Perth Amboy evening news., 1904-05-20
FRANCES LACE INDUSTRY.
Royal DEGREES Regulating Early Mnn-
ufacture and the PrcSentPro-
ducing Places.

The manufacture of laces in France
| dates back to the days of Louis XIV. In
the month OF August, 1868. the famous
Declaration du Roy" was published, &c
creeing the establishment in Ar.%
Rheims. Sedan, Alcncon, Aurillac end
other towns in the kingdom CT manu-
a~fctures of all kinds of thread and
needlework, after the manner of the
points made at Venice, Genoa, Ragusa,
etc. They were to be called "poincts dc
France" and the decree provided that all
such work should be free from duty. In
order to encourage The industry in the
country, another decree, dated October
70, 1865, forbade any person Of any quail
ity or condition to wear, under pain Of
co%nfiscation Of the articles and Ct, 500
fine, any Venetian or other foreign lace,
no matter of what kind. The following
year a second decree was issued forbid
ding the wearing Of any dress with sill
yer or gold facings and Of lace made OUT
side the country. These DEGREES alsofor-
babe the manufacture or sale of any lace
other than that made in the royal manu-
factories and according to the designs
of the directors of the establishments.
Colbert, the minister of Louis XIV,
was the chief i%nstigator of these Ora
| CONAN DEGREES. He obliged the manu-
f~acturers to make only one point or de-
sign, to the exclusion Of any other. A
large number of localities only obtained
their living by the kind of lace familiar
to them, and everywhere it was believed
that the opening of manufactures
whence, henceforth, designs were to be
| issued would cause ruin. But the real
aim of the government establishments
had not been understood, which was to
perfect the industry, in providing
models, designs and methods of eXecu-
ton, constituting precious elements for
the improvement of the ordinary manual
work.
For 20 years Colbert had to contend
with popular prejudice on the subject,
but he finally triumphed. for II wa
| through his efforts that the admirable
"poinct de France" took rank among the
arts and industries of the kingdom.
To-day, in spite of the progress of ma
chine-made lace in the numerous manu-
factories of the northern and eastern
departments, the handmade article holos
a respectable rank. The lace makers
(women) throughout the country not be-
ing organized or syndicated after the
manner of other workers, it is difficult
to state exactly the number Of those who
work at the industry, but it does not fall
| short of 200, 600. The wages they receive
are in general but small, in proportion
to the talent and amount Of work fur
nished. There are places where a clever
lace maker will not earn, for IL or il
hours work, more than 80 cents n day.
In the country around Caen, Bayeux,
! and Falaise, in the Calvados, where for
nIerly a great deal of lace was manufac-
tured, the inhabitants have decreased
by 27,1S2. In the same department in
1851 there were so, 900 lace makers, while
in 1876 they had fallen to 60, 1000. Yet, in
spite of the extraordinary improvement
in the machines, the lowering OF the
| wages, and the decline of public taste.
the handmade industry holds a good
many centers.
Alcncon still produces it's famous |
point d%'aiguille, which enjoys so much |
favor and employs so many workers no.
000). Handmade lace is found all along
the northern coast-Cherbourg. Hon
fleur, Bolbec, Fecamp, Dieppe, Bayeux,
Falaise and LisieuX. At Honfeur ami |
Dieppe a special kind is manufactured,
initiating Valenciennes. But the most
active center is at Bayeux, where Chan
lilly lace is manufactured.
Flanders, the cradle of the lace in
dustry, has lost much of its prestige.
while Lille and Arras produce but a
small quantity of cheap grades. For
Valenciennes, the toVn celebrated above
ell others for the lace art, the nimble
fingers have ceased to ply the tuscan for
nearly q century, although in certain
places, such as Bergues, Cassel, Haze
brouck and Bailleul, en- imitation of this
fine lace Il; manufactured.
In the department of the Vosges and at
Mirecourt a very fine imitation of Brus-
sells point is made, and 10000 to 25, 900
ONE still work therein.
HILARY s. BRUNOT.