part of this expence is to be placed to the Account of those persons who
are committed for high Offences or such as are confined and not
compellable to work in the Prison

Observ. 5.

Why there appears no profit upon the labour of such Numbers
it may be particularly necessary to explain.

The Work which the Persons perform who are committed to the
House of Correction for employment in hard Labour, is the
beating Hemp and making Oakum These are the only Articles
of the manufactures which have been hitherto introduced into the
House of Correction , the Instruments necessary in the respective
operations being few, and of such a Nature as cannot easily be
employed by the Prisoners to facilitate an Escape It is only on the latter
of these, however, that any hopes of Profit can be entertained from
the constant employment of the persons confined in the House of
Correction : For as to the beating of Hemp, the invention of many
excellent machines for this purpose, has reduced the price of
manual Labour in this business far below the line of a living
Profit [..] The Machines
invented for dressing Hemp are so much more expeditious
in their operation tho loss accurate than what can be done by hand,tho' not
to accurate,that the manufacturers will not even for the
advantage of its being better prepared for the Wheel and Loom be
at the trouble of sending Hemp to beat. By the Introduction
of these Machines into Practice, the Price of the beating of Hemp
has gradually decreased from 2/6 to 8d the hundred Weight
and there are none who that have such Machines, who will give on Account
of the Expence of Carriagegivenany more for what is done at the Prison