New-York tribune. [volume], February 16, 1919, Page 8, Image 24

About New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924

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Knit Dress Goods,
A War Product,
Become a Staple
Manufacturer of Dresses Ex?
plains Some Advantages
of Fabrics Developed by
French for Emergency
Both silk and woollen knitted fab
brics are increasing in popularity as
materials for women's dresses. One of
the leaders in the movement to enlarge
the use of these materials by Ameri?
can dreg's manufacturers is F. S. Haas,
of the Crown Embroidery Works. Mr.
Haas now is devoting the entire facili?
ties of his workrooms to the pro?
duction of women's dresses of wool
jersey, and of heavy worsted knitted
fabric, or Laine de Guerre, as it is
called, and of the knitted artificial silk
fibre materials, such as tricolette, the
plain knitted fabric, and poulette,
tto and a half dozen or more
Bimilar named materials which are
merely fancy figured varieties of the
piain tricolette.
"Along in 1916," raid Mr. Haas in
explaining hew the knitted fabrics were
introduced in America, "my Paris house
sent me word that wool jersey was be?
coming popular a? a dress fabric over
there. Most of the French mills en?
caged In the making of woven fabrics,
such as serges, etc., were located in the
north of France. The Germans had
overrun the country and reduced these
mills to mere heaps of brick. The ma?
chinery was cither destroyed or taken
into Germany. However, in southern
France, untouched by the ravages of
war, there were many knitting mills.
With the supply of serges exhausted,
the Paris gown designers were forced
to seek a substitute for the more com?
monly used serges. This they found
in the wool jersey.
French Models Imported
"immediately I saw possibilities in
the fabric for use over here and im?
ported several models. When the
dresses came over I found that the
wool jersey had many points of
superiority over serge. In the first
place serge in any other color than
navy or black seldom looks well. This
is due to the fact that many of them
are woven with a cotton warp, which
does not take the dye with the same
consistency as dees the woollen filling.
Wool jersey, however, because it is
all wool and the threads in it are all
the samo size and constituency, dyes
evenly and looks well in almost any
shade. When a woman has been wear?
ing a navy blue or black suit and goes
to buy a dress she wants something of
a different color. In the \wol jersey
she can get it. Another feature which
recommended itself to me is the fact
that the wool jersey or any one of the
other knitted fabrics drapes grace
fully and does r.ot wrinkle. Serpc is
more or less stiff and it is com?
paratively hard to obtain graceful ef?
fects with it in making a dress. Also
the wool jersey requires no pressing
?o keep in shape and wears remark?
ably well.
Friends' Advice Disregarded
"Against the advice of a number of
friends of mine, dress manufacturers
and retail buyer. 1 decided to dis?
continue all other lines and manu
facture nothing but wool jersey
dresses. 1 personally paid for the
retail advertising put out by one
of the big Fifth Avenue, shops in
?rder to popularize wool jersey)
dresses. We used newspaper space
in New York. Philadelphia, Baltimore,
Boston and other cities with good re?
sults. Such propaganda advertising
is no longer necessary.
"The knitted artificial silk fabric
developed in much the same way and
is now as popular as wool jersey.
American knitting mills in about a
vear after the first wool jersey was
used here produced as good a quality
as came from France, but the knit?
ters of the artificial silk have not yet
been able to turn out fabrics of the
French quality, but they will do it
within a few months, no doubt. I
now use American made wool jersey
but have to import tho tricolettes and
- - fibre knitted fabrics."
Japanese Industries
Cut Their Dividends
Industrial Japan is feeling the ef?
fects of the contraction of business
ng the cessation of hostilities,
? most important companies have
already been compelled to make drastic
nd reiluctlons as a result of the
sharp drop in earnings.
Adv:c?s from Yokohama show that the
Osaka Weaving Company has cut its
dividend from 25 to 12 per cent; the
Osaka Zinc Refining Company has
passed its dividend of 10 per cent a
year, and the Mciji Zinc Refining Com?
pany has reduced its disbursement to
stockholders from f>0 to 30 per cent.
Dividends of tho Osaka Copper Re?
fining Company have been reduced from
'?'i"> to 30 per cont; the Osaka Cotton,
Cotton Yarn and Cotton ("loth Ex?
change from 40 to 35 per cent; the
Osaka Rite Exchange, from 22 to 18
per cent, and the Toyoda Loom Com?
pany, from 55 to 50 per cent.
Spinning and shipping companies in
Japan have not yet been forced to
make important dividend reductions,
the decline in their financial prosperity
having yet to be revealed in their ac?
counts.
Chemicals
Manufacturers of Drugs
Behind in Filling
Orders for
Remedies
Pharmaceutical chemicals continue
in active demand. Drug manufacturers
are ?still buying raw materials in large
quantities to catch ur> with orders
which have accumulated since the na
aride outbreak of influenza. The
?lock? on retailers' ?helves arc low and
orders are pouring into the manufact?
uring centre.? from all part? of the
country, the greatest demand being for
and grippe remedies.
South America i? also a heavy buyr
of American pharmaceutical products,
the demand being fully as active a?
before the ??zning of the armistice.
I taken by manufacturer? a? in?
dicating that the European countries
plied South America before
th* war, have not a? yet been able to
*'-"?{'? ' ""' "? I/ In the trade gained
by American producers since 1'<14.
