Chapter XI: Statistics of the Soap Industry

Until the year 1853 the amount of soap produced annually in this country was readily obtainable from the official returns collected for the purpose of levying the duty, and the following figures, taken at intervals of ten years for the half century prior to that date, show the steady development of the industry during that period:--

_______________________________________________________________ | | | | | | | Year. | Manufactured. | Consumed. | Exported. | Duty per Ton. | |_______|_______________|___________|___________|_______________| | | | | | | | | Cwts. | Cwts. | Cwts. | £ | | 1801 | 509,980 | 482,140 | 26,790 | 21 | | 1811 | 678,570 | 651,780 | 26,790 | 21 | | 1821 | 875,000 | 839,290 | 35,710 | 28 | | 1831 | 1,098,210 | 955,360 | 142,850 | 28 | | 1841 | 1,776,790 | 1,517,860 | 258,930 | 14 | | 1851 | 1,937,500 | 1,741,070 | 196,430 | 14 | |_______|_______________|___________|___________|_______________|

Since the repeal of the soap duty, the revenue from which had reached about £1,000,000 per annum, no accurate means of gauging the production exists, but it is estimated that it has nearly quadrupled during the last fifty-five years, being now some 7,000,000 or 8,000,000 cwt. per annum.

The number of soap manufacturers in the United Kingdom is nearly 300, and the amount of capital invested in the industry is roughly estimated to approach £20,000,000 sterling.

Official figures are still available for the amount and value of soap annually imported and exported to and from the United Kingdom, the returns for the last eight years being:--

_Imports._ _________________________________________________________________________ | | | | | | | Household. | Toilet. | Total.[13] | | |_____________________|_____________________|_____________________| | Year. | | | | | | | | | Quantity. | Value. | Quantity. | Value. | Quantity. | Value | |_______|___________|_________|___________|_________|___________|_________| | | | | | | | | | | Cwts. | £ | Cwts. | £ | Cwts. | £ | | 1900 | ... | ... | ... | ... | 191,233 | 244,345 | | 1901 | ... | ... | ... | ... | 302,555 | 315,026 | | 1902 | ... | ... | ... | ... | 361,851 | 429,300 | | 1903 | 273,542 | 284,376 | 25,749 | 98,032 | 462,959 | 499,407 | | 1904 | 254,425 | 268,408 | 17,962 | 81,162 | 383,122 | 438,966 | | 1905 | 274,238 | 279,044 | 19,631 | 98,507 | 473,067 | 500,430 | | 1906 | 309,975 | 311,114 | 18,554 | 101,243 | 399,070 | 468,086 | | 1907 | 228,035 | 263,965 | 18,244 | 99,432 | 504,710 | 545,385 | |_______|___________|_________|___________|_________|___________|_________|

Household and toilet soaps were not given separately prior to 1903.

The imports during the last three years for which complete figures are obtainable, came from the following sources:--

_Household Soap._ ______________________________________________________________ | | | | | | | 1904. | 1905. | 1906. | |________________________________|_________|_________|_________| | | | | | | | £ | £ | £ | | From Netherlands | 4,315 | 3,620 | 3,368 | | France | 14,339 | 17,783 | 24,747 | | Italy | 24,209 | 18,129 | 32,972 | | United States | 218,740 | 235,612 | 242,294 | | Other Foreign Countries | 6,785 | 3,873 | 7,448 | | |_________|_________|_________| | | | | | | Total from Foreign Countries | 268,388 | 279,017 | 310,829 | | Total from British Possessions | 20 | 27 | 285 | | |_________|_________|_________| | | | | | | Total | 268,408 | 279,044 | 311,114 | |________________________________|_________|_________|_________|

_Toilet Soap._ ______________________________________________________________ | | | | | | | 1904. | 1905. | 1906. | |________________________________|_________|_________|_________| | | | | | | | £ | £ | £ | | From Germany | 3,509 | 3,516 | 3,001 | | Netherlands | 5,937 | 5,773 | 5,919 | | Belgium | 1,568 | 1,861 | 3,145 | | France | 7,120 | 7,633 | 5,794 | | Italy | 1,176 | 255 | 1,233 | | United States | 59,863 | 74,516 | 78,382 | | Other Foreign Countries | 166 | 147 | 196 | | |_________|_________|_________| | | | | | | Total from Foreign Countries | 79,339 | 93,701 | 97,670 | | Total from British Possessions | 1,823 | 4,411 | 3,225 | | |_________|_________|_________| | | | | | | Total | 81,162 | 98,112 | 100,895 | |________________________________|_________|_________|_________|

