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Packmen and Duffers, or Hawkers of Soft Wares.

I am told by a London hawker of
soft goods that the number of his
craft, hawking London and its vicinity,
as far as he can judge, is about 120.
In this number are included the Irish £ s. d. linen hawkers. I am also informed
that the fair trader's profits amount to
about 20 per cent., while those of the
not over-particular trader range from
80 to 200 per cent. In a fair way of
business it is said the hawker's takings
will amount, upon an average, to 7l. or 8l. per week; whereas the receipts
of the "duffer," or unfair hawker, will
sometimes reach to 50l. per week;
at 7l. per week each, the gross takings
will amount to...43,680 0 0

Street-Sellers of Small Ware, or Tapes, Cottons,
Laces, &c.

From the best data at my command,
I believe there are not fewer than 500
individuals selling these wares in Lon-
don. Their weekly receipts do not
appear to average more than 6s. each,
hence the expenditure on these arti-
cles will amount to...7800 0 0

Street-Sellers of Lace.

100 persons in this trade may be
said each to take 10s. 6d. weekly, the
profit being about cent, per cent.;
hence the annual sum expended in
the streets in lace and similar commo-
dities is...2730 0 0

Street-Sellers of Japanned Table-Covers.

Calculating that 15 street-sellers
each take 25s. weekly the year round
— one-half being the profit, in-
cluding their advantages in bartering
and raffling — we find there is expended
yearly upon japanned table-covers,
bought in the streets...975 0 0

Street-Sellers of Braces and Belts.

500 brace-sellers are said to clear 5s. a week each on those articles alone,
and estimating the profit at 33 per
cent., it shows a street expenditure of
26,196l., and calculating one-eighth
less for belts, we find that the annual
outlay in the streets on braces and
belts is...29,470 0 0

Street-Sellers of Hose.

A few pairs of women's stockings
are hawked by women, and sold to
servant-maids; but the trade in these
goods, I am informed, including all
classes of sellers — of whom there may
be fifty — does not exceed (notwith-
standing the universality of the wear)
the receipt of 6s. weekly per indivi-
dual, with a profit of from 1s. 4d. to
2s.; thus there is an aggregate expen-
diture yearly of...800 0 0

Street-Sellers of Waistcoats.

There are sometimes no waistcoat-
sellers at all; but generally two, and
not unfrequently three. The profits
of these men are 1s. on a bad, and
2s. 6d. on a good day. As, at in-
tervals, the street-sellers dispose
of a sleeve-waistcoat (waistcoat with

[Description: 915EAF. Page 489.]

sleeves) at from 4s. 6d. to 6s., we may £ s. d. estimate the average earnings in the
trade at 5s. per market day, or 10s. in
the week; assuming their profits to
be 33 per cent., this shows an annual
outlay of...312 0 0