The Express.
London, England, 1861-12-10 00:00:00

THE COVENTRY RIBBON TRADE.

The state of the trade and working population of
Coventry is (we learn from the Birmingham Daily Port)
daily becoming more alarming, and very few people enter-
tain lively prospects of anything like substantial and per-
manent relief fur several months to come. We have this
week to announce the suspension of one of the largest—
indeed the largest—of the ribbon manufacturing firms
in this city ; we allude to Mr. James Hart. Various
reports are in circulation with regard to the
amount of the liabilities, but it is generally believed
to be not below forty or fifty thousand. One Coventry
silk braking firm alone is mentioned as a creditor to the
extent of 19,000/.•' and about 6,0001. is said to be due
to one of the locis' banks. The effect of this important
failure on the trade of this neighbourhood may be Judged
when it is stated that Mr. Hart has been employing almost
as many bands as all the other manufacturers put to.
gather. It is feared that the suspension of this firm will
presently lead to a large increase in the number of persons
unemployed. Already the distress in Coventry and the die.
trict is quite equal, and by many is considered far to exceed,
that of last year. The ranks of pauperism it is certain are
now swelled by a large number of people who Litt year
subsisted upon their savings. These are, of course,
amongst the moat respectable and provident class of our
artisans—a class which, before the distress came, was pro-
belly as large, if not larger in proportion to the population,
than in any other manufacturing town in the United King.
dom. To our own knowledge there are weavers, whose
families are sow on the verge of starvation, who actually
=looms which cost them at least 1001. of hard savings,
itch, in the present state of trade, are comparatively
worthless. The relief fund is now in full operation, but as
it is scarcely one-third of the sum distributed last year, and
the necessity for it is rather increased than abated, it can
hardly last very loaf. At the last meeting of the Relief
°committee Lord Leigh suggested the introduction of the
velvet trade—velvet having to so alarmiog an extent taken
the place of ribbons in the trimming of ladies' bonnets; and
we undenitend that au enterprising Coventry firm are now
making an tmerptio effort in that direction. The ho.
pertseos of introducing new trades into the city, and such
as will not be infisenced so much by the caprices of fashion
as the ribbon trade, is now generally recognised, and we
niwisrstand that in addition to the cotton trade (the large
factoryase for the manufacture of which is now nearly finished)
other branches of industry will shortly be intro-
duced. Bowe idea of the distress which exists in this city
may be conceived from the following return of persons
rebored by the workhouse authorities last week :—Number
of out door pan relieved, 3,486 •, indoor ditto, 385 ;at
the oottespoodg last year the total number of per-
sons relieved was 542; or 2,343 leas than at the present
time. It should dated that every recipient of relief
from the parish is disepudifisd from being a participator in
the subscribed relief fund.