_Exports._

The exports from the United Kingdom during the past eight years have been as follows:--

_________________________________________________________________________ | | | | | | | Household. | Toilet. | Total.[14] | | |_______________________|____________________|______________________| |Year.| | | | | | | | | Quantity. | Value. | Quantity.| Value. | Quantity. | Value. | |_____|___________|___________|__________|_________|___________|__________| | | | | | | | | | | Cwts. | £ | Cwts. | £ | Cwts. | £ | | 1900| ... | ... | ... | ... | 874,214 | 939,510| | 1901| ... | ... | ... | ... | 947,485 | 999,524| | 1902| ... | ... | ... | ... | 1,051,624 | 1,126,657| | 1903| 998,995 | 900,814 | 38,372 | 217,928 | 1,057,164 | 1,143,661| | 1904| 1,049,022 | 955,774 | 40,406 | 228,574 | 1,108,174 | 1,208,712| | 1905| 1,167,976 | 1,013,837 | 43,837 | 248,425 | 1,230,310 | 1,284,727| | 1906| 1,131,294 | 1,009,653 | 46,364 | 261,186 | 1,210,598 | 1,309,556| | 1907| 1,114,624 | 1,095,170 | 50,655 | 280,186 | 1,240,805 | 1,459,113| |_____|___________|___________|__________|_________|___________|__________|

Household and toilet soaps were not given separately prior to 1903.

The exports for the last three years for which complete figures are available, consisted of the following:--

_Household Soap._

+----------------------------------------+----------+----------+-----------+ | | 1904. | 1905. | 1906. | +----------------------------------------+----------+----------+-----------+ | | £ | £ | £ | |To Sweden | 3,027 | 2,911 | 3,677 | | Norway | 4,173 | 3,921 | 6,005 | | Netherlands | 39,420 | 41,197 | 48,601 | | Dutch Possessions in the Indian Seas | 8,586 | 10,293 | 7,746 | | Belgium | 73,996 | 51,583 | 7,729 | | France | 11,741 | 12,222 | 22,907 | | Portuguese East Africa | 28,987 | 42,981 | 40,478 | | Canary Islands | 24,763 | 27,864 | 27,579 | | Italy | 2,842 | 3,187 | 3,962 | | Turkey | 6,974 | 7,858 | 5,897 | | Egypt | 12,110 | 9,467 | 12,035 | | China (exclusive of Hong-Kong and | | | | | Macao) | 49,235 | 114,156 | 89,169 | | United States | 3,885 | 1,975 | 3,924 | | Columbia | 3,601 | 501 | 1,364 | | Ecuador | 3,075 | 3,096 | 6,861 | | Chili | 5,972 | 4,865 | 9,203 | | Brazil | 35,197 | 28,198 | 31,726 | | Argentine Republic | 7,802 | 8,954 | 13,084 | | Other Foreign Countries | 40,058 | 53,914 | 77,687 | | +----------+----------+-----------+ |Total to Foreign Countries | 365,444 | 429,143 | 419,634 | | +---------------------------------+ |To Channel Islands | 5,301 | 8,328 | 7,968 | | Gibraltar | 13,272 | 13,868 | 12,661 | | British West Africa-- | | | | | Gold Coast | 22,598 | 18,513 | 23,423 | | Lagos | 7,751 | 8,032 | 9,518 | | Nigerian Protectorate | 14,942 | 15,299 | 20,951 | | Cape of Good Hope | 158,517 | 143,750 | 136,388 | | Natal | 74,848 | 71,874 | 46,771 | | British India | | | | | Bombay (including Kurachi) | 59,406 | 68,945 | 77,867 | | Madras | 6,364 | 6,697 | 10,355 | | Bengal, Eastern Bengal and Assam. | 26,534 | 23,087 | 22,648 | | Burmah | 26,389 | 35,727 | 37,103 | | Straits Settlements and Dependencies | 26,516 | 32,214 | 39,749 | | Hong-Kong | 14,119 | 15,153 | 15,685 | | British West India Islands | 74,069 | 58,881 | 67,331 | | British Guiana | 12,661 | 12,023 | 11,557 | | Other British Possessions | 47,043 | 52,303 | 50,044 | | +----------+----------+-----------+ |Total to British Possessions | 590,330 | 584,694 | 590,019 | | +----------+----------+-----------+ | Total | 955,774 |1,013,837 |1,009,653 | |----------------------------------------+---------+-----------+-----------+

