The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1892-07-22

crluclsm upon the domestic. MANUFACTURERS,
reiterated during the debate In tho House OF
Representatives, is that the wool tarin had
driven them into q lRmentable use OF shoddy
and other substitutes for WOOL that the charac-
ter OF domestic fabrics had rapidly deteriorated,
and that the American people can no longer OBJ
tain Atwood gods but are defrauded and do
cefved by the Rdulterated fabrics forced upon
them.
This charge IS wholly false. It originates in
Ignorance Of the conditions and the advance
OF wool manufacture in all countries.
CENSUS STATISTICS.
The census shows that there were manufac-
tured in the United States in 1890, 13l, 938, 263
square yards OF Atwood and Worsted goods, Of
the mill value Of So. 314 1893: Of mixed goods
that Is, OF goods Into the warp or filling Of which
5hoddy or cotton was carded with wool-56 ,6l2,-
$50 square yards, OF the mill value OF $24 $3.50 16s
and OF goods woven upon cotton warps, 1874, 60a,-
4S1 square, yards OF the mill value OF t6S,SS7 081.
There was mover time when the proportion
of all.wool goods made and worn In this country
was larger in comparison with the mixed and
cotton goods worn than at present
This Is extraordinary in view Of the fact that
the use of shoddy or renovated wool has reached
a very high Development within recent years,
particularly in England.
USE OF sHoDDY ABROAD.
shoddy is utilized abroad to an extent un-
dreamed OF and unapproached by our own man
ufacturers. The quantity of shoddy consumed
by the British manufacturers Is vastly in ex-
cess of the quantity used by our own, while
both use nearly the same amount of wool. They
have attained a skill in conceallng its presence,
In utilizing wastes we still throw away. and in
combining them with fresh material that no
mills In this country can equal.
THE ENGLISH sHoDDY MANUFACTURE
There were In Great Britain in 1889 (bee on
elal returns under the " Factories and Work
shops act'O 125 shoddy mills, employing l,603
persons, as compared with the 2 266 persons en-
ployed In our 9S shoddy mills in 1890. No
official return is made OF the product Of these
mills but from other data accessible 1t is estl-
mated TO exceed by four times the total con-
sumption of shoddy In all the wooden mills Of
the United States.
While 1886, $50 spindles in the United States
consumed over 400 000, 900 pounds of wool In $780,
over 6000. 900 spndles in the wooden and vorsted
mills Of Great Britain consumed but A7O, 900
pounds OF wool. A considerable proportion of
this great discrepancy may be explained BY the
larger production OF fine counts OF yarn In that
country; but It is evident that TO keep these
% 100000 splndles supplied there must have been
enormous quantities Of Bhoddy and cotton pass
ing over them.
LESS sHoDDY USED IN THE UNITED STATES
These statistics prove that the duty on wool
has nothing to do with the comparative quantl-
ties OF wool and substitutes for wool used
In the Industry, here or elsewhere. From every
point Of view the same conclusion is irresistlbly
forced upon us. The American people, with
taxed WOOL use every yoar two pounds per
capita more wool than the people of Great
Britain, enjoying the advantage OF free WOOL
and our per capita consumption OF shoddy is
much smaller than that of the English people.
CHEAP GOODS DEMANDED.
The manufacture Of adulterated goods is not
primarily the work OF the manufacturer him
self. These goods, like others. are made upon
orders; they are made and sold because there is
q demand for them. There 10 q demand for
them because the people who use them nnd that
whom well made they are slightly and service
able, and well worth the money they cost. II
wool was free, this demand for a fabric cheaper
tn an all-wool would continue, and would be met
In the Same manner as now.
THE UTILIZATION OF WASTES
This cry against wool substitutes Is mainly
founded on Ignorance. The utilization OF wastes
10 as legitimate In this industry as In any other.
In every other IL te commended by the very
economists who insist that in this particular it
10 an evidence OF degradation and deterioration,
The discovery that animal and vegetable hbers
can be combined In warm. durable and hand
some fabric has been q boon 10 mankind and
womankind, not equaled, perhaps, by any that
has occurred since the invention Of automatic
textile machinery.
4 The utilization Of wood pulp in the manu-
lfacture OF paper has enormously extended its
use and increased the educating power OF the
printing press. Just 80 the use Of substitutes
for wool has added to the comfort Of humanity.
There could not be paper enough made without
the use Of wood pulp to supply the demand, and
there 10 not wool enough grown In the world 70
properly clothe the people inhabiting rigorous
,lclimates.-Ffon The Memorial addressed 10 us Sen
ate BY ne National Asssoeiaton Of Wool kuadetur
era opposed 70 ne Free Wool BAL