The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-05-10
The Manufacture of Knit Goods Her
Leading Industry.
CROWDING THE ENGLISH PRODUCT
The Triumph OF Californian
Over Australian Wool.
important Facts Gathered from Leading
Manufacturers.
CouoEs. N. Y. May s, 1878.

CoHoEs N. Y. May s, 1878.
New York State. inspired as 1t 10 with commercial
ideas nevertheless need hide its manufactures for
fear OF being oversaughcd by Massachusetts, Cohoes
is at all be taken criterion. These commercial
ideas enter quite largely into her Industries, ana
hence that extreme caution which have met with IN
many New England factories is not visible here.
Cohoes goes right along regardless OF the times that
temporarily depressing business. and she keeps up
her capacity Of manufacturing knit goods, cotton
goods straw paper and the hko TO its full vol
ume. She sells, perhaps, to-day no more than some
manufacturing towns OF New England whero havo
only lhreefourths OF the ever ready labor ana
machinery at active work; but snc has confidence,
sterling confidence in the immediate future, ana,
broad ideas that govern tho Empire State
she takes no account OF temporary duincss and sails
right along producing all her i'm machinery
and $4,000 operatives can produce And YET
there have been comparatively few, II any, failures
In this vicinity at time that more cautious Now
England has added such fearful number TO the long
list of bankruptcies is the old old story OF COM
mon sense ana hard work overcoming the narrow
mndeness, trickory and easy going ways OF old time
manufacturers, and tho result Is shown oy,
Tor instance, comparing Conoes to-day to Fan
River / might say, perhaps that sho IS
nhead OF Lowell, II l took tho opinions
of those who such Immense pride in tho Har-
znony Mills here, lately owned by tho lamented Mr.
Garner, and.now managed by Mr. Johnson one OF the
directors OF the Cotton Manufacturers Association.
Blu. cotton fabrics are not tho principal product OF
Cohoes industries tho Harmony Mills being only an
exception, and hence the comparison does not hold
good. 1t may be that tho machinery is superior 70
that the Lowell mills; it may also be that the fabrics
produced here arc and better than anything Mas
sachusettshas thrown upon the market; but u VIII
be a very, very long time before any town in tho
United States match Lowell to the quantity Of
cotton malls and the largo amount OF its product In
ono single line.
WHERE ALL TIE GOODS COME FROM
Cohoes has sufficient 70 bo proud OF, aside even OF
its great cotton mill In fact 1t has a specially
which city Union has yet dared TO approach
And when l say this IL must DO remembered that
Cohoes has virtually secured that prominence at
time that the country was bleeding and all OF its citi.
zcns were despoDdingy looking into It's future. She
worked while the rest OF ahe manufacturing districts
were, vulGarly speaking sucking their fingers"
She clothing and raimcnt, not only for the
soldiers in the field, but-aso Tor those who stayed at
home prices before heard OF In this country
Some one, reading this may say, st was shoddy"
Perhaps IL was; but that shoddy, in
commercial point OF view, brought capital 10
fhe gates OF Cohoes, and to-day sne, no longer
Bhoddy manufacturing town uscs that capital mado
gained during tho Of tho rcbaiiion In cause
ihat ought place her foremost among those commu-
mites which straning ttner utmost Dervo TO so
euro lasting prosperity for Tho entire country. II
may boconsidcrcd very small matter when assure
,your readers that Cohoes manufactures to-day
half OF all the merino unocrshrts aud drawers worn
In thesp United States; but when It is remembered
shat by so doing she has virtually ruined the great
Industry OF no less ancient~town than Nottingham
IN England, tho importance OF the work she Is
gagged in Will be readily understood Up to 1855 this
country depended entirely upon England for me-
dunn and fine knit merno goods. and, owing to
Unit goods as England and would command the entro
market but for gering prejudice still existing
an the minds Of some people, who prefer the English
goods OF which, however, now only small quantity,
md that OF exceptional quality Is imported II Was
at the Centennial Exhibition tint Nottingham agents
eyes opened TO the excellent knit goods
nj low prices made in this country. They then
only the American goods as fine asthcrs,
but also that they wero better shaped and gotten
up In better taste aud with more finish. IL
may DO sad to reflect that Mr.. Kilbourne, the
gentleman VINO has invented so much OF the Ameri-
knitting machinery - now, as | am told, con
nrmed Iunatic; but again, taking more busiDess ike
Wow of the triumphs OF this Ind usdry prefer to give
Tho words OF Mr.. Root, OF tho leading manutac
aurers hero who said TO me:.sImportcrs of English
knit goods find themselves compelled TO tako our
goods. tho style ana finish being preferable and tho
quality being superior 10 regard TO Tho majority Of
grades.n
"Havc they, then. entirely abandoned the inporta-
tion OF knit goodsY'I asked.