The pharmaceutics] industry is now
?nUd with the problem? that will
arme o ?it of tho new rtvenn? bill,
which provide? a tax of 1 cent on every
'. purchase of proprietary ar
li ?has not been d<seld?d yet
< r th? tax will be collected In the
form of a stamp or through the addi
I ?><? of M)? tax to the price of th?
Plan Textile Plants
In Eastern Siberia
Russian Expert I rges Use of
Industry to Re-establish
Economic Security
VLADIVOSTOK, Jan. 2.- Establish?
ment of textile factories in Vladivos?
tok and other Eastern Siberian locali?
ties is advocated by a writer in the
Dalny "Vostok," which says that the
textile industries of the Polish and
Moscow districts no longer exist. The
writer asserts that order soon will be
firmly established here in Eastern Si?
beria, and that the waterways insure
the delivery of raw materials' and ma?
chinery. He adds:
"Cotton is near at hand in India,
Indo-China, Corea and South Man?
churia, wool in Australia, silk in Japan
and China, flax in the Amur district
and in Siberia and hemp in the Amur
regions. Merino has a future in the
Transbaikal region; rough wool is to
had from Mongolia and Transbaikalia.
"Raw material and its delivery are
cheap, especially with the help of the
Russian commercial fleet. Fuel is near
at hand; immense coal fields are near
the coasts. Suchan awaits exploitation.
Labor is insured by the presence of im?
migrants and the trained cheap labor
of Chinese and Japanese.
"The Far East and Manchuria used
70,000,000 rubles' worth of textile goods
from Moscow at the price current be?
fore the war per year. Siberia offers
an immense market, not to consider
Russia, when it is cheaper to transport
manufactured goods by sea than to
bring cotton from Turkestan to Mos?
cow. Vladivostok and the surrounding
districts must be declared a free port
with free access for raw material. The
government must cooperate to firmly
establish foreign capital in textile in?
dustries. We must hurry before Great
Britain, America and Germany get to
work at full speed, for then it will be
too late.
Silks
Buying of Fancy Silks
in Good Volume; South
America Purchas?
ing Here
Central Western buyers purchased
fancy silk fabrics in liberal volume
yesterday. Buying the last two weeks
has been so heavy that stocks of some
of the more fashionable products have
been pretty well cleaned up. A few
of the leading houses remained open
after 1 o'clock yesterday for the pur- i
pose of reassorting stocks. Although '
? mestic demand for the cheaper !
grades of plain silks is light, more ex?
port business has developed. South
American buyers are in the market, j
and they have been taking rather
large quantities of dress silks of all j
kinds. One house reports sales to
Brazil, also to Argentina and Mexico.
Wide fancy colored silk ribbons in |
brocades and tapestry effects are in
good demand. Dealers explain that
the coats on women's spring suits do
not close in front, and therefore j
vestees, calling for the use of much j
ribbon, will be commonly worn by ;
women.
Trimmings for women's spring
dresses and hats, including beads,
spangels and tinsel goods, are in ac- j
tive demand at high prices. Prices '?
are not likely to decline because the .
French manufacturers, from whom !
most of these fancy articles are ob- ;
tained, have been unable to produce ,
goods at anything like the normal '
rate.
Japanese Raw Silk Easier
Raw silk in the Yokohama market is I
lower in price, apparently because i
| American buying has subsided. Chinese,
markets have been steady for some
time past, but during the latter part j
of the week quotations fell about 20
cents a pound for the best grade of
Canton raw silk. Demand is limited.
Toy Buyers to Organize
i Plans to Eliminate Hun Play-,
things From America
The toy buyers of the country, those
j who represent the retailers, are deter- ,
i mined to wipe Germany off the map, so
I far as the toy business in this country
is concerned. To this end possibly two
hundred toy buyers will gather next ,
' Wednesday afternoon at the Bush Ter- ?
i minai Saies Building, 130 West Forty
; second Street, to effect a permanent or?
ganization. M. Sweyd, 200 Fifth Ave- i
' nue, one of the organizers of the meet
ing, said yesterday that all indications
point to an enthusiastic meeting, which !
j will close with a get-together banquet j
| in the evening.
"The organization will be formed for
', purely constructive purposes," said one i
of the buyers yesterday. "No objects ;
1 will be purely ethical. They can be j
summarized as follows: (1) To ex?
change thoughts and ideas on success
i ful retailing; (2) to make toys a prom?
inent mercantile feature; (3) To in?
fluence manufacturers to make more at?
tractive and better toys?toys that have
a meaning and that will instruct as well
as amuse.
"To be successful the toy buyer must
be a student of human nature; he must
, sec through the children's eyes. The
? merchant looks to the toy buyer to feel
the pulse of the growing generation and
: find what it wants. The parents pay
i the money, but toys are really bought
by the children.
"The new organization will thus have
j a great field. It is a buyers' propo
i sition pure and simple. While the con
! vention will probably meet every year,
i local meetings will probably be held
more frequently in the buyers' own
' towns to see ir they cannot give the
children a more interesting grade of
toys.
"Germany has always done a big toy
business. But the popular impression
that Germany is the exclusive Santa
Claus of toys is a mistaken idea. Bc
1 fore the war she sent about 40 per cent
i of the toys that were consumed in
j America. We will leave no Btep un
! turned to constantly develop the mer
i cantile importance of American toys
' and make thern more interesting, valu
? able and instructive for the children."
