Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-07-27
CULTURE OF SILK.
A Novel Industry that is Coming Int
Favor and Prominence.

/ A Novel Industry that Is Coming Into
Favor and Prominence.
A few days ago called at the Office Of
the State Board Of silk Culture. in this
/ city. says san Francisco correspondent
Of the Louisville Courier-JOurHal, and
was surprised at the magnitude Of the
undertaking and the progress made By
/ the enthusiastic managers since its organ
I iZatiOn. Silk culture may be said to be
in its infancy yet, but such progress has
been made in this State that the manage
/ ment is encouraged beyond measure, and
predict that the industry viii, in a few
years. give employment TO tens Of thou
sands Of our idle boys and girls, not only
in this State, but all over our country. AS
the state Board Of silk Culture intend
making an exceedingly interesting ex-
hibit at the Southern Exposition this
year, some account Of the society viii not
be amiss.
March 5. 1888. an act was passed BY
the Legislature Z" 10 establish a State
Board of Silk Culture, and to provide
moneys for the expenses thereof" The
board consists Of nine persons appointed
BY the Governor. i've Of whom are men,
bers Of the Ladies' Silk Culture Society
OF California, an organization which has
existed for a few years here, the members
Of which are the oTiginators Of the pres
ent State Board. Four members are ap-
pointed TOR the term OF two years and nYe
for four years. The first annual meeting
Of the board was held Nov. %. In con-
nectiOn with this meeting, the Eilature
was promptly opened to the public, and
an exhibition was made of the silk indus
try Of the State, comprising the reeled
and spoiled silk Of the board, fabrics and
silk dress goods. Mrs. Governor Stone
man read the report Of the committee
awarding S175 in ten premiums TO the
most successful producers Of silk cOcOOns
in California for the year 1888. Five Of
the successful competitors were boys and
girls from ten 70 fourteen years OF age, a
partial answer, think, to the question,
''What shall we do with our girls - Some
Of the cOcOOns gave the extraordinary
Weld of five and One-halt ounces OF silk
| from one pound of cOcoons. This silk in
| dustry, when once established, will fur
nish beautiful. clean and interesting en-
I ployment for thousands Of our youth in
/ town and country. The Filature can give
employment all the year round, and with
/ such institutions established. not only in
I California, but in every State in the Union,
I there viii be work. and profitable Work.
/ for tens of thousands Of our sons and
| daughters from the beginning to the close
/ Of the year.
| silk produced in China is, IN the first
/ instance, country silk: that is, silk which
l is reeled in the households by primitive
/ methods. To prepare il for exporting, it
I has TO be re-reeled, and no little effort was
I required TO impress upon the Chinese the
/ necessity for re-reeling to suit our mar
\ ket. The reels Tor this purpose were in
/ the first instance made in the United
| States and sent TO China. We can make
/ the machinery; why not have the industry
/ here as well! But some Of the manufac-
| turers in the East discourage this enter
] prise for obvious reasons, (nOtable John
/ d. Cutter, a very large manufacturer J,
/ because il interferes with their raw silk
/ trade from abroad, and they are
afraid that if the industry is popular,
| Congress may be asked to put q tax on
I raw silks from foreign countries. These
/ persons say that the labor here can't CON-
/ pete with the Chinese cheap labor, which
/ is only six cents day in China; and that
/ they can produce it for 80 cents per pound.
| Then why do the manufacturers in the East
have TO pay from s. to 81 per pound for
1 Chinese raw silk:
Every pound Of Chinese reeled silk has
to pay toll at many gates before it reaches
| the American factory. There is the col
lection toll for going round among the
peasants and gathering up their product
in small lots; then comes the expense Of
the local department agency, and here
| also the local government exacts toll IN
the shape Of tax. 1t costs something
also for the inland freight thousand
miles to Shanghai or Hong Kong. There
il passes through the conditioning houses,
where it has to be re-reeled in order TO 1T
| it for the American market.
Next the Chinese guild holds it until
they can get their price for it. Then,
when it is sold, it has TO pass through the
export bureau, where 1t pays another tax
of 10 per cent. for the benefit Of the Chi
nese Empire. Still another expense is
incurred in freights, insurance, ETC., and
the charge on a bill Of exchange for trans
feTring the purchase money from New
York to China. Again. our custom house
charges a small bit for a permit to land
the silk in the United States and hand it
over TO the importer. So the cents q
DAY wages in China is only small frac-
ton of the cost of producing the raw silk
in China and importing to the maDufac-
turer IN this country. Thus IN figuring
UP in this small way we see that the man.
ufacturers are paying more than s. a
pound for raw silk no better than has
already been produced here in California,
and can be produced in the good old State
Of Kentucky.
silk is now low in the market, but It'll has
advanced 5 per cent. during the last forty
days. They now produce here eOcOOns
that yield one pound and six ounces for
each four pounds.
For such a product they pay 81 per
pound for the cocOOns; they allow 81 for
reeling. and can furnish the silk without
loss for $ per pound.
Even 81 per gound for cOcOOns viii be
an immense blessing TO thousands Of
American mothers and daughters. Raw
silk can be produced in Kentucky as cheap
If not cheaper than in California. The
mulberry is indigenous TO the soil; and
the people OK Louisville know how well
eaterpillars thrive in the climate. Why
do not some Of the representative ladies Of
Kentucky take this matter up as they
have done in this States Already the
effects Of its benefits are felt here.
Young girls and boys are making it pay
here, and having an interesting study at
the same time. Whenever an active,
nervous girl OF boy comes in contact with
silk culture, they take TO il at once and
show great interest in the work. 1t Is
just the thing when they can spend their
extra nervous force, ana at the same
time be instructed and keep out Of the
streets. They are in earnest here and in
tend to ask Congressional aid 10 further
the industry. but say that they want no
tax levied on the raw article 10 help them.
What they want is a donation By the
Government 70 put them once on their
feet. and then let them walk or fall on their
own merits.