essays-1-第14章

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of　the　poor；　and　the　distribution　of　rewards　to　those　of　them　who　particularly　distinguished　themselves　by　their　good　behaviour　and　their　industry；　but　this　is　merely　a　mercantile　correspondence。　The　deputation　has　no　right　to　interfere　in　any　way　whatever　in　the　internal　management　of　this　establishment；　considered　as　a　manufactory。　　In　this　respect　it　is　to　all　intents　and　purposes　a　perfectly　distinct　and　independent　establishment。　But　notwithstanding　this；　the　two　establishments　are　so　dependent　on　each　other　in　many　respects；　that　neither　of　them　could　well　subsist　alone。

The　Military　Work…house　being　principally　designed　as　a　manufactory　for　clothing　the　army；　its　capital；　which　at　first　consisted　in　about　150；000　florins；　but　which　has　since　increased　to　above　250；000　florins；　was　advanced　by　the　military　chest；　and　hence　it　is；　that　it　was　called　the　Military　Work…house；　and　put　under　the　direction　of　the　council　of　war。

For　the　internal　management　of　the　establishment；　a　special　commission　was　named；　consisting　of；　one　counsellor　of　war；　of　the　department　of　military　economy；　or　of　the　clothing　of　the　army；one　captain；　which　last　is　inspector　of　the　house；　and　has　apartments　in　it；　where　he　lodges；　and　the　store…keeper　of　the　magazine　of　military　clothing。

These　commissioners；　who　have　the　magazine　of　military　clothing　at　the　same　time　under　their　direction；　have；　under　my　immediate　superintendence；　the　sole　government　and　direction　of　this　establishment；of　all　the　inferior　officers；servants；　manufacturers；and　workmen；　belonging　to　it；　and　of　all　mercantile　operations；contracts；　purchases；sales；；　etc。　　And　it　is　with　these　commissioners　that　the　regiments　correspond；　in　order　to　be　furnished　with　clothing；　and　other　necessaries；　and　into　their　hands　they　pay　the　amount　of　the　different　articles　received。

The　cash　belonging　to　this　establishment　is　placed　in　a　chest　furnished　with　three　separate　locks；　of　one　of　which　each　of　the　commissioners　are　jointly；　and　severally；　answerable　for　the　contents　of　the　chest。

These　commissioners　hold　their　sessions　regularly　twice　a　week；　or　oftener　if　circumstances　require　it；　in　a　room　in　the　Military　Work…house　destined　for　that　purpose；　where　the　correspondence；　and　all　accounts　and　documents　belonging　to　the　establishment；　and　other　records；　are　kept；　and　where　the　secretary　of　the　commission　constantly　attends。

When　very　large　contracts　are　made　for　the　purchase　of　raw　materials；　particularly　when　they　are　made　with　foreigners；　the　conditions　are　first　　submitted　by　the　commissioners　to　the　council　of　war　for　their　approbation；　but　in　all　concerns　of　less　moment；　and　particularly　in　all　the　current　business　of　the　establishment；in　the　ordinary　purchases；sales；and　other　mercantile　transactions；　the　commissioners　act　by　their　own　immediate　authority：　but　all　the　transactions　of　the　commissioners　BEING　ENTERED　REGULARLY　IN　THEIR　JOURNALS；　and　the　most　particular　account　of　all　sales；　and　purchases；　and　other　receipts　and　expenditures　being　kept；　and　inventories　being　taken　every　year；　of　all　raw　materials；manufactures　upon　hand；and　other　effects；　belonging　to　the　establishment；　and　an　annual　account　of　profit　and　loss；　regularly　made　out；　all　peculation；　and　other　abuses；　are　most　effectually　prevented。

The　steward；　or　store…keeper　of　raw　materials；　as　he　is　called；　has　the　care　of　all　raw　materials；　and　of　all　finished　manufactures　destined　for　private　sale。　The　former　are　kept　in　magazines；　or　store…rooms；　of　which　he　alone　has　the　keys；　the　latter　are　kept　in　rooms　set　apart　as　a　store；or　shop；　where　they　are　exposed　for　public　inspection；　and　sale。　To　prevent　abuses　in　the　sales　of　these　manufactures；　their　prices；　which　are　determined　upon　a　calculation　of　what　they　cost；　and　a　certain　per　cent。　added　for　the　profits　of　the　house；　are　marked　upon　the　goods；　and　are　never　altered；　and　a　regular　account　is　kept　of　all；　even　of　the　most　inconsiderable　articles　sold；　in　which　not　only　the　commodity；　with　its　quality；　quantity；　an　price；　is　specified；　but　the　name　of　the　purchaser；　and　the　day　of　the　month　when　the　purchase　was　made；　are　mentioned。