Corset Manufacturers to
Meet Here on Tuesday
Theodore E. Burton, former U. S.
Senator from Ohio, and Charles D. Hur
j rey, who has just returned from Italy,
will speak at the annual banquet of
the Corset Manufacturers' Association
of the United States next Tuesday
night. The banquet will follow the an?
nual meeting, which will be held at the
Hotel Astor, Tuesday afternoon.
It is expected that about 200 manu?
facturers of corsets will be present at
the meeting and banquet.
Holiday? This Week
Monday In French Indo-China.
Tuesday -In French Indo-Chlna.
Wedneuday- In Grec? and Newfound?
land,
Textiles
Cotton Yarn for Making
Automobile Tires in
Demand ? Other
Kinds Quiet
Business in cotton goods was virtu?
ally at a standstill yesterdav, the rain
and the observance of the Saturday
half holiday keeping buyers out of the
market. Some good sales of print
cloths were made during the week on
the basis of 8% cents a yard for 38%
inch-wide goods containing 5.35 yards ?
to tho pound, and woven 64 threads to
each inch of warp and 60 thrcirds to
an inch of filling. At the week end
the mills withdrew tho quotation of
8% cents, and thereupon trading lapsed
back to its former dull state.
Most mill agents feel that business
will continuo relatively quiet until
about March 1, though it is expected
that low prices will attract small lot
buying from time to time. More mills
are curtailing production, the move?
ment having gathered force since tho
first of tho month.
Ordinary cotton yarns as distin?
guished from yarn used in automobile
lires are very dull, and as competi?
tion for business is extremely keen
prices continue to move downward. On
the other hand mills that are equipped
to manufacture yarns for automobile
tires are reported to have taken good
sized orders.
Automobile tires demand an espe?
cially high grade of yarn, the. product
being derived from Sea Island cotton,
a long staple cotton.
Why Cotton Consumption
Was Large in Jaunary
Several explanations were offered
yesterday by cotton mill men for the
increased cotton consumption during ;
January, 1910, shown in tho govern-1
ment statistics mado public on Friday.,
These statistics showed that 32,77-1
more bales cf lint were con?
sumed during the month just
passed than were used in Jan- ;
uary, 1918, and that the number of
active spindles was greater during
January, 1919, than January, 1918, by
30?S,134. Increases over December of
19JS were also noted.
Possibly the best explanation of the
figures, which came as somewhat of a
surprise, because of the opinion that
there has been little activity at the
mills, lies in the fact that many of
the mills were finishing up their gov?
ernment contracts during last January.
The government cloths were heavy
fabrics, running on an average of three
to four yards of material to the pound
of cotton. On the other hand, fairly
heavy civilian fabrics average as high
as seven to eiprht yards of cloth to the
pound. In other words, yard for yard,
the government fabrics consume about
twice as much raw cotton as do civilian
fabrics. This being the case, it would
not take so much government produc- '
tion to bring the consumption of cotton
above normal.
It also is explained that there was
not quite so much production las' year
because of the coal shortage during
January, necessitating the closing of
many mills. As to the increase over
December of last year, the idea is ad?
vanced that as a rule tho Southern
mills close down in a great many
cases during the Christmas holidays.
Club Organized by Men
Who Sell Men's Apparel
The Men's Apparel Club of New
York State was organized yesterday ;
at a luncheon held at the McAlpin Ho?
tel. Fifty wholesale men's apparel
salesmen signed the charter member?
ship applications, and the following
temporary officers were elected: L N.
Schiff, chairman; A. S. Salsbury, vice
chairman, and Victor Hiller, secretary
and treasurer. A committee on by?
laws and ways and means was selected,
consisting of Messrs. Schiff, Salsbury,
M. E. Goldsmith, Albert C. Atlas, Gabe :
Lang, Victor Hiller and W. J. Fishel.
The purposes of tho club are to form I
a friendlier feeling between the job?
bing salesman and the retailer.
German Substitutes for
Textiles Not Formidable ?
An American consular N report from ?
Holland states that the only textile sub- |
stitute of any importance in Germany '
which may endure in the future is the ':
so-called staple fibre, used as a substi?
tute for cotton. The process by which
staple fibre is manufactured is said to
resemble closely the process by which
artificial silk is made in this country
and in France. The raw materials are
available in large quantities. During
tho war, however, munitions consumed
most of the chemicals used in the manu?
facturing process, so these chemicals
were not available in any great quanti
| ties for the making of staple fibre. It !
is suggested that progress may be made
now that the war is over, the chemicals
, will be cheaper and that the staple
fibre will be able to compete with
; cotton.
The paper yarn about which much
: was written, seems to be unsuitable for
clothing, and little is heard now about
| yarns made from nettle, broom or pine
'. needle fibres.
Jewelry
_
Price of Platinum Takes
Drop of $5 ? Silver
Plated Ware in
Demand
A slight decrease in the demand for
platinum yesterday resulted in the re
: duction of the price from $105 to $100
; an ounce. This is-not accepted in the
' trade as an indication of any relaxation
in the buying of jewelry on tho part of
the public. On the contrary, the heavy
' demand for all kinds of jewelry con
i tinues from all parts of tho country,
' and it is generally agreed among deal
! ors in precious stone? and metals thut
the industry has never had as good a
! period of business as at present.
