The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-11-18
AN ITEM OF CHINA TRADE.

The manufacture of raw silk from China B
already an important item in the business o.
this city, there being several factories now in
operation, making sewing silk, and preparing
the material for the ornamental fabrics OF pure
silk, and silk mixed, produced SO largely here
This is a business capable of being very large
ly extended, and which will be so extended II
silk can be more freely imported. The London
P0S makes some important statements IN re-
gard to the trade of China in raw silk, from
which we may infer that great advantages will
follow the extension of our trade under the new
treaty. For long period, the British trade
with China was monopoly of the East India
Company, and under this monopoly the annual
export of silk was about 1000 bales. But on
the breaking up of the monopoly the quantity
exported rapidly increased, in the last few
years more rapidly than ever until the quantity
for 1857 reached 94,900 bales This enormous
amount shows to what an extent that vast en-
pire supply commodity very difficult to
produce underour higher civilization, and where
labor costs 50 much as in the United States.
Perhaps there is no trade in the world more
legitimate than that of the more enlightened
nations with China, except onlvthe OPIUM branch
of it. The vast population of that rich empire
can furnish teas and raw silk at least on terms
with which no other part ofthe world can hope to
compete; and these are, in our civilization, most
necessary elements ofsocial comfort Steam ma
chinery, which does so riot in anFtriumph over
cotton, is beaten on silk by the mere labor of
the hands. We can send heavy and plain cot
tons to China, in such quantity as to release its
population from all work of that sort and so an
increased production of tea and silk can be
gathered to return TO us.
I Probably the stimulus of lively commerce
With the western nations may yet double the
silk export within five wears. and of this in
crease this country and this city will get a
share. Here may be the seat of the most ex-
tensive and successful silk manufactures in the
world, if we choose to make it such since with
the raw silk from China on such terms as we
are likely to obtain it, skill and machinery NAV
operate here without limit of any sort
The next thing ir order is to Introduce here
the silk looms Of France, adding to them as our
Inventive genius ought to add.
Half our import of raw silk now comes direct
from China, and the remaining half from Eng-
land, to which country it is, of course, carried
from various others--ltaly, the East Indies, and
China. The annual value is now nearly a mil
lion ofdollars: 1891 PA for 1856, and $953,734
for 1857. a striking proof of the advancement
ol our own industry III its manufacture is found
IN the fact that but 1920 worth of raw silk
was again exported in 1856. and but 81 1913 in
1857, while IN lS40 and lS4I, out of a quarter
of a million of dollars worth imported I'm each
year. all but 100000 worth was exported in the
raw state. In ten years from 1874, the home
consumption of raw silk increased from $4,000
to Sl,09l ,123, which, as the consumption Of
1854, Is the highest point our use of raw silk
has reached in any vear-PHilu 4D,eTjc01