New-York tribune., 1877-06-12
SILK MAYuFACTURERS ExPERIENCES

SURPRISES CREATED AT THE CENTrNNIAL-sPKCU-
LAuoNs IN RAW sILK-RkvENUE FRAUDs-A
CONTRACT SYSTEM.
Judging from the accounts given In the hfth
annual report of the suk Association OF America inc
business OF silk making last year did not laoh variety
Although there no combination fot lhe purpose
btween he silk manufacturers they sent very credit
able display Of both goods and machinery to the Centen
NAL Exhibition That opened the eyes OF visitors, ma
five as well as foreign as what Americans are really
dong in the art OF making silk goods sevefai hu-
ropeans took occasion after their visit 10 express
their surprise at the silk exhibit OF TINS country,
for though they had previously heard oi the ADVANCE Vi
that industry here they had supposed the reports u"
exaggerated But az Philadelphia not only were the
producs exhibited but also the machinery IN rnotlon'
nroducnc the goods The expressions OF Mr. Gebhafdo OF
FlberAcld GERMANY will serve for illustration Ire Is
manufacturer of silk and velvet goods, employing 4ooo
10 900 looms; and be has been ~ years III he pus
ness he thinks lie can fairly judge OF the merits OF SILK
manufacture Knowing the difficulties that beset Such
undertakings he had not expected mucn success from
American endeavor and Indeed few years ago he had
uphlicy said So Now his surprise is that Americans
have done so much Loving the business ana 'aNlhE
pride in it, he declares that he has no words TO express
his gratfcaton with the work OF the Paterson h""c
turers.
Last year will long he remembered by everybody con-
nected with silk trade account of the great pecu
lation In raw silk during the Summer aud early Fal III
was as wild as the MorUs mutfcGms speculation oio
fathers Tie basis of the sudden rise IN prices was
the fact of short crop OF silk in Europe The dehcehc!
could havebe in measure met ny an ihcrelseu
shipment from Asatie ports, hut the telegraph 10 Chn"
and J9uan happened about that time TO break down
teunorarv The center Of the speculation at Lyons
France hut it was rapidly communicated TO the most
distant localities Raw silk is article OF small bulk ID
proportion 10 its value and all sorts of people WLo eA
pected it rise in price mace has'c 10 pu! "
bale or two aud store them on back She'll one
reads of eager buyers in Yokohama, Japan,
going through the market every morning aud stripping
il of silk before the Old-fasioned owgong merchants
had taken their breakfasts The early bird ia japan
should he represented catching a silkworm. But
while ,he raw material doubled in value the price oil
manufactured goods advanced in much smaller proper
tton especially in this country Manufacturers I'm gen
eral were at their wits ends In Lyons ah industrial
crisis took place and the Government had to come TO the
aid Of the unemployed workpeople As there was no
suppcrt the speculative prices OF the raw material
wle the manufacturers lad no safe for thef goods h9
mlucy holders Of bales of silk soon saw tncir eNtyte
profits transmitted into heavy losses. Prices s@etlga settled
down the Old figures few wce@s ago but the h4nu
faciurers who bought heavy stocks before the oeche
feel very blue a0outlt.
Hard times are generally supposed TO have brought
down the price labor but they did not prevent several
strikes in the silk factories last year There is an inter
estinc story the workings OF contract system III one
of the mills 1t frequently happens owing to the sudden
CHANGES OF fashion that manufactures finds It will save
loss to stop work in certain branches altogether ana
TO cut the warps Of the unfinished work ana take II ont
of the looms Under Tie contract system referred TO-
the employer rot liberty cut away the piece OF
work and on bc other hand the weaver Is under ooga
ton 10 finish the piece Both sides OF the contract nave
been tested within te over year First tie weavels
ATTEMPTED strike but were compelled ty order OF court
Ia cnirlete the pieces they had begun. listy, aud
quite recently the employers wished To stop the looms
and the warps OUT and to do tins were ohscut 10
make "A compromise with thcir viewers, ny WhicA lhc
latter got hat wages the uiiuShcd VOL 20 Ter as
il goes the system has worked Win decided sicces III
modtTatiug disputes between employers and employed
considerable portion Of the report Is devoted 10 the
discussion OF frauds upon the revenue 10y the underva
uaon Of silk goods invoices entered at the custom
house Tie laws as they stand are ample Tor the sup
preston Of this form fraud. aud crc seems 20 be rea
son for hoping that under the present Administration
those laws will be diligently enforced An appeal
is made 10 of a classes in the silk business,
WHO have suffered ny frauds. to lou IN
tGom II il shown that tie injury falls upon import
Ing houses and foreign a. well as upon
our makers OF elk goods. There Is widespread molten
that haud. in the entry OF good. could De prevented
fhe tariff we're lowered made specific. cad OF
ad yalcfcH. TIE report makes some V@.,.d'ic
suggestions these points. II Is AT. h"sl
! omen TO doubt whether experience has shown mat
revenue fraud diminscs III equal fdtlo WIN te it
crease tine tariff IL seem, ercut tht tc:c Is me
risk IL applying specific lusiead OF a Na"re 1ut7 10
silks. that lOwpr.ccd goods may thereby Dc tss lI"
tecied III proportion Than heEpflcrd ones. iu' u'
high-uIiccd silks come EOrc naturally chUef the ht O
luxuIes which Ought 10 pay taN Moreover il thF't
10y pIoporticua.y heavier Gdy' mlhu"c1I'iS "Cuia
bt encouraged Ony III making tic inferior scits III
.hat case sa}s & tn, ir@ r ,i,r fI from lis
report tie silk manufacturers seem 10 tuk IL rtlei 10
boar the lis tney thaE 20 ~ TO others idt lEty
know not ol IN the tarih OF tie iuidie.