This condition is also true of the
, plated ware industry, which has been
\ kept busy sinco the first of tho year
! replenishing the Htocks of retailers
e who were cleaned out during tho rush
\ of buying which came with the business
; holidays.
The' manufacturers of plated wure are
i now finishing on government orders
? which are duo to be completed about
j March 1. During the war tho plants
engaged in making this class of goods
i were put to lead plating liquid fire shell?
and manufacturing periscopes.
Waist Makers Building Up
All-Year-Round Industry
Sales for Present Season Are Running Ahead of
Any Other Period, With Foreign Buyers Active
in the Market?Late Easter Helps Trade
Manufacturers and retailers of wom?
en's waists are at present doing more
business than at any other period in
the history of the waist industry in this
country. Never before his so much cap?
ital been represented in the manufact?
uring end of the industry, and at no
other time have retailers sold so many
waists over their counters.
These statements are made upon the
authority of S. A. Lerner, head of the
Lerner Waist Company and president
of the United Waist League of America,
a nation-wido organization of waist
manufacturers. Mr. Lerner's views on
the waist industry as a whole are based
on a careful analysis of the trade, both
from tho manufacturing and retailing
ends, which he has just completed.
"I can definitely state," he said yes?
terday, "that every shirt waist man in
the. country did far more business last
month than he did during January of
last year. Tho February business is
going along at the same pace and, judg?
ing from conditions as I have found
them in the trade, business will be
above what we have hitherto considered
normal right up until the middlo of
June.
"Easter comes late this year, and that
will give us a long spring season. With
export trade in the business increasing
by leaps and bounds there is every rea?
son why the waist industry soon should
reach a point where it will bo possible
to run the factories to full capacity all
the year round and eliminate the sea?
sonable features of the trade."
"How about prices?" Mr. Lerner was
asked.
"? think that the present prices of
waists are to continue for some time
to come," he replied. "I don't see how
they can either advance or decline
Silk forms the great bulk of the raw
material used in the trade. While il
advanced some in price during the war
the increase was not so great or s(
sharp as was that in both the cottor
or woollen fabrics. We had to ad
vanee our prices some to keep up witl
the rise in the cost of raw material
but the advances were gradual. Highe:
labor costs have contributed their
share toward higher prices in waists,
but although we are now paying about
double the wages we were two years
ago, all these advances have been
gradual. Girls who formerly received
?12 a week are now drawing weekly
salaries of $24. However, this advance
ha.i been gradual too, and not so
noticeable as in some other lines of
the garment industry. In the making
of an ordinary waist the labor costs
us about half of what the raw ma?
terial costs. For instance, if there is $2
worth of silk in a waist the labor used
in making the waist costs us about
SI.
"Now, silk goods are not likely to
be cheaper for some time to come. If
raw silk drops in price it will be offset
by the increased labor costs in the silk
mills! So our raw material costs will
be fairly stable for the next few
months at least. I don't believe our
own labor costs will increase material?
ly., cither. The outlook for a solution
of the present labor trouble in the
waist and dress industry is good."
"Did the strike affect production to
any extent?" was another question put
to Mr. Lerner.
"I doubt if the effect of the strike
will be felt for another month." he
said, "and then I think it will be only
slight. There has been almost normal
production in the waist factories out?
side of New York, which were not
touched by the strike, and even here
in town some of the manufacturers
have managed to get some production
by taking in new employes.
"The retailers of waists are short of
merchandise right now and are giving
us big orders for immediate delivery.
Their own sales have been large and
they are compelled to come into the
market to replenish their stocks.
"There isn't any reconstruction
problem in the waist industry," con?
cluded Mr. Lerner. "Our business
suffered but little during the war.
The economies effected as war meas?
ures, such as the standardization of
colors, more economical methods of
(lacking, etc., have, helped cut down
our waste, and most of them are go?
ing to be continued as good business
policies."
Business Money
Throughout last weck the mercantile
Vapor market remained in its state of
deadlock. The factors which bring this
about arc numerous. Trade and in
dustry must borrow a certain minimum
amount to keep going, but this is all
that appears. When stocks run out
they are replenished, but only on a
hand-to-mouth basis. Merchants hesi?
tate. They do net know what con?
ditions must be met. Business has not
adopted its policy. Declines in prices
leail buyers to hold otf; they do not
want to be left with raw materials on
their hands purchased at "high" prices.
They wait for the bottom to be reached.
The country banks, whoso commer?
cial loans have dropped and whose
stock market loans are not great, lind
an accumulation of funds piling on
their hands and arc anxious to lend.
Tho supply of commercial paper does
not satisfy their demand, and they will
ray p.s low as 5 per cent to get, it. The
New York banks, on the other hand, are
placing a good deal of their funds into
the United States certificates of in?
debtedness at 4 '-j. per cent interest, and
are desirous of keeping their funds
liquid for the coming loan. A further
reason why they are not clamoring for
commercial paper is the recent rise in
call money rates on the. Stock Ex?
change. The banks can lend here at
from 5 to G per cent, and they are free
to call their loans in any day.
The packing companies were large
borrowers during the last week. There
was some borrowing by sugar com?
panies, and silk concerns are beginning
to enter the market. Borrowing by
drygoods firms i^ at present very small.
