(TO THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR] SIR,—In the Spectator of
August 22nd your correspondent "W. H. H." instances the thread trade as a ruined trade because one firm of manufacturers (Marshalls, of Leeds) some years ago transferred their works from England to the United States. This is not an instance of a ruined trade, but it is an example of the fallacy of generalising from a single case. Briefly, the facts are these. When the American tariff was found some twenty years ago to militate against the export of British threads to the United States, several of the leading manufacturers here started thread mills on the other side, thereby securing and developing their former trade with the American Continent, and also continuing their businesses on this side. Marshalls, on the contrary, struggled on here for a time, losing trade, and finally closed their mills here, to start afresh in the States. Their business in England was un- profitable mainly because their firm did not keep abreast of the times in development and machinery. A competitor who attended their " break-up " sale to buy some spinning-frames for his factory found those offered antiquated and worthless for successful trading. That the thread trade in the British Isles is not ruined is evidenced by the prosperity of Belfast and Glasgow, where it now thrives and succeeds,—so much so that several of the shrewdest yarn-spinners in those districts have within the last twenty years started making threads. "W. H. H." states that Marshalls "removed their plant entirely to America, thereby securing the American market free of duty, and sending their thread to England also free of duty." Will he now tell your readers (1) why they had a sale of machinery, &c., in England, if it was "removed entirely to America" P (2) how far the American market is "free of duty," when the bulk of the raw material is imported under duty from Europe ? and (3) how many pounds, if any, of thread Marshalls have sold in England since they closed their factories here and started in America? As a matter of fact, no American mill run by British manufacturers supplies the English market with threads.—I am, Sir, &c.,
Artau.
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