_Toilet Soap._ ________________________________________________________________ | | | | | | | 1904. | 1905. | 1906. | |__________________________________|_________|_________|_________| | | | | | | | £ | £ | £ | | To Germany | 5,051 | 6,322 | 6,620 | | Belgium | 3,730 | 3,265 | 3,355 | | France | 7,903 | 8,988 | 9,324 | | Portuguese East Africa | 2,215 | 3,973 | 4,658 | | Egypt | 2,302 | 3,350 | 3,525 | | China (exclusive of | | | | | Hong-Kong and Macao) | 3,096 | 3,115 | 3,645 | | Japan (including Formosa) | 3,300 | 4,649 | 3,382 | | United States | 50,043 | 50,668 | 52,124 | | Brazil | 1,879 | 2,241 | 2,292 | | Other Foreign Countries | 22,002 | 26,081 | 29,214 | | |_________|_________|_________| | | | | | | Total to Foreign Countries | 101,521 | 112,652 | 118,139 | | |_________|_________|_________| | | | | | | To Cape of Good Hope | 14,094 | 14,815 | 14,988 | | Natal | 8,897 | 11,913 | 7,280 | | British India-- | | | | | Bombay (including Kurachi) | 24,665 | 24,672 | 28,316 | | Madras | 4,333 | 5,851 | 6,624 | | Bengal, Eastern Bengal | | | | | and Assam | 14,129 | 16,021 | 15,969 | | Burmah | 3,299 | 3,400 | 4,667 | | Straits Settlements and | | | | | Dependencies | 3,590 | 5,092 | 4,798 | | Ceylon and Dependencies | 12,210 | 11,118 | 12,854 | | Australia-- | | | | | Western Australia | 1,549 | 1,394 | 1,137 | | South Australia, (including | | | | | Northern Territory) | 895 | 644 | 637 | | Victoria | 11,989 | 13,614 | 12,774 | | New South Wales | 3,920 | 4,278 | 4,139 | | Queensland | 957 | 1,097 | 1,108 | | Tasmania | 482 | 315 | 547 | | New Zealand | 5,093 | 4,498 | 5,503 | | Canada | 6,382 | 6,196 | 8,185 | | Other British Possessions | 11,069 | 10,855 | 13,521 | | |_________|_________|_________| | | | | | | Total to British Possessions | 127,053 | 135,773 | 143,047 | | |_________|_________|_________| | | | | | | Total | 228,574 | 248,425 | 261,186 | |__________________________________|_________|_________|_________|

The following statistics extracted from official consular reports, etc., show the extent of the soap industry in other parts of the world.

_United States._--According to the _Oil, Paint and Drug Report_ the total production of soap in the United States during 1905, exclusive of soap products to the value of $1,437,118 made in establishments engaged primarily in the manufacture of other products, reached a value of $68,274,700, made up in the following manner:--

+------------------------------------+--------------+-------------+ | | Quantity. | Value. | +------------------------------------+--------------+-------------+ | | Lbs. | $ | |Hard soaps | ... | 56,878,486 | |Tallow soap | 846,753,798 | 32,610,850 | |Olein soap | 29,363,376 | 1,363,636 | |Foots soap | 85,000,133 | 3,090,312 | |Toilet soaps, including medicated, | | | | shaving, and other special soaps | 130,225,417 | 9,607,276 | |Powdered soaps, sold as such | 120,624,968 | 4,358,682 | |All other soaps | 143,390,957 | 6,097,670 | |Soft soap | 33,613,416 | 667,064 | |Special soap articles | ... | 554,881 | +------------------------------------+--------------+-------------+

_France_.--This country exported common soap during 1906 to the value of £556,000, or £8,000 more than in 1905.