Among the events of the week in the
acceptance market was the announce?
ment of trade credits to Italy and Den
mark similar to the $50,000,000 Bel-|
gian credit made known previously. Ac- ;
ceptance dealers in general do not be-i
lieve these credits will have any ap- j
preciable effect on rates here, butthink !
they will be readily absorbed. Another;
interesting incident was the formation
of a special "acceptance company" by
the General Motors Company for
financing the distribution of that con?
cern's cars and trucks.
Increasing attention is given to a
new form of acceptance called "the in?
dorsed trade acceptance." This is a
trade acceptance taken by a bank, in?
dorsed by it. and sold on the open mar- j
ket. It does not go for so low a rate
as a bank acceptance, but it sells for a
lower rate than an ordinary trade ac?
ceptance, and it is this difference in
rate which enables the bank to make
its profit.
The range of rates for commercial
paper was unchanged from the week
before: Two, three, four, five and six
months, ?^'?1/. per cent.
Utilizing Government
Surpluses of Piece Goods
In an effort to show the various
agencies for foreign relief and foreign
nations themselves to what usc^, the
surplus piece goods now in the hands
of the. government can be put, a special
exhibit of garments has been compiled.
An agent is now abroad with one ex?
hibit, and another is on view in this
city at the Surplus Property Division
of the .Quartermaster Corps.
Included in tho exhibit aro men's
suits, coats, trousers, overcoats, over?
alls and shirts. Many articles of wom?
en's and children's apparel also arc
shown. These include over-all suits,
coats* suits and dresses made from
meltons, convalescent flannels, cham
bray and brown denim.
The. samples were made by Bod &
Boskin, Cohen, Brown & Co., Philip
Mangone, the Heidelberg-Wolf Com?
pany and Cohen, Goldman &? Co.
Basic Commodities
(Note.?In those cases where no transactions were reported the "hid"
prices are given.)
METALS
Ycster- Day Week Year
day. before. ago. ago.
Tig Iron, Foundry No. 2 x, per ton. $36.15 $36.15 $36.15 $24.25
Lead, per lb.05 .05 .05 .07
Copper, per lb.18 .18 .23 .26
Spelter, per lb.0634 .06?,?i .0634 ,16'/2
Antimony, per lb.071 A .07 U .07^2 -18
Tin, per lb... ...^^|^^^^^.72!-'
PRECIOUS METALS
Platinum, per ox..$100.00 $105.00 $105.00 $103.00
Silver, per oz. 1.01'/8 1.01' 8 1.01' x2 .87J^
CHEMICALS
Sulphuric acid, per ton. $25.00 $25.00 $25.00 $25.00
Nitric acid, per lb.08 .08 .06 No market
Caustic soda, per 100 lbs. 2.85-3.35 2.85-3.35 4.50 .063A-07
Soda ash (bbls.), per 100 lbs. 1.65-2.10 1.90-2.10 2.50 2.90
Phenol (carloads), per lb. .10- .12 .10- .12 .15 .60
Glycerine, per lb. .12- .15 .16- .20 .20 .51
Alcohol (denat.), per gal. .52 .52 .52 '71
Alcohol (non.-bev.), per gal. 4.90 4.90 4.90 495
COTTON ^H
Middling upland, per lb. 26.50 25.80 31.70 3135
SILKS
Japan filature, No. 1, Shinshlu, per lb_ 6.15 6.20 5.85 5 40
China-steam, filature, best, No. 1, per lb, 7.35 7.35 7.35 57?
Canton, filature, Ex. Ex. A, per lb. 5.45 5.55 5.65 535
HIDES AND LEATHER
Hides, city ?laughter, spread, per lb.29 .29 .29' ' 31
Hides, city, nat. ?trs., sel., 60 or over, lb, .28 .28 28?% 28
Calfskins, city, 9 to 12 lbs., per skin. 6.60 6.60 5'40 2 K40
Leather, hemlock ?ole:
Overweights, No. 1, per lb.49 49 49 R1
Mlddleweights, No. 1, per Kb.47 ,47 [47 *??
RUBBER
Para, np-ilver, fine, per lb. B8i>2 .58i/ B8,/ --?
Para up-river, coarse, per lb.34 34 '34'~ "|j/a
IMnn., 1st latex, pale crepe, per lb.58 '56!/, Kg ' *v ,
Plan., brown, crepe, thin, clean, per lb... .48 48 52 4?
Plan., ?moked ribbed aheeta, per lb...,.w .55 ?5 ?7 ?3,/
Furs
_
World Short of Furs and j
Must Conserve Animals, I
i
Trade Authority
Asserts
Scarcity of furs throughout the world j
is one of the large factors which will
tend to keep prices of pelts up to their
present high levels, dealers say. P.eports
of large accumulations of furs during
the war period are greatly exaggerated,
according to George B. Herzig, New
York agent of Funsten Bros. & Co.,
St. Louis, Mo.
"Tho lack of trappers and hunters
and the shortage of tanneries wore in?
strumental in preventing large accumu?
lations of Siberian skins," he said yes?
terday. "South America, from which
nutria furs are secured, has had only
a small quantity available. Australia
has furnished a great many rabbit Skins,
however, but these have all been ab?
sorbed in the market.
