The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1886-03-04
THE SILK INDUSTRY.
An Advance in Price Promised
Ending a Long Competition.

An Advance in Price Promised
Ending a Long Competition.
The meeting of sewing-silk and twist
manufacturers in this city last Friday.
by organizing an association to promote
harmony and mutual interests in the
trade, took steps toward closing long
and memorable strife. This branch of
silk industry is the Oldest in the coun-
try. The value of its annual production
of goods is more than S1O,O00,O GOO.
About fifty separate concerns are en-
gagged in the manufacture, but the
great hulk of the -hnsiness is done ny
half a dozen large firms. Nearly all
their mills are in Connecticut and Mas
sachusetts. Probably they are about to
open new page in their history; but
already there is enough of it to point
moral.
The manufacture of sewing-silk as a
household art in Connecticut began
in colonial times, and attained inn
portance in the earlier part of this CEN
tury. Then ensued a long series of ef-
forts, taxing Yankee ingenuity and
patience to the utmost, to do the work
by power-driven machinery. For many
years the product was inferior to the
sewing-silk of Europe, and when by a
series of Improvements. it surpassed the
foreign goods in quality, it had still a
hard struggle for reputation. That
this point was carried as early as 1843
is shown by a sort of declaration of in
dependence in that year, signed by
leading manufacturers at meeting in
this city, declaring that they would no
longer conceal their goods under for
eign labels. At that period the compe-
tition was severe, but it was wholly
with the foreign producer. Next came
the invention of the sewing-machine,
and the demand for kind of sewing
silk suited to it, which, when duly in
vented and improved, came to be known
distinctively as''machine twist" This
gave great impetus to the business,
and the production of ''twist'' now very
far exceeds all the rest of this branch of
the industry. As the machine and its
''twist" started in life and grew togcth-
er in this country, there was no foreign
competition in the case. All kinds of
sewing-silk shared in the improvements
of manufacture with the result that for
eign competition ceased.
Then sprang up between our own
manufacturers fiercer rivalry than the
trade had ever known; and this condi-
ton of affairs has continued with few
brief Interruptions to the present day.
In most trades such competition tends
to degrade the quality of the product
in order to meet lower prices, but this
is not the case with sewing silks, be-
cause there are ready means of testing
them, and buyers have been educated
to require goods that will stand the
tests. Practically the competition is SOLE
ly one of prices, thinly disguised by dis
counts to purchasers, and presents of
cabinet" expensive pieces of furni-
ture to display the wares. There
could be no more complete demonstra-
ton of the fact that home competition
is more effective than foreign in bring
ing down the price of goods. The sew
ing-silks of to-day are far better than
the once famous italian Silks" and
are less than half the price. But though
such proof may be very pleasant to the
student of political economy, it is not
equally agreeable to the manufacturer,
especially when it continues year after
year, pairing down his margin Of profits.
For the last two or three years the
cost of raw silk has been slowly but
steady falling. This material is the
chief factor in the cost of scwing-suks,
and bears a larger proportion to the.
value of the finished goods than any
other branch of the silk industry in this
country. Under the stress of competi-
ton the prices of goods were forced
down in equal step with those of the
raw material, and consumers got all
the benefit of the decline. But within
two or three months the conditions
have changed; prices of raw silk rose
suddenly. rested little, then rose
again, and now seem still to be rising.
All indications point to permanently
increased cost OF the raw material. The
logic of the situation is conclusive as
that of Mi. Micawber about income and
expenditure. The manufacturers must
advance their, prices and now, if ever,
they should harmonize their differences.
-NesU York Tribune.