Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-03-02
THE SPRING OPENING.
Millinery Jobbers Satisfied With
Results of the First Day.
BUYERS PRESENTIN LARGE FORCE.
Business at the Pittsburg Custom House Is
Equal to Last Year.
AMERICAN SHOE MACHINERY ABROAD

OFFICE OF THE DISPATCH. I
PITTsBURG, TUESDAY, March ].
The first three DAYS of March have from
time immemorial been the days appointed
by our millinery jobbers as opening days
for the display of goods. There are in this
city three houses devoted exclusively to the
jobbing trade in this line, namely: j. d.
Bernd & Co., j. j. Porter & Co. and Rem
wick, Ellis & Co. The opening of these
firms for the display of goods was inaug-
urated yesterday, and in spite of the in
element weather, the opening was auspi-
force than ever before.
The idea of the spring opening is more to
display goods and show styles than to sell.
Sales are expected later on. Retail millin-
ers come from near and far to spy out the
land and catch on to new styles and shapes
for feminine headgear. At the opening
yesterday there were milliners from 300
miles westward and over 100 miles east
ward. The display Of our jobbers exceeded
In beauty and variety any previous season.
The elements yesterday were decidedly
against trade. A mixture of rain and snow,
accompanied with stiff gales and sloppy
streets, would naturally be supposed to
keep the fair sex at horne. But in spite of
these obstacles they were on hand in full
force. The average passerby on Liberty
street could have little conception of the
beautiful things on display at these whole
sale millinery establishments
Concerning the Styles.
The market editor, who is deplorsbly
weak on the matter of ladies' headgear,
tried his best to catch on to the spring
styles, but fears his attempts were not a
success. He was told that wide ties, Jet
effects, with a combination of gilt, were
very popular this season, and that flowers,
laces and nets have not lessened, but rather
grown in popularity. The Swiss braid, he
was told, is also more popular than ever
before. For further particulars the lady
reader is advised to look to fashion
journals.
The value or goods cleared by the Pitts
burg Custom House for the month of Febru-
ary was in round numbers $28, 600, or an
equivalent of 81 900 per day. This was
slight reduction from the total for the cor
responding month of last year. The months
of November and December of 1891, and
January of 1892 showed slight increase
over the same months of the previous year
The totals for the year past will show a
business equal to little more than 81, 900
per day, or close to S400, 200 for the year.
The heaviest importations are in fall, Sep
tember and October being the big months.
In addition to the goods received through
the Pittsburg Custom House large quanti-
ties OF imported goods are cleared for this
city at New York, but not nearly 80 large
as former years The bulk of goods inn
ported are fine silks and wooden goods
Liquon and cigars come next in the value
of goods imported So far as can be discov-
cred the operations of the Mckinley tariff
bill have not lessened the amount of goods
received at this port from foreign shores.
An English View of Shoe Machinery.
The Chicago Hide and Leather has this:
A London cable dated February 23 reads:
The Royal Labor Commission to-day heard
the testimony of shoe manufacturers of
Leeds and Northampton in regard to the
condition of labor in the boot and shoe in
dustry. The witnesses agreed that Ameri-
can machinery used in the making OF boots
and shoes was infinitely superior to that in |
lowered the cost OF the man ufactured ar |
ticle, but English workmen object to its in- |
production; fearing that by the use of the 1
new inventions the work would be split up |
In sections, the value Of the individual |
workman lessened and wages reduced. The |
manufacturers thought 1t would he a gen.
grafton yet before improved machinery |
would gain foothold in England. They de- |
MED that importations would be made from |
the United States except of the rougher |
grades. The delicate leather made in France |
and other parts of Europe entered England |
free of duty, while a heavy duty WAS laid |
upon it in America. This largely offsets the |
advantages enjoyed by America in the mat |
ter of improved machinery. |