The chief centre of the soap industry is Marseilles, which, with about fifty soap factories, produces annually some 3,000,000 cwts.

_Germany_ imported in 1905 soap and perfumery to the value of £3,032, that exported amounting to £15,364.

In Saxony there are eighty soap factories.

_Russia._--There are fifty large soap factories in Russia, the annual output from which is about 2,250,000 cwt.

_Roumania._--This country possesses about 230 small and eighteen large soap and candle factories, most of which produce only common soap, there being only one firm--in Bucharest--which makes milled soaps.

_Denmark._--In this country there are some 200 small soap factories.

_Australia._--According to a Board of Trade report, there were ninety-eight soap and candle factories in Australia in 1905, employing 1,568 hands, and producing 495,036 cwt. of soap.

_Queensland._--In 1905 this country contained twenty-one soap and candle works, in which 142 hands were employed, and having an output valued at £86,324.

_Hong-Kong._--There are about twenty-four soap factories on this island.

_Japan._--A Swiss consular report states that in Japan there are now some fifty soap works, producing about 15,000,000 tablets monthly.

_Fiji Islands._--These possess only one soap factory, the output from which is 9 cwt. daily.

The following table, compiled from various consular and other official returns, shows the quantity and value of soap imported into different countries and places during the years 1905-7:--

_______________________________________________________________________________
| | |
| Household. | Toilet. | Total.
|___________________|____________________|____________________
Place and Date. | | | | | |
| Quantity.| Value. |Quantity.| Value. |Quantity.| Value.
__________________|__________|________|_________|__________|_________|__________
| | | | | |
_Europe_-- | | | | | |
Cyprus, 1905 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | £9,983
Iceland, 1906 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | £6,423
Switzerland, | ... | ... | ... | ... |1,702,800| ...
1906 | | | | | kilos. | ...
Turkey | ... | ... | ... | ... | About | ...
| | | | |1,800,000| ...
| | | | | lb. per |
| | | | | annum |
_Africa_-- | | | | | |
Algeria, 1906 | 13,609 |£228,640| ... | ... | ... | ...
| tons | | | | |
Cape Colony, |15,897,800|£145,000| 427,600 | ... | ... | ...
1906 | lb. | | lb. | | |
Gold Coast, 1906| ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | £23,987
Lourenço, | 357,638 | £4,293 | 36,000 | £2,195 | ... | ...
Marques, 1906| lb. | | lb. | | |
Natal, 1906 |4,263,000 | ... | 9,870 | ... | ... | ...
| lb. | | lb. | | |
Orange River | 2,382,000| £23,000|1,748 lb.| ... | ... | ...
Colony, 1906 | lb. | | | | |
Pemba, 1905 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | £1,092
Rhodesia, 1906 | 257,600 | ... |2,909 lb.| ... | ... | ...
| lb. | | | | |
Southern | | | | | |
Nigeria, 1905| ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | £11,990
Tangier | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | £4,554
Transvaal, 1906 | 4,407,000| £81,000| 202,200 | ... | ... | ...
| lb. | | lb. | | |
Tripoli, 1905 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | £6,080
Tunis, 1906 | ... | ... | ... | ... | 1,539 | £23,727
| | | | | tons |
Zanzibar, 1906 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | £6,102
| | | | | |
_America_-- | | | | | |
Bahia, 1906 | ... | ... | ... | ... | 1,031 | 606,046
| | | | | tons | milreis
Brazil, 1906 | ... | ... | ... | ... | 1,782 | ...
| | | | | tons |
| | | | |from U.K.|
British Guiana, | | | | | |
1906-7 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | £13,733
Canada, 1906-7 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | $600,999
Columbia, 1906--| | | | | |
Cartagena | ... | ... | ... | ... | 65,991 | ...
| | | | | tons |
Barranquilla | ... | ... | ... | ... | 814,671 | $14,712
| | | | | lb. |
Costa Rica, 1906| ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | £1,269
| | | | | | from U.K.
| | | | | |
Ecuador, 1904 | ... | ... | ... | ... | 759,034 | ...
| | | | | kilos. |
Granada, 1905 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | £3,867
Guatemala, 1906 | ... | £900 | ... | ... | ... | ...
Martinique, 1906| 693,269 | £6,955 | ... | ... | ... | ...
| kilos. | | | | |
Mexico, 1905-6 | ... | £5,982 | ... | ... | ... | ...
San Domingo, | ... | ... | ... | ... | 754,587 |
1906 | | | | | lb. | ...
St. Vincent, | | | | | |
1905-6 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | £1,375
Surinam, 1906 | ... | £3,905 | 1,142 | ... | ... | ...
| | | tons | | |
Trinidad, 1906-7| ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | £29,967
United States, | | | | | |
1905 | ... |$399,797| ... |$1,071,446| ... |$1,471,243
__________________|__________|________|_________|__________|_________|____________