All　articles　of　clothing　destined　for　the　army　which　are　made　up　in　the　house；　as　well　as　all　goods　in　the　piece；　destined　for　military　clothing；　are　lodged　in　the　Military　Magazine；　which　is　situated　at　some　distance　from　the　Military　Work…house；　and　is　under　the　care　and　inspection　of　the　Military　store…keeper。

From　this　Military　Magazine；　which　may　be　considered　as　an　appendix　to　the　Military　Work…house；　and　is　in　fact　under　the　same　direction；　the　regiments　are　supplied　with　every　article　of　their　clothing。　　But　in　order　that　the　army　accounts　may　be　more　simple；　and　more　easily　checked；　and　that　the　total　annual　expence　of　each　regiment　may　be　more　readily　ascertained；　the　regiments　pay；　at　certain　fixed　prices；　for　all　the　articles　they　receive　from　the　Military　Magazine；　and　charge　such　expenditures　in　the　annual　account　which　they　send　in　to　the　War　Office。

The　order　observed　with　regard　to　the　delivery　of　the　raw　materials　by　the　store…keeper　or　steward　of　the　Military　Work…house　to　those　employed　in　manufacturing　them；　is　as　follows：

In　the　manufactures　of　wool；　for　instance；　he　delivers　to　the　master…clothier　a　certain　quantity；　commonly　100　pounds；　of　wool；　of　a　certain　quality　and　description；　taken　from　a　certain　division；　or　bin；　in　the　Magazine；　bearing　a　certain　number；　in　order　to　its　being　sorted。　　And　as　a　register　is　kept　of　the　wool　that　is　put　into　these　bins　from　time　to　time；　and　as　the　lots　of　wool　are　always　kept　separate；　it　is　perfectly　easy　at　any　time　to　determine　when；and　where；and　from　whom；　the　wool　delivered　to　the　sorted　was　purchased；　and　what　was　paid　for　it；　and　consequently；　to　trace　the　wool　from　the　stock　where　it　was　grown；　to　the　cloth　into　which　it　was　formed；　and　even　to　the　person　who　wore　it。　　And　similar　arrangements　are　adopted　with　regard　to　all　other　raw　materials　used　in　the　various　manufactures。

The　advantages　arising　from　this　arrangement　are　too　obvious　to　require　being　particularly　mentioned。　It　not　only　prevents　numberless　abuses　on　the　part　of　those　employed　in　the　various　manufactures；　but　affords　a　ready　method　of　detecting　any　frauds　on　the　part　of　those　from　whom　the　raw　materials　are　purchased。

The　wool　received　by　the　master…clothier　is　by　him　delivered　to　the　wool…sorters　to　be　sorted。　To　prevent　frauds　on　the　part　of　the　wool…sorters；　not　only　all　the　wool…sorters　work　in　the　same　room；　under　the　immediate　inspection　of　the　master　wool…sorter；　but　a　certain　quantity　of　each　lot　of　wool　being　sorted　in　the　presence　of　some　one　of　the　public　officers　belonging　to　the　house；　it　is　seen　by　the　experiment　how　much　per　cent。　is　lost　by　separation　of　dirt　and　filth　in　sorting；　and　the　quantity　of　sorted　wool　of　the　different　qualities；　which　the　sorter　is　obliged　to　deliver　for　each　HUNDRED　POUNDS　weight　of　wool　received　from　the　magazine；　is　from　hence　determined。

The　great　secret　of　the　woollen　manufactory　is　in　the　sorting　of　the　wool；　and　if　this　is　not　particularly　attended　to；　that　is　to　say；　if　the　different　kinds　of　wool　of　various　qualities　which　each　fleece　naturally　contains；　are　not　carefully　separated；　and　if　each　kind　of　wool　is　not　employed　for　that　purpose；　and　FOR　THAT　ALONE；　for　which　it　is　best　calculated；　no　woollen　manufactory　can　possibly　subsist　with　advantages。

Each　fleece　is　commonly　separated　into　five　or　six　different　parcels　of　wool；　of　different　qualities；　by　the　sorters　in　the　Military　Work…house；　and　of　these　parcels；　some　are　employed　for　warp；　others　for　wool；others　for　combing；and　that　which　is　very　coarse　and　indifferent；　for　coarse　mittens　for　the　peasants；for　the　lists　of　broad　cloths；　etc。

The　wool；　when　sorted；　is　delivered　back　by　the　master…clothier　to　the　steward；　who　now　places　it　in　the　sorted…wool　magazines；　where　it　is　kept　in　separate　bins；　according　to　its　different　qualities　and　destinations；　till　it　is　delivered　out　to　be　manufactured。　　As　these　bins　are　all　numbered；　and　as　the　quality　and　destination　of　the　wool　which　is　lodged　in　each　bin　is　always　the　same；　it　is　sufficient　in　describ