"I am in favor of more stringent
game laws. If those wo now have are
not made more effective, we will soon
find the complete extermination of
muskrats, which are now in such de?
mand. Beaver3 were practically wiped
out in Canada until tho law was placed
on them for a few years. Proper con?
servation laws, such as we have in New
York State on deer and skunk, are
helpful in breeding better animals for |
fur purposes.
"The American catch of furs is now'
in, since tho game lasys of most states '
prohibit trapping after March 1. The
sales held recently in St. Louis and
New York were successful in disposing
of large quantities of furs at prices
greatly in excess of those held this year
at London.
"With the success of tho United States
as a sales centre, shippers from Japan,
Siberia, South America, Australia and :
other primary markets have found that
prices obtained were better than those ?
at London and Leipzig. This has helped
to establish the American fur industry !
on a firmer footing.
"At the same time the United States j
government is benefiting by the sales
we are holding at St. Louis. Last year ;
over 4,000 seals were sold for the in- j
terest of the country, bringing in over |
$3,000,000. Sealskins are popular with i
the women of the country because of I
their great beauty and comparatively
small cost, as against the pelts im?
ported from Europe.
"A large business will come in from
Germany and Austria after the peace
terms are signed. These countries dur?
ing the war period, it is believed, se?
cured their furs through Holland and
the Scandinavian countries. We have
reason to expect 'heir trade to come
directly to us, should we care to handle
their business.
"There cannot bo a drop in the costs
of furs until a surplus is evident. This :
will not take place until next October, ;
at least, when the new catch comes in." j
Leather
Large I tier ease in Sales of ?
Leather Bags and
Other Travelling
Requisites
Both manufacturers and retailers of
leather novelties and travellers' re?
quisites are having a prosperous win?
ter season. With the hotels of New
York overflowing with out-of-town
people, sales have mounted until deal-:
ers say they are unable to supply the
demand.
Leather handbags, travelling bag-4,
suitcases, leather carryalls, purses and
brief cases are all in demand. During
the war period government restric?
tions limited the production of many
of these, but in spite of the high prices
large purchases were made by the pub- ,
lie. A large holiday business was
transacted by retailers, whose stocks j
in consequence aro now depleted, raak
ing it necessary for them to place
more orders with manufacturers. This i
buying is not so heavy as it might be
if prices were more stable, but orders i
come frequently, and the total, accord- j
ing to some of the larger manu
facturera, is in excess of last year's
business. Salesmen on the road re-1
port that their sales have abouti
doubled.
The take-your-small-purchases-home '
campaign throughout the country has j
resulted in largo sales of a medium j
sized leather bag, mado up in various ;
novel ways.
Leather goods manufacturers also :
expect an active demand for luggage '
as a result of tho heavier foreign travel j
by business men and the prospective
increase in tourist travel next summer. :
The general expectation is that sales ;
will be at least &0 per cent larger than ?
last year.
More Demand for
Oils Used in Tanning j
Sulphurated oils are in good demand
by the taning industry, but orders
from textile mills which use this pro?
duct to n large extent have dropped
off. The prospects for a general re?
vival of activity are regarded as very
bright by some of tho largest pro?
ducers.
Export orders are coming in from j
South America, South Africa, Scandi- .
navia, and Canada, when the tanning.
industry is rapidly resuming business
to supply the civilian demand for shoes '
and leather products, which has been j
neglected for the past four years.
Metals
A utoni o b He Ma hers Place j
Larger Orders for
Machine Tool
i
Equipment
Manufacturers of automobiles have
been making large purchases of ma- |
chine tool equipment. The Ford Motor j
Company, Detroit, the Willys-Overland
Company, Toledo, Ohio, and tho Chev?
rolet branch of the General Motors Cor?
poration, Toledo, Ohio, have bought a
great deal of new equipment, tho pur?
chases of the Ford company nlono ex?
ceeding $1,000,000. A New England ma?
chine tool builder is reported to have
booked ordera amounting to about $2,
000,000 within the last tow weeks. No j
other class of manufacturera is showing
any marked interest in buying new
equipment. Thero are many inquiries,
but comparatively few orders are being
placed. '
China Now a Factor
In World Dye Trade
Supplying Own Needs and Ex?
port?is: Vegetable Colors
The elimination of Germany from
tho Chinese dye market has brought
?ibont a reviv?' of the vegetable-color
producing industry of China. That
country is to-day not only supplying
her own needs but is even exporting
vegetable dyes, especially indigo, ac?
cording to a report recently submitted
by Julian Arnold, the American com?
mercial attach? at Peking.
Before the war the Germans ex?
ported to China synthetic indigo, val?
ued at about $10,000,000 a year. This
was in addition to three or four mill?
ion dollars worth of German aniline
dyes, which had replaced in a great
measure the native vegetable dyes,
which abounded in China.
Indigo, which was long regarded as
one of China's principal agricultural
products, is now again finding a mar?
ket. It is grown throughout ths
country for local purposes, but as?
sumes greater importance in trade in
the South. One acre of ground will
produce about 6,000 pounds of indigo
dye, of which, however, only about
sixty pounds are pure indigo. China
exported in 1917 more than 5.000 tons
of liquid indigo, valued at $660,000.
China's blacks are produced mostly
from gall nuts. These blacks can
only be applied to fabrics which have
first been dyed blue. The capsules of
acorns are also used to produce black.
