The herald., 1897-12-26
NEW DEPARTURE THAT WILL
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 adorn-
ment, a handsome silk dress, will be
able to enjoy that pleasure for very
moderate expenditure of money-so
far. at least, as the cost of the goods
goes.
The reason Is that the silk manufac-
turers of this country, who are now
receiving only moderate return from
their investment, owing to SHARP COM
petition among themselves. will soon
&, find it necessary to still further reduce
their margin of profit, or wipe it out
altogether for a while, to prevent seri-
Gus inroads into their business by cot
ton manufacturers of New England.
whose looms will weave silk instead Of
cotton hereafter, in case certain ex-
pertinent, now under way, prove satis-
factory.
| 1t is claimed by the cotton mill own
ers that the change from cotton weav-
ing to silk weaving can be made at q
comparatively small cost, as the same
looms can .e used and the operatives
can readily learn to weave silk as well
as cotton.
| Home manufacturers of silk say that
this is only true of the cheaper grades
of silk. known to the trade as cotton
backs" and that the manufacture Of
the finer grades demands not only
looms ard machinery essentially diff
ferent from those used in cotton mills,
but also the employment of skillful
operatives, thoroughly experienced in
that kind of work. If the cotton men
persist in their efforts, the regular
manufacturers propose to make these
bold intruders into their domain suffer
for their temerity by cutting prices
down to q figure that will lead them to
wonder 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 representative of one OF
these companies had this to say or
the subject:
"The silks made in our mill have
proved satisfactory in every way, anc
we are in the silk manufacturing busi
ness to stay, as we believe that 1t car
be made profitable IN spite OIL the op
position of the Old established silk fac
tories. 1t is natural that we should. a
first. make the cheaper grades, as they
help us to work off our cotton stock
and their manufacture gives our opera
tives an opportunity to become exper
at silk weaving. The regular sill
manufacturers asserted that we would
find the change from cotton to Sill
plant a very costly one in the way o
extensive machinery and high wage!
To skilled silk weavers, but we have no
found it so. The change in the loom!
has been made at a moderate expense
and our cotton weavers seem to have
nicked up readily whatever there wa:
for them to learn in silk weaving
methods. We look for sharp competi
ton. but we are prepared to keep W
the struggle; and the retail dealers ant
the consumers are likely to get tn
benefit OF the battle in the way of
deep cut in the prices of silk goods"
A prominent representative of tn
regular manufacturers, however, Whel
questioned on this subject, said:
"I am not inclined to regard the eft