________________________________________________________________________________
| | |
| Household. | Toilet. | Total
|__________________|_________________|________________________
Place and Date. | | | Quan- | | Quan- |
| Quantity.| Value.| tity. | Value. | tity | Value.
__________________|__________|_______|_______|_________|________|_______________
| | | | | |
_Asia_-- | | | | | |
Ceylon, 1906 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 423,700 rupees
China, 1906 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |£216,042
Hangchow, 1906 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | £5,888
India, 1906-7 | ... | ... | ... | ... | 183,998| £215,210
| | | | | cwts.|
Kiungchow, 1905 | ... | £575 | ... | ... | ... | ...
Shanghai, 1905 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | £93,256
Smyrna, 1906 | ... | ... | ... | ... |261 tons| ...
| | | | | |
_Australasia_-- | | | | | |
Australia, 1906 | ... | ... |891,117| £65,840 | ... | ...
| | | lb. | | |
Fiji, 1906 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | £1,760
New Zealand, | | | | | |
1905 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | £36,843
Philippine | | | | | |
Islands, 1905 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | £9,137
__________________|__________|_______|_______|_________|________|________

_Exports._
________________________________________________________________________________
| | |
| Household. | Toilet. | Total
|___________________|__________________|_____________________
Place and Date. | | | Quan- | | Quan- |
| Quantity.| Value. | tity. | Value. | tity. | Value
___________________|__________|________|_______|__________|_______|_____________
| | | | | |
_Europe_-- | | | | | |
Candia, Crete, | ... | ... | ... | ... | 2,200 | £34,000
1906 | | | | | tons. |
Greece | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | About
| | | | | | 500,000 Fr.
| | | | | | per annum.
Italy, 1907 | 3,992,800| £95,840| ... | ... | ... | ...
| kilos. | | | | |
Leghorn, 1906 | ... | ... | ... | ... | 1,521 | £37,065
| | | | | tons. |
Spain, 1905 | 4,750,996| £98,840| ... | ... | ... | ...
| kilos. | | | | |
Switzerland, 1906| ... | ... | ... | ... | 77,300| ...
| | | | | kilos.|
_Africa_-- | | | | | |
Cape Colony, 1906| 200 lb. | ... | ... | ... | ... | ...
Natal, 1906 |75,225 lb.| ... | ... | ... | ... | ...
Seychelles, 1906 | ... | ... | ... | ... |419,329| 129,590
| | | | | kilos.| Rs.
_America_-- | | | | | |
New Orleans, | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | £55,534
1906 | | | | | |
Perambuco, 1906 | ... | ... | ... | ... | 3,582 |1,087,797,150
| | | | | tons.| rei
United States, |44,110,949| ... | ... |$1,042,185| ... | ...
1905 | lb. | | | | |
| | | | | |
_Asia_-- | | | | | |
Japan, 1906 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | £83,877
Smyrna, 1906 | ... | ... | ... | ... | 322 | ...
| | | | | tons. |
___________________|__________|________|_______|__________|_______|_____________

FOOTNOTES:

[13] Including soap powder and soap stock.

[14] Including soap powder and soap stock.