INTRODUCTION. 
Some months ago I wrote a small pamphlet entitled “A Sixty- 
Years’ Retrospect of the Bradford Trade,”—indicative of some of the 
causes of the present depression. That pamphlet was well received, and 
went through a circulation of some 3,000 copies. It was an attempt to 
disprove the statements, far too extensively circulated, and too much 
believed in, that the cause of the depression in the Bradford Trade was 
our want of technical knowledge, art, and skill. I have to thank many 
writers in the commercial press for the favourable criticisms passed upon 
it, especially The Manchester Guardian for giving it an extensive review, 
and calling attention to it through its influential columns in such a manner 
as I had not expected for a maiden effort. 
Encouraged by the success of that effort, I have written the 
following pages. Although following somewhat on the same lines as the 
pamphlet referred to, they are wider in their scope, and strive in a humble 
way to present the true position of our great textile industries, shewing 
to what extent they are holding their ground against foreign competition, 
and pointing out what to the writer seem to be some of the causes of 
their unsatisfactory condition. 
The textile industries of England have had no greater enemies than 
their would-be friends. In the contentions of Fair Traders versus Free 
Traders, one-sided arguments have been used ; the true issues have been 
lost sight of; the public have had too gloomy and too desponding an 
impression conveyed to them of the greatness and progress of our manufac 
turing industries. We have had enough of crying down, let us set to work 
and cry up a little. If we set our house in order, and to ourselves be 
true, there is not one of our textile industries need fear foreign competi 
tion ; the day of their decline is in the far distant future. 
Bradford, November, 1883. 
THOS. ILLINGWORTH.