Yellow is produced from the flower
buds of the locust tree. They are
baked to a light brown color, placed
in cold water and brought to a boil?
ing point. Alum is used as a mor?
dant.
Red is produced from galLflower;
green, used for dyeing cotton cloth, is
obtained from the bark of trees and
also from ?eaves; brown is produced
from the false gambier, grown ex?
tensively in southwestern China. The
darker browns are produced by the ad?
dition of ?rail nuts and alum.
These vegetable dyes are said to be
particularly well suited to the color?
ing of Chinese rugs and will last
longer than the fabric. In addition to
exporting Indigo, China, during the
year 1917, exported 2,000 tons of other
dyestuffs.
Wool Auctions Fail
To Stabilize Prices
Manufacturers Want Market
Released From Govern?
ment Control
It is gradually dawning upon the
woollen mil^ owners of the country
that the :rovcrnment's method of han?
dling the raw wool situation through
the medium of auctions at which mini?
mum prices are set is not working to
the best interests of the trade. It is
apparent that the auctions are not
stabilizing prices, according to trade
leaders. Last week the executive com-'
mittee of the American Association of:
Woollen and Worsted Manufacturers,
headed by George B. Sanford, of San-j
ford & Russell, rein.orsed the r?solu-,
tion presented by the war service com?
mittee in the w'ollen industry, recom?
mending that the ?oollen markets be
freed from go\emmental control. This
resolution was passed immediately
upon the signing of the armistice. The
other members of the executive com?
mittee which reindorsed the resolution
last week are A. L. Gifford, of the
Worumbe Company; Robert T. Francis,
A. M. 1'lyer and J. P. Stevens.
While many of tho woollen mill men
indorse the movement toward a free
wool market here, others are of the
opinion that such a course would not
ease the present situation, but would
only serve to throw it into further
chaos. As one woollen man phrased it
yesterday, "The release of govern?
mental control of raw wool would
simply let the bottom out of the mar?
ket. The supply of raw wool now is
more than the mills can possibly use."
This man is an advocate of the British
system, whereby wool is released by
the government to the mills at a fixed
price, without the medium of an auc?
tion. In this system any mill can pur?
chase wool at the same price paid by
every other mill and competition ?is
placed on an even basis.
Chinese Rug Industry
The war lifted the Chinese rug in?
dustry, with its centuries of indiffer?
ent activity, from a position of ob?
scurity in relation to western mar-.
kets to a place of popularity and per?
manency .principally because the sup?
ply of Oriental rugs from Persia and
Turkey was cut off from the American
market at a time when large accumu?
lations of wealth had increased the de?
mand. During the year 1917 China
exported nearly $800,000 (gold) worth
of rugs.
During the past few years Shanghai
has been developing the rug industry,
and hopes are entertained that with
better organization and with the use
of machinery a standardized high
grade rug can be produced.?Consular
Report.
Lace 3Iaking in China
Foreign missionaries in Chefoo,
Shanghai, Foochow, Amoy and Swatow
have introduced lace making among the
Chinese women, and considerable lace
has been exported from time to time.
Silk, linen and cotton threads are used
in Chefoo and linen and cotton in the
other places. The lace is made more
cheaply than is possible elsewhere be?
cause of tho low wages paid in China,
but a lack of enterprise in changing
patterns to meet changing tastes and
fashions abroad prevents the industry
from assuming larger proportions. --
Consular Report.
Another Luxury Tax Protest
The Associated Dross Industries of
America, n national organization of
dress manufacturers, has joined with
other trade organizations throughout
the country in protesting against the
luxury tax provision in the new reve?
nue bill. Members of tho organization
are now sending their petitions directly
to Washington.
The luxury tax provision was char?
acterized as unfair in a statement is?
sued yesterday by David N. Mosesohn,
executive secretary of the association.
He says tho luxury tax would be a
burden on the retailers of the country,
and that this naturally will affect man?
ufacturing and jobbing.
Hat Making in China
The manufacture of hats in China,
accord ?Kg to a consular report, is cer?
tain to become an importa..t industry.
With the cutting of this queue foreign
hats displaced the native styles. More
than 2,000,000 rush hats are exported
each year from Nlngpo to tho United
States. A hat of good quality .s be?
ing made in Szechwau of palm leaf
fibre. The extensive manufacture of
straw braid in Shantung will lead to
the manufacture of straw 'lats in that
suction.
Colors
Textile Mills Using Large
Quantities of Dyes
to Recolor Left?
over Khaki
Speculative accumulations of \htu
t stocks and such quantities of tb.ufj?
? ric as have been rejected by the kv
? ernment are now being dyed fa."
I shades for civilian use. A number f
! textile mills which manufacturera
; great quantities of khaki and oliv,
j drab cloths in anticipation of gover??
ment needs also find themselves -frit-!
\ large stocks of these goods on hand t*?
i their problem is to dye these stocks
j into saleable colors.
Considerable serge of the kind uied
! for officers' uniforms has already betn
redyed into blue, green, brcwn n,?
? black and mixtures of various shades
1 Cotton warp shirtings, nme-ousc?
i weight, have been recolored into thir-v
? or more different shades, some so'.i'd
j and some mixtures. Olive drab wonted
warp, with wool filing, of twenty-ounce
' weight, is shown in oxford: burgundv
j navy blue, seal brown and black, and
i the same fabric has also been redyed
j into more than one hundred different
i mixed shades.
