The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-02-26

Located as we are, in centre OF ths
wooden Industry, we have been psrticu-
lsrly Interested In the discussion going on
10 several sections of the country as to
the comparative merits OF our woolen and
worstad goods and those manufactured
abroad.
A careful review OF theystatements made
to the press by certain large and well
known clothing manufacturers, together
with facts elicitated from some of our
prominent woolen manufacturers, shows
the weight OF evidence to be greatly in
favor of domestic cloths.
AS once our leading manufactur. RS so
pertinently has said: "Wny should not
America make as good cloth as any
that England makes? What is to prevent
| itY What do we lack? We have equal
access to the wool markets OF the world,
we use precisely the same fine wools in
our higher grade OF goods, operate the
same LOOMS. "As practical
weaver, let me tell you that the cloth pro
duced in the leading mills in America is
not surpassed in any particular by foreign
fabrics. They do not beat Us either in
style, texture, color, quality, finish or dur
ability. In any but their highest grades
they do not equal us, W bile in the cheaper
lines We beat them badly: our goods.
which we sell at the same price, or trifie
less, being actually worth more per yard
than theirs" "None but an ex.
pert, and few Of those, can tell the d fer
ence between domestic and a foreign
cloth OF the same style and material and
woven the same way"
The special point, however, calling forth
the most discussion In this matter, is the
ell important question OF comparative
fastness of colors in the domestic and
foreign cloths.
On this point there is much to be said. |
First. the largest single buyer Of fine
goods for mems wear in the United States |
asserts that, after careful and extensive
tests, he fiuds the colors in the American
woolens TO be, as rule, the better ana
faster, ana he now for this reason gives
them the preferences over the foreign
makes. Similar preferences expressed by
many other buyers lead to the conclusion
that grade for grade, the colors in Amer
lean woolens are faster and will wear
better than those in the imported goods.
There are good reasons why this is so,
Of which the public should oe apprised.
The facts are that within the last ten
yesrs the art of wool dyeing in this coun-
try has greatly advanced; our bright sun
light and general climatic conditions,
Decessitating the production OF the fastest
colors possible, has been an incentive to
our woolen manufacturers to adopt the
newest methods and ths fastest known
dyes; meanwhile, the science OF producing
artificial dye stuffs has progressed with
great rapidity, and a series OF alizsrine
colors In black, blues, browns, etc., have
been perfected that have now practically
replaced in the United States the old
wood colors, because experience has
hown the alizarine dyes to stand hard
wear knd the most severe exposare to
unlight and weather with scarcely rer- I
eptible change, and to very much excel
n fsstness the old-time dye stuffs. With
he adoption OF these dyes by our Amer
can manufacturers the buyer may, ct oil i
lines, have knowledge as TO the dyes used
o color his cloths, as the application OF
imple chemical tests is all that is neces- I
afy to determine IL the colors in the
Ioths under examination are produced
18th the fast alizsrine dyes or not. On ..
he other hane, careful comparative tests a
the colors in lines of foreign goods I,
ave shown that in many instances, at ],
sst, the foreign manufacturers are be- n
ind the times In this regard, and that u
'eir colors are largely produced by the Il
ID methods with the old dyes. and that v
ley are less progressive than the Amer
an manufacturers.
Surely the testimony OF the largest "
ayers OF woolens, substantiated by that ~ ~
our manufacturers, should convince NJ
'e people that at equal prices. the quail II
y OF the domestic goods is superior to
10 imported woolens. not alone i'm color