The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1897-12-19
To GLADDEN. WOMEN'S HEARTS

There Is every indication that in the
near future any woman in the United
States who cares to be the possessor of
that ultima thule Of female adofn-
ment, a handsome silk dress, will be
able to enjoy that pleasure for a very
moderate expenditure Of money-so far,
at least as the cost Of the goods goes.
The reason ii that TN silk manufac-
turcrs IT this country. who are now
receiving only a moderate return from
their investments, owing 10 sharp COM
petition among themselves, win soon
lind ii necessary to still further reduce
their margin OF profit. wipe Ii out
altogether FOR a while, to prevent Seri-
Gus inroads into the business by cotton
manufacturers Of New England.
whose looms will weave silk instead Of
cotton hereafter, III case certain ex-
perlments now under way. prove salts
factory.
Cotton mill-owners in the East have,
for some years past, seen their trade
gradually disappear and their profits
slowly dwindle away. through the COM
petition Of Southern mills. until they
have finally realized that they must
either close their mills or ind more pro-
filahle work Tor them than the man.
ufaeture of cotton goods. Thus their
attention has been drawn to the possi-
bility Of a fair profit in the weaving Of
silk goods.
1t is claimed by the cotton milloNners
/ that the change from cotton weaving
TO silk weaving can he made at a COM
| paratively small cost, as the same
| looms can be used and the operatives
| can readily learn to weave silk as we'll
4 as cotton.
Home manufacturers of silk say that
/ this is only true of the cheaper grades
i Of silk. known 10 the trade as cotton
/ backs" and the manufacture Of the
| finer grades demands not only looms
and machinery essentially different
| from those used in cotton mills, but
/ also the employment OF skillfull opera
1 tives, thoroughly experienced in that
I kind of work. If the cotton men per-
/ sist in their efforts, the regular manu-
/ facturers propose to make these bold
/ intrudrs into their domain suffer TOR
their temeritS by cutting prices down
4 10 figure that will lead them 10 Won
/ der Why they ever thought there was
any money in the silk business.
The fight Is already started. as sew
eral cotton mills in Massachusetts and
/ CONNECTICUT have already passed the
+ experimental stage and are prepared
to manufacture silk on an extensive
scale The representatives of one of
these companies had this to say on the
subject:
The silks made in our mill have
proved satisfactory in every way and
n
ness 10 stay. as We believe that II can
be made profitable in spite of the oppo-
/ sition Of the old established silk fac
tories. 1t Is natural that we should at
first make the cheaper grades. as they
help us Ia work off our cotton stock.
and their manufacture gives our nper-
atives an opportunity to become expert
at silk weaving The regular silk
/ manufacturers asserted that we would
find the change from "A cotton to a silk
plant verv costly one III the way OF
expensive machinery and heh wages
to skilled WeaNers, hut we have moi
found Ii SO. The change in the looms
has been made at a moderate expense
and our cotton weavers seem 10 haV,
picked up readily whatever there wa.
for them 10 learn in silk weaving
methods. We look for sharp compe
tition, but We are prepared to keep vi
the struggle: and the retail dealers ans
the consumers are likely To get TIM
benefit of the battle IN the way of /
deep cut in the prices of silk goods.
A prominent representative of thu