The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-10-13
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
WASHINGTON
CORRESPONDENCE.
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Special Dispatch to the st-InteIligencer.
WASHINGTON. Oct. l2.-The announce
ment that the silk manufacturers or the
nited States are rapidly increasing the eX-
Isortat!on Of their products adds interest to
some recently compiled statements by the
treasury bureau OF statistics regarding the
SILK TndnutaCtureS and irnportatonS ana eN-
portatlons OF this country during the past
few years. These figures show that the
manufacture OF silk in this country has IN
creased enormously. that the imports or
manufactured silk have meantime been
greatly reduced, and the expectations OF
silk manufactures are now increasing very
rapidly. the total exports for the present
calendar year being more tlan oo per cent.
in excess OF the correspond nS uontnS or
last year, and for the full year will be six
times much in 1880.
The manufacture OF silk in the United
States. which in 1860 amounted 70 s6.t1'. III
III value, doubled in the following decade.
being according to the ngureS oi tne census
IF 1879. $l2.2l0.662, more than trebied IN the
next decade, being in 1880. sil,o So45, and
again doubled from 1880 to 1890. being in the
latter year, 81. 2SS 4o4 while a recent COM
pilation by the secretary OF the American
Silk Association shows that in the t1ve
years since 1890 the rate of increase has
even accelerated, making IL probable that
the silk PREDICTION % the United States to-
day amounts TO nearly or quite $lo0oOo.E'
per annum N value.
Meantime the importation of manufacture
e,1 silks has fallen rapidly. that OF 1870 pc
ing .34 and that of 1878 only SO 10
mat the manufacture or SIX SOptS IN
the United States has increased very rapid
~ within the past year - apparent. lm-
portaCons of raw silk which in the hscaI
year 1897 were 6.5l36l3 pounds. were, in
1885, 10,3l5, i6i pounds; and the total value
OF six imported in 1898 was 81. s4o, sUe
against $lS9Is.23 in the preceding year
This enormous increase IN the importation
OF raw silk Is doubtless accounted for, not
only by the activity in the great silk man
ufacturing centers of this country but also
by the recent announcement that nuIner-
nrs. in, hE L>,frrl "a a
and the middle states have substituted six
manufacturing machinery for that former
~ used in the manufacture Of cotton goods
TOW largely supplied by the mills located
noarer to the cotton fields Of the south
The growth IN the mp0rtations of un-
manufactured slk, which OF course measure
the manufacture OF silk, has been steady
and rapid during the past thirty years III
1868 they amounted 20 s.. $40 ioi in value; In
1873. So9o,Se1; in 1855. $l9.95l So, and IN
1898. Si. $500. In the single item of silk
imp0rtations Of lS6S were 5i24t9 pounds; IN
1888. 1S2,7 40 pounds; in 1855. 5.l73s $40 pounds,
ana In lNsS, lo.Slo.l6l pounds. During the
cutler part o! this period importers held
their own In the contest for the fsld but
IN the last decade have fallen practically
out OF the race. In 1868 the in3Portattoals OF
$ls.s37 972; n 1888. So. $50 90; in 1880, $SS.-
6S6.37i and IN 1898, 81, 10
Meantime our manufacturers have appar-
emily begun giving their attention to the
were Sl9032 having increased 20 S56.659 IN
s'ol o'& n 1899. and s2s7,074 in 1898 Dur
ing tho month OF ALhe.,, le'a. ihe exports
were $27,25l against $2i 100 in August. 1890,
an increase Of 80 per cent. in single year.
Tho success OF American manufacturers
in supplying the nome demand and obtain
ins a to"thoid IN me MARKERS 0, mo World
is the more strongly marked since
ether nations have failed in their
efforts to compete with the great SILK
m3ufactc.ug nation Of the world. Franco.
~ q = ,
just issued shows THAI tho expectation Of
SILK manufactures from the United King
decade. boins in 1887. Gls}s lsi n value
against 22.se4 "a tn lSSE. while the official
reports OF tbs German government show
tfat the six exPorlattons OF that country
have decreased IN a Ike proportion being
s&5.f $50 In 1859, and st. 90 900 in 1927
France alone having barely held her own
ia 100 being So 80 10 and in 1891 81 % 7e1
SIX manufacturing in the United States
while begun nearly a half century ago,
Seems 10 have developed almost exclusive
ly ia the las. half If that period. Prior
20 J>13 the impnTtations OF raw Elk for
use IN the manufactures IN this country
- a!:eadF stated, ;hey were In 1853 more
fnsn f0Vs.#0 pounds. During the civu
war ana ~ the years Immediately follow
:ng ne manufacture or plain dress silks
vas begun. while at the present time bro
AIDED SILKS ana satins are manufactured
Go 3STse scale, and the Manufacture Of
SltH f3l{s4+FS ana al fasiEtt~S OF EUf0t-
Sters3 goods has recently been successful
- developed In 1860 our uanufactur
II six sHnpiis1 bat about Is per cent II
The consumption in the United States. l,y
-" cnfy wee supplying 20 per cent Of the
amount c5: uned IN the United states Nv
1855 more than - Per cent, in lS9 - Der
Cert.. ana TODAY % is estimated that IS r-.r
cent. - tie six goods useI IN the United
states ars the products q. our own fac
tories.
The following table presents the number
- slik manufacturing establishments in
.h@ Enlled States ard value % their nrod-
ocl~, shown ~ each census since ls59:
No. ~ Value RI
Year. Establishments. P.1Jt,cfs
s' ----'.''- .-s..-..-.,-. 41t e,tas. Fl
-'t"-.-.. ,s.--....-. ~ II 20 sS.a
s9T''-'-. '--...- -....-..-. SSz a 0<s' D45
ls97'--- ..-..-''-' '....'..- Az s., 2ss Al
The following faa3a shows the trsror,a ~.
~ SILK ans value OF manufactured silks
f1ris% ,1e past talrty years BY 1ve-year
periods.
Imports % frnrs0~r. 80
Year. fPoun4g) far.mras
- --''''- .--..--'-- alS. ~ 81. - ST
80 "->'-----+' $500. ,lo5. 40 - s91 13s
go '.'t.'-.' 80. ~. % "a s37 272
ssst''*.' .--..-' go. 5s~95Sfe y. 7s4 ~
-, ''-~'''+-' s..-.. 24s4+T, g $50 80