The Development of British Industry and Foreign Competition, 1875–1914 PDF
Preview The Development of British Industry and Foreign Competition, 1875–1914
THE DEVELOPMENT OF BRITISH INDUSTRY AND FOREIGN COMPETITION 1875-1914 THE DEVELOPMENT OF BRITISH INDUSTRY AND FOREIGN COMPETITION 1875-1914 Studies in Industrial Enterprise EDITED BY DEREK H. ALDCROFT University of Glasgow TORONTO: UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO PRESS FIR ST PUBLISHED IN 1968 This book is copyright under the Berne Convention. Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes ofp rivate study, research, criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright Act, 1956, no portion may be reproduced by any process without written permission. Enquiries should be addressed to the publisher. © George Allen & Unwin Ltd 1968 First published in Canada 1968 by University of Toronto Press Reprinted in 2018 ISBN 978-1-4875-7221-1 (paper) PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN in JO on 11 point Times Roman type SIMSON SHAND LTD LONDON, HERTFORD AND HARLOW PREFACE All the essays in this volume are original in the sense that they have not been published before. I should like to thank all the contributors for their kind co-operation with this project. I would also like to express my gratitude to Professor D. J. Robertson, the General Editor of the series in which this volume appears, for his kind advice and guidance during the course of preparing the book for publication. D.H.A. CONTENTS PREFACE page 1 1. Introduction: British Industry and Foreign Competition, 11 1875-1914 by D. H. Aldcroft, Lecturer in Economic History, University of Glasgow 2. The Coal Industry 37 by A. J. Taylor, Professor of History, University ofL eeds 3. Iron and Steel Manufactures 71 by P. L. Payne, Senior Lecturer in Economic History, University of Glasgow 4. The Cotton Industry 100 by R. E. Tyson, Lecturer in Economic History, University of Aberdeen 5. The Woollen and Worsted Industries 128 by E. M. Sigsworth, Reader in Economic History, University of York and J. M. Blackman, Lecturer in Economic History, University of Hull 6. Boots and Shoes 158 by P. Head, Principal Planning Officer, Staffordshire County Council 7. The Engineering Industry 186 by S. B. Saul, Professor ofE conomic History, University ofE dinburgh 8. Electrical Products 238 by I. C. R. Byatt, Lecturer in Economics, London School ofE conomic and Political Science 9. Chemicals 274 by H. W. Richardson, Senior Lecturer in Economics, University of Aberdeen 10. The Glass Industry 307 by T. C. Barker, Professor ofE conomic History, University ofK ent 11. The Mercantile Marine 326 by D. H. Aldcroft 364 BIBLIOGRAPHIES 373 INDEX CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION: BRITISH INDUSTRY AND FOREIGN COMPETITION, 1875-1914 I IN the last few years the period 1870-1914 has become as popular as the classical industrial revolution as a field for scholarly study. This has resulted in a flood of literature, more especially in article and monograph form, on various aspects of the late nineteenth century economy of Britain. Much of the new work is quantitative and analytical rather than descriptive in character and it is devoted largely to examining movements in, and the interaction of, key economic variables. In effect it provides a new or more dynamic approach to the study of economic history and to a large extent it has developed logically from the increasing attention devoted to problems of long-term growth in the past few years.1 Yet although it has provided a much clearer picture, in aggregate terms, of the pattern or course of development of the British economy in these years, the studies themselves have thrown up many new problems as to the particular causes or factors which determined the pattern of development which took place. In fact, most scholars would agree that we are now much better acquainted with the dimensions of Britain's growth in the later nineteenth and early twentieth centuries than we are with the factors which determined it. 2 There is no question that in absolute terms Britain's economic growth was quite substantial throughout this period. Even during the so-called Great Depression most of the major economic indices moved upwards.8 Moreover, in the service 1 The literature is too extensive to list here and in any case many items will be cited later on in the text. 1 Though even in this respect there is still room for disagreement. See D. J. Coppock, 'British Industrial Growth during the "Great Depression" (1873-96): a Pessimist's View', Economic History Review, December 1964, and •• .• a Balanced View' by A. E. Musson in the same issue. • A. E. Musson, 'The Great Depression in Britain, 1873-1896: A Reappraisal', Journal of Economic History, June 1959, p. 199. 11
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