It is understood that the .govern
j ment has decided to dispose of it?
j khaki stocks abroad, and it is hoped
! among dye manufacturers and dyers
that foreign purchasers will have the
material redyed in this country before
! sending it to foreign consumers.
*-??_
Change in Producing
Methods Suggested
Trade Editor Says Larger Out?
put Now Would Relieve
Future Pressure
Business .Wir? Bunt*
Special Correspondenci
BOSTON, Feb. 15.?The editor cf
"The American Wool and Cotton Re?
porter" made tho following statement
to The Tribune to-day:
"The war resulted in large profit?,
but it has also brought about a manu?
facturing problem not only in the
United States, but throughout tin
world. Are the manufacturers placed
in a better or a worse position for dis
! cussing the situation with their em?
ployes? Not many manufacturers really
believe in cutting wages to-day. They
merely want rea roducing con?
ditions to exist. They would like to
have better working conditions. Only
that machinery can he used which is
available, 'and the methods of produc?
tion must be those which are shown to
be economical and efficient through ex
j perience. The manufacturers do not
i want to curtail production, but this is
j necessary, since buyers are not co
! operating.
_ "Why cannot some practical solu?
tion of the problems be reached? Of
! course, nothing appears possible at
I present except to let the lack of de?
mand run its course, but afterward
the result is likely to be just as great
a pressure for gond-, or at least a
pressure similar to that noted during
the war. A small and regular produc?
tion at the present time would tend:?
reduce the pressure when inore good?
are needed. With lower prices and
general stability in manufacturing
conditions, manufacturers would have
been able to produce goods and thus
save the situation somewhat. The
pendulum is swinging altogether too
far. There is too much pressure for
goods at one time, with too high
prices, and u,o small a demand at
other times, with too low prices.
"This situation mus4 be changed,
but it ought not to be done by build?
ing too many additional plants, sine?
these will only reduce the pressure
when the demand is the greatest and
will cause unnecessary reductions in
wages when the production is over
large, it would be better for the tex?
tile industry for some time to come
if there were no new building, but
only replacement and improvement in
the plants which alr< ady exist. Sta?
bility can only be brought about by
I having a moderate production com
i prices will stabilize during the period
| prices will stabilize during ehe period
that the demand is tapering down.
Stocks will not be reduced or fluctuate
to such an extent thereis no gre?l
overproduction. .over and the
employe must i more :"u!iy.
and a way must be found to do thi?,
otherwise the conditions in the indus?
try are not like satisfactory."
What Argentina Buys
A table compiled by \he Director
General of S4" r Argentin?
, shows that during the first half of 191?
i goods valued in | ? gold pese
equals $0.9648) were imported by that
country in the amounts:
Textiles?Silk. . woo!, 8.304.
945; cotton, 39,678.1 -. other textile
fabrics, 25,202,864; o Is, fixed, mineral.
volatile, medicinal and greases, 9,829.
; 809; chemical and pi tical Bub
stances and prod -1; colors
?and dyes, 1,475,259; timber, other
woody substances and 'heir manufa44
? ture: unmanufactured and T'1r?l4!'
"escasa"? manufactured, 10,890,i<??
; manufactures of, 981,653; paper anew
; manufactures: - ! cardboard!
? 5,395,957; manufactures of. 623,0?;
i leather and its manufactures, 918.0'f?
iron.and its manufactures; unmanuf-C'
tured and parti4.4 ("escasa") rnanui-C
i tured. 6,184,763: manufactures of JWJ
i and steel, 11,034,161; other metals??
j their manufacturers: unmanU-Bcwr?
, and partly manufactured, 10.l0.e>??
! manufactures of 3,01? 913; agncuitur??
'2,614,540; stones, earthy substance
?glassware and ceramic products: rs
and partlv manufactured, 20,641.4-?;
manufactures of, 1,605,133; e\ectn*
! goods. 8,945.479; various articles ?*?
? manufactured goods, 5,977,976.
Color Card Proves Valuable
Buyers Can Match Goods More
Readily
The value of color sUndardiMtK??
' best illustrated bv the benefit *???"''
accrued to both producer and consjmy
as well as the retailer, in the way
matching materials. The [eduction >
color ranges as brought about d>
standard and season color cards oi ?
! Textile Color Card Association hM w*
: most helpful in this respect K ? " ?
I possible for the consumer to oov?
! exact matches in shades in stcr" U'Bi
the cards, which up to a short tune ??
i was almost impossible. viirU?"
A few years ago some of the &';? ,
1 tile mills produced a hundred *}*?*?.
| navv blue, whereas with coior <??__ "j
Uation three shades are now P??4^^
I ght, medium and dark. ?No ??*?^
could carry a hundred ?h??? b!?e
fabric, but. three standards of nsvj
shades can easily be carried in.a?
partment?. This eliminates any
fusion in maUhin?^niple^
| Americans in -Mexico
Organize Commerce M
Consul Wilbur T. ***"**?**
from Monterey. Mexico, thai ?" ja?
lean chamber of commerce ?a? ^
organised at that piare,j?d ?|0B o?
chamber hopes for ^"??fiB*
all auch bodies in the United ??"