A special meeting of the members of the Manchester Chamber of Commerce was held ju the Mayor's Parlour at the Town-hall, on the 20th Nov., 1872, to consider the question of mildew in cotton goods and the remedies thereto. Mr. Hugh Mason, president of the board of directors, occupied the chair, and there was a numerous'attendance.
The CHairaan, in opening the proceedings, said it was not the first time in the history of that Chamber that it had been called upon to discuss the question which had led to their assembling that morning—the question of mildew in cotton cloths. Seven years ago a special committee of the directors was constituted, and they bestowed consierable care and attention in the investigation of the subject. They called to their aid an eminent practical chemist of this city, and presented w report which at that time was extensively circulated. He was very much afraid that the important report which was then presented had not during the recent controversy upon the question received that attention which it certainly demanded. When he told them that the special committee to whom the subject was at that time referred consisted of eminent merchants and agents and' manufacturers, he thought he could say no more to convince them that it must have received.the utmost possible investigation at their hands. He would only read half a dozen lines of that elaborate and exhaustive report. The special committee—and he might peiho to that Mr. Mendel was one of them—reported among other effect:—** Your com-may notice that since the prevalence of mildew, there has been a tendency in eastern markets to pronounce nearly all arrivals of damaged goods as affected by aaildew 5 and thos many things which woul in. former times have taken ing enough to bear without having placed upon their shoulders other sins which might originate by practices in other and distant countries, (Hear, hear.) Ho could onl hope thet morning, seeing the influence an the numbers of also secing that every, word which "might would go. forth to the public by of the journals, that this important question would bedebated in an earnest, practical, andforbearing manner. (Heac, hear.) He was quiteauro there would partof every gentleman tairn without casting reproaches either on one class of persons or another. There had been in the controversy which had taken place in the newspapers lately 1 considerable amount of feeling shown. He could only hope that there might be no unkind feeling shown that morning. He believed that the credit of the district was at stake, and it behaved every one of them to be exceedingly cautious in wat he advanced and be able to prove what he pronounced. (Hear, hear.) They had had present, to a large extent, the mercantile only one regret to express that morning. They class, the manufacturing class, and the class of agents. (Hear, hear.) He could only wish that: they had had the consuming class pre-tent—(hear, hear}—for if they had them pre sent, as well as the others to whom he alluded,. he thought they could have had the whole case pla before them. As it was they must be content to carry on their discussion that morning in the absence of the consuming class; but he regretted that they must do so under great disadvantage, for it might, possibly be: said that it was the duty of the merchant to provide an article which the consumer would buy, and it was the duty of the manufacturer to make an article whic the merchant instructed him tomake. Therefore they must take what was said about or damping process is used at id dur-tice ex other materials, snd thet no staining the consuming class upon faith. He perhaps fag or tie: mematochre, ioevng the mesa: might be pardoned if he read a telegram facturer full liberty to use whatever amount which had been placed in his hands from Mr.
Pender, who was a large'shipper and buyer for buyers' to determine and find out the size he thinks proper, and it will then be of these and took a interest in quantity of filling they are to have in fulfil. the question. The telegram was dated Lonment of the contract they: make; and so long don, and was as follows: Please make as that is adhered to, no cause of complaint known to the Chamber of Commerce my should arise; but everything of a deleterious regret that business prevents my attending nature must be prohibited, and the use'of the meeting to-day on the subject of mildew. steam or moisture as already stated. Hooks It is a question which affects the trade and are a fertile source of damage; very many in-credit of the district. I hope a committee stances of damage have come before me from will be appointed to go into the whole question as to sizing, steaming, and ill-ventilated made by the use of hooks, both in London water having penetrated through the holes ships, as a simple discussion in the Chamber and Liverpool, on the quay and on board ship, would have little effect unless followed up by and it is most essential that the use of hooks practical steps." (Hear, hear.) He (the should be stopped; and I trust this Chamber chairman) thought it was only due to one will not hesitate to address a strong remongentleman in that room that he should ven-strange to carriers, dock companies, shipture to name him as the first speaker. He brokers, shipowners, &c. And when on this thought it was due to Mr. Mendel, as the subject it will be well also to enter a remonoriginator of the recent controversy, and as strange against the treatment bale goods are heading the requisition calling this special subjected to, and the careless manner in which meeting, that he should request him to place rain is allowed to pass into the holds of ves-the case before them. (Hear, hear.) sels and on to bales in course of shipment Mr. 8. Menpet said: Size put in beyond and annexed are a few reports in proof of my actual requirement, as known to every one, statement. Ventilation