| Description | Sir,
I beg to offer to your consideration the following remarks.
First, respecting the plated branch: this, I am sorry to observe, is thought will not turn out so well last year as the preceding: the chief reasons that can be assign'd are slackness of orders, unfortunateness in losses by plating of metal, and other circumstances which Mr. B-y and Mr. G-w can point out. Except some measures are adopted this year to obtain a sufficiency or considerably more orders, it is to be feared it will turn out no better. As you well know what conveniences and advantages this trade would derive from having a rolling mill on the spot, I need not urge the necessity, tho' I can say that one great hindrance in the punctual or timely execution of orders in general is owing to being obliged to wait for the rolling of metal.
You are sensible, sir, that since Christmas I have had nothing to do in the expediting of the button orders (except in such cases where there are other articles for the same mark), but as usual I have attended to the inspection and sending off of the plated wares, &c. &c. &c.
The painting trade (considering what sales were made last year) I doubt not will turn out well, and it is necessary this branch should be attended to in order to get off the stock on hand, and further when 'tis consider'd that, by means of Mr. F. E-n, Mr. B-y, and Mr. W-n, any orders may be made compleat to your advantage.
The filligree branch I expect will also prove as well as can be expected when considering the person employ'd. The chief sale for this article is in the Toy Room, and I take care to have such things made as are most likely to go off.
Tortoiseshell work, as it is your interest to push it on account of Dodd's debt to you, I do what I can to command orders and ensure profit. 'Tis pity that £130 (I believe) of tools for this branch should lie idle and damaging in part!
The toy plan I consider, upon the whole, is to be advantageous to you, but I must not that I think Messrs. T. & T. R. derive great emoluments therefrom, and which I purpose hereafter more fully to explain. Great exactness is required in keeping their accounts of Dr. and Cr. and which I cautiously attend to.
I have now been in your service two-seven years and am very happy to think I have your particular esteem and friendship, and which was most pleasingly communicated to me by your kind letter from Cornwall in December 1780. My views for the future are confin'd to this place, provided I see a prospect of serving you with as much satisfaction to you and myself as I have hitherto done; and therefore do still offer you my best services, and if, in part, any fresh employment, I doubt not of making that successful that is entrusted to my care and inspection. My ardent wishes are that the plans you now are about settling for the government of your concerns may be lasting, pleasing, and profitable to all: to see which no one will feel greater pleasure than, dear sir, your ever obliged and most obedient servant,
Jno. Hodges
[Edited transcript.] |