Chapter XII: Statistics

THE British carpet manufacturing trade cannot claim to compare in size with the larger industries of the country; but the figures which follow will give some measure of its extent. It should be premised that, owing to the disturbance of the industry caused by war conditions, it is necessary to go back to 1913 to obtain figures which can be regarded as approximately normal.

There are forty-five firms engaged in the manufacture of carpets, of whom eleven are located in Scotland, nine in the North of England, eighteen in Kidderminster and district, and seven in other parts of the country. Kidderminster is thus, both in the number of manufacturers, and in its productive capacity, the most important centre of the trade.

There are about 4,500 looms of various kinds and widths in the whole trade, of which number Brussels and Wilton looms, Chenille, and Tapestry each contribute about 25 per cent., Axminster 17½ per cent., and Ingrain, hand-tufted, and sundry looms the balance.

The total number of employees in the trade before the war was 36,000, of which rather more than one-quarter were male. During the war the total was reduced to about 50 per cent.

The average annual consumption of wool may be taken as about 8,000 tons; which, estimating a fleece as about 6lb. in weight, represents the wool produced yearly by 3,000,000 sheep.

The consumption of jute was from 15,000 to 20,000 tons; of cotton about 13,000 tons; of linen 8,000 to 10,000 tons; and of coal about 100,000 tons per annum.

The export trade is an important branch, as will be seen from the following tables for 1913 and 1918, printed here by the courtesy of the _Kidderminster Shuttle_—

CARPET EXPORTS

(In the following details of Carpets, Rugs are included.)

_Quantities for Twelve Months ended_—
_December, 1912._ _December, 1913._
Germany 122,400 91,200
Netherlands 339,100 402,300
Belgium 68,900 55,200
France 71,900 63,700
Spain and Canaries 71,300 47,300
United States 142,000 137,300
Chili 419,400 338,700
Argentine Republic 391,500 409,000
Australia 1,704,700 1,821,300
New Zealand 555,400 521,500
Canada 2,730,300 2,569,300
Other Countries 2,194,900 2,146,100
———— ————
Total Square Yards 8,811,800 8,602,900

CARPET EXPORTS

_Value for Twelve Months ended_—
_December, 1912._ _December, 1913._
£ £
Germany 37,982 27,853
Netherlands 60,161 72,544
Belgium 11,009 9,858
France 18,455 17,757
Spain and Canaries 16,569 8,193
United States 55,634 60,688
Chili 54,809 50,938
Argentine Republic 72,879 72,027
Australia 296,664 334,137
New Zealand 89,972 91,110
Canada 450,119 449,101
Other Countries 341,277 342,718
————— —————
TOTAL £1,505,530 £1,536,924

CARPET EXPORTS

_Quantities for Twelve Months ended_—
_December, 1917._ _December, 1918._
Netherlands 280,300 1,000
France 113,200 183,100
Spain and Canaries 54,600 32,300
United States of 298,900 89,900
America
Chile 114,100 152,200
Argentine Republic 228,000 218,900
Australia 851,800 852,500
New Zealand 222,100 97,700
Canada 886,900 239,800
Other Countries 1,482,900 1,151,000
————— —————
Total Square Yards 4,532,800 3,018,400

CARPET EXPORTS

_Value for Twelve Months ended_—
_December, 1917._ _December, 1918._
£ £
Netherlands 88,307 502
France 55,368 120,982
Spain and Canaries 17,008 14,803
United States of 190,572 71,790
America
Chile 30,076 63,512
Argentine Republic 71,915 95,237
Australia 237,634 330,287
New Zealand 58,937 36,260
Canada 206,658 70,120
Other Countries 418,432 470,898
————— —————
TOTAL £1,374,907 £1,274,391

CARPET IMPORTS

_Square_ _Value._
_Yds._ _£_
Imports of Carpets 1,854,599 687,026
and Carpet Rugs,
1912
Imports of Carpets 1,965,000 698,371
and Carpet Rugs,
1913