Series 5 > British Linen Company, 1745-1775

CRISIS AND RECOVERY, 1753-1763
161
expence. Messrs Tod & Anderson have only two per cent commission from
us on their sales. They however we find charge Neilson etc 2V2 per cent on
their sales in partnership with us. The half percent they may be prevailed with
to give up, and our partners will submit to give it to the Company, as they
must give 2V2 per cent commission to any other factor they employed. These
sales in partnership, it may reasonably be thought, will so much increase as
nearly to afford fund enough to satisfy all the allowance we now make to Mr
Goldie.
If a sale of all the white linens was instituted at the Company’s office here,
by way of a Hall such as they have in Ireland to be open for ten days, once
every two months from June to December. It would give a double chance of
a market to the proprietors of the goods lodged here, and if they don’t sell here,
it will be no hindrance to their sending them to England. For they may be
lodged in the Company’s warehouse at Leith, while the hall is open, and only
samples of them sent up to the office. If this scheme succeeds, it will probably
bring buyers to Edinburgh, and increase the number of our own customers.
As the making this attempt can be attended with no charges it should be tried,
and what is got by the Company for warehouse rent, commission and their
other trouble about it, will in so far be a fund for defraying our charges of
management.
All of which is humbly submitted to the Court (signed) by George Drum¬
mond, Pat Lindsay.
To Tod & Anderson, London
15 July 1762
Having now consulted with the sundry gentlemen that are joint adventuren
with us in linens that are consigned to your house and that yet remain
undisposed of, they seem generally to be of opinion that the chance of selling
with some more advantage when the West India fleets are arrived with their
orders for goods is much greater than the hazard can be of keeping on hand
till then and especially when it is considered that this year there has not been
much above one half of the usual quantity made for sale, and in fact white
linens are selling at the markets of Perth, Coupar etc fully as high if not higher
than last year. I therefore desire you may wait the event of a demand from
America which may naturally be expected to be considerable, and conse-
quendy raise the price somewhat in proportion to the cost.
The trade has been and is generally at present so discouraging that we cannot
promise you quantities of any sort of goods. I must observe as to Silesias and
white linens, both of which fabrics are much improved but from the lowest
price goods gave last year few have been made, the weavers not having bread
by their labour.