
a large contraband trade sprung up. The rupture with the States affected
ow supplies of material and food as well as our manufactures. With the
sstablishment of peace a period of depression ensued. Though successfal
speculators had gained, the community as a whole suffered from the fluctuasions
 in trade. . : . . ¥ v . . 668
057. Credit and Crises. During the war, industry suffered from want
of materials and the interruption of the food supply, and all capitalists were
affected by the variations in credit, and the consequent crises, There was