of steamers I hold to is for deception only, yet none the less oh. lectionable and to be condemned; yet if be of more importance than generally admitted. After citing the cases above referred to, buyers prefer to deal with goods so adulterated, manufacturers will not to continue the it must surely be admitted that alarge amount of wet enters within a vessel's hold during the production, and the evil must be left to work time of taking in cargo. This, no doubt, out its own cure. But there is no reason why generates steam, and if there be' no efficient an effort should not be made to stop the free use of improper and deleterious size, also the Feailaton for scape, it will enter through the packing materials.' In proof of this it system of steaming and damping by any means found that many cases of mildew are confined either during or after process of manufacture to the top and bottom pieces and on ono'or as now practised by many. These operations both sides of the bale. Certificates (India and are uncalled for and can be avoided, as proved China) are apparently made out at tim by the fact of certain (the most heavily sized) without.the minute and careful examination makes in the market not becoming mildewed, that is desirable, Conclusions are arrived at Bleached goods are heavily filled, and do not and opinions given as to the cause of mildew, from the fact that the operation is that could not be substantiated or proved well and properly carried out, the size careprope ofthe greatest practical ce. The fully mixed with certain properties, such as following is an extract from Cal all vegetable acid removed, and the true un-'The substances mostly used ar derstanding of the mixture of the size. mented flour; 2 china clo Bleachers guarantee freedom from mildew in magnesium. Those sometimes used are the goods weighing only Sib: grey, and retarned chlorides of sodiumand calcium. China clay re-white to weigh SIbs., and there should be no tains or holds water with great tenacity, and objection on the part of manufacturers to the chlorides above mentioned are: hy guarantee against mildew in the absence of actual contact with water. The system of pit damp in any shape inclanvg ofan application, be once ai it certainl, steaming, damping, storing in wet places, if the amount of water added. be within is most reprehensible, and no care on the part short time completely removed, at once lay of buyers can detect such malpractices at the the foundation for spotting or mildew; but of time of delivery, "Mildew is now much mere easily developed, owing to the largely in-Grease quantity and the nature cent, whether supplied. wilfully or accidancourse any excess of moisture above 8
tally, or by rapid atmospheric such compared with former usage. It is, therefore, as are frequent in tropical climates, will rennecessary to give increased care' to secure der cloth highly susceptible to the devel goods free from unnatural damp; but the re-ment of mildew. If mildew be once dev is now too often the practice, in the oped so as to be visible to the eye, then: no shape of steaming and watering in one other form. Means should be adopted to make process of drying will agree it except at high Known the names of the parties guilty of temperatures, I think it would be ascertain, by a careful series of researches, using the means referred to, as a protection ifthe cloth contains the germs" of mildew to the manufacturers not guilty of such practices and to the merchant also.. Waste. of even before the mildew becomes visible to the eye. Mildew in prevented if pieces are money by the process of heavy sizing is also a serious matter, and I venture to think the generally speaking, unfavourable to the de: fully exposed to dry air and light, as light is, annexed figures will cause surprise to many:—velopment of cryptogamic life. Free accaas Thro Year' Average. of air to a fabric means drying it, and therefore removing the great excess of moisture decreases its liability to mildew. 'There can be no doubt that the exposure of goods to the heat of the Bold of a steamer, if the not been carefully dried and' packed, will greatly inereao thei liability to mildew, The following is an extract from Professor Stone's rt -—If cloth is sized - chemically with leliquescents, then drying would be of little, sani aaa i te tin cee ofan and practically ofnoavail_—a mere temporary measure. In a word nothing can remedy the pvc ly, ce can em late concealed defects of a cloth, Latent centage. mischief is in every bale 2d cloth, To these must be added the cost of filling to In white goods, mineral the manufacturer, carriage to and from his of baryta and lime and china clay, are largely mill, the cost of transit in the East, say—if used." But mildew is a very rare incident in my information is correct—railway from Cal-white goods. The reason is that these cutty to Delhi, £1 per bale of 50 pieces, extra minerals are used with a definite knowledge, size S7}1bs. per bale, equal to 44 pieces 8{lbs, not hay No bleacher would dare to or Is. 10d. per bale, I would venture to use the deliquescents the sizer uses; and if suggest the appointment of a committee, with he ventured to indulge in the nostrums of the instructions to visit and report on the various sizer, white goods would fall-a prey to mildew. systems of working in mills, as now every Ifa sizer uses china clay, with a flour and soap millowner will be ready to give the committee ize, he does no.chemical harm to his cloth. every facility for inspection. I would aleo recommend that all buyers should require from 1f Be used sulphates of lime or baryts, with such assize he wou'd his cloth of once. the manufacturer a written contract that no Bleachers know more of chemistry.: than deleterious ingredients are contained in the weavers, and they avoid the silly mixtures
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.