New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-11-21
HIGHER PRICES For SILKS.
GREATER COST OF THE RAW MATERIAL.

EFFECT on AMERICAN MANUFACTURERS AND PcR-
CHAsRRs.
Fashion in Europe decreed some months ago thas
women should use more silk for dress and personal
adornrnent than had been their custom for the last
few years. This made business lively for the man
ufactnrcrs ana drove the price OF raw SILK In
June the rise was felt by American importers oil
raw silk and every week since Sept' mber SET III thc
marke, has become drmer and the prices have be-
come higher Now raw silk costs from 10 to 20 per
cent more than in the summer. further advances
are expected and importers aud manufacturers
feel that the present stiff rates will be maintained
and soon have a perceptible effect OIL the retail
trade.
All raw silk is produced abroad; half OF the
American importation coming from Japan, one
fourtb from China aud oDe-fourth from France ana
italy, Prices have varied immensely for many
wears at intervals of from three to four years. 80
that at times the rates have been twice as high as
at others Two years ago the raw SILK business
WAS deprcssed aud prices reached the lowest poini
ever known year nsp cbi saDoG nv anu European
syndicate's speculatlons mat increase Iastou
few months aud then gradually fell nnti IN tne
early tummrr of 1886 prices approximately
reached the mark registered just before the sudden
rise The home market has al avs been regniated
by European markets. because foreign manuiact-
urers consume perhaps hve-siXths OF the CROP say
Dos OOv bales as against the American use or from
"a 600 to 5000 bales But Europe consumes
more of the raw silk of Chine which IS cheaper
than that of Japan the cosier kind used in Ameri-
can factories With their cheap, slow labor, the
lower priced Chinese silk can be worked up to
better ad, antage than by the United states system
of tdrnng out products by machinery running at
"A rapid rate. Therefore the American producer
must use the superior CLASS OF SILK
Importers agree that the advances In the COST OF
raw silk at present amount on the Japan product
to from 20 TO % per cent on the ltalian 10 ~ pei
cent; on the Shanghai from 10 to 20 per cent am
on the Canton crop rom 10 and 10 per cent ne
anne goods that few weeks ago cost IRON % oo
to $4 70 a pound now bring from 80 20 to 70 So
with constant tendency to increase. CaoIe als
patches received within the last week tod Oh
advances in Milan and other centres and one large
commission house WAS instructed by It's Londoh
agency to put mp rates on satns 10 per cent. one
manufacturer Eeported a 8 per cent increase on
sale, of silk goods THIS is the result that Will
strike the heart and depete the purse OF woman
For fashion having started .woman> mind in
Europe toward silk manufacturers here feel that
the American sister will want silk gowns ana I'D
bons and ringes and laces and satlns. and SILK IN
every form, more now tran at any recent tlme.
This demand W i'll soon exhaust the presentsupplv OF
raw silk and dress goods bought under the lower
prices of months ago and then VIII come the neavy
rise of prices In drygoods stores resulting from the
nanufacturers' increase because OF the advances
IN raw silks
This retail price advance it is believed, will not
be correspondingy as heavy as the advab &C on the
import ed unprepared silk. But the husband who
has promised his wife or his daughter new SIN
gown that " will almost stand aoue," may nave 10
nav lai ger bill four months from now than he
will if be makes good his promise before the end
of 1886. The effect of the advances of the last few
weeks will be a considerable addition to the cost
TO consumers of American made silk goods as W III
be seen by estimating the per cent advance on the
value of home silk manufacturers OF 1851 ms
value vas $;}5, 957,72 The raw silk Imported
that year amounted to 21,692 bales worth
ST. 1886, sos and the importations IN 1850 were
20 500 bales worth Sl1.47s,727. Since that time
the business ha. become greater and in the year
ending on December 81. 1885, the import ition was
26 3O6 bales. worth $15. 81 ,465. But this year
will probably show still larger Importation and
the value OF the American manufacturers products
will run many millions above the estimate for
1881. o.,
William c. Wvckoff. secretary of the Sils Associ-
alton of America, believes that the sharp advance
has come to stav Louis FRANKIE a large manufact-
urer aud b. Richardson of Richardson d SON. ex-
tens,ve "a w silk brokers and Bedng Bros. d Co.,
one of the largest consumers of raw SILK in the
United States with most all the trade all think
| that the high prices will be permanent ana that
they are the result of the actual demands Tor SILK
| goods.