"No," said Mr.. Root 'they still import few gauzo
articles, but year IL Is growing less and
gland to-day does not send one-third Of the knit
goods sho sold hero IN 1850, and our consumption OF
those goods to-day s lar greater than then. We havo
virtually driven English knit goods out OF ,ho MARKET
and what more, wc arc constantly improving our
own uiacturcs. or the knit goods heretofore made
two-thirds aud one-third for ladies' sim
ply because tho latter could not wear the coarser
goods then making Now, one-haif OF tho
k6Ooo 900 worth OF goods manufactured auu ualiy
In the United States arc III TO DO worn BY ladies', tho
physicians having generally commended thor
lhrna plOul "a
TrE soar op rRorgcrios RxouiREp.
In regard 20 importation Of knit goods, arc you not
protected by heavy dutyYn asked.
mo- replied Mr. Root; az IS only thirty ave per
cent. and we ask no more. ! cannot call this pro-
cept Of things We must have cheaper labor and
cheaper capital We pay horo six 10 per
some grades OF our soods than those usdo
IN Rngland, NO cannot as yet say that We have tuc
Eceded making the expectation oil these goods paw,
ns Il Is not only the price OF LABOR but Other
Expenses Incidental TO this manufacture which COM
PEI, Us 70 keep up higher preSs We nave sent soae
very we'll wo can, however, just now soil nil we
make hero In the home market. though the time must
ZONE soon, rs cur production - very large tnai We
must push tho foreign trade and when wo arc coming
20 thai IN order 70 compete IA tho neutral marKcis
NO must reduce the cost Of tho labor
MACHINERY rRiuxPns AGAIN.
Mr.. Root tncn explained 10 me that before tho
present tarin existed they could not successfully
make any nnc goods, and only what called
cut" goods were made The fashion goods, wnicn cost
about eas taird moro than Tho cut goods are maize
ON the fashion knitting machine 'sthat uarfows and
wtdsns tho machinery Invented during the past
few yssrs also has enabled American manufacturers
no make tho unc goods TO certain extent, anu
shey are preferred tho English machinery be. |
csuss more work be got from them. one ton OF
yarn made IN these mills ror day, and 200 dozen
shirts and drawers afc manufactured there the
cutting done Ny hand and tho finishing machines
invented by the great sewing machine men arc used
here 10 largo extent Tho 'cut" goods
above alIudod TO- are tnoso containing seams,
and 70 10 admitted by all tho manufacturers
with whom have convcrsed that the English cannot
import ..cut,' goods to-day, these styles tihc
roarser) arc now being mado inster on American
machinery. Tho feature which camo 20
prominently 10 tue foreground In other Industries
which have Investigated also looms up again hero
IN shc Knitting goods manufacture Wine we beat
Enrianton all coarscr goods, which requirc great
OF rough machine work, they arc SIN ahead oil
ms In the fashion or very Dno goods, because these
require croat OF manual labor Neitner do our
nau lecturers attempt TO increase IN tho fashion
goods and endsavor TO initiate England. as they can
not anord to pay tho higher prices demanded hero Tor
tne manual labor required upon them, put
they DO improve steadily the cut or coarscr