Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1901-01-10
THE SILK INDUSTRY.

Good business Expected in the spring AID
| vance In Raw Material IN 1899 Was Fol-
| lowdd by Larger Production and IA
DecIineIn IN I0OO-A Poor Year.
Franklin Allen, secretary OF the Silk
! Association of America, writes as fol-
lows on the American silk industry in
1900:
The conditions of the silk industry in
the United States in 1900 have in a very
marked degree favored the buyer and
consumer OF silk goods. Silks have
been sold in the retail stores in all the
principal cities of the country for the
greater part of the year, and are sold
today at prices below the cost of manu-
featuring. The consumer also had the
silk manufacturer at a disadvantage in
1899, so that we have had two consecu-
tive years of poor business for the
| American silk manufacturer from the
point of view OF reasonable profit to
those engaged in it, For the sane
reason the two silk seasons have in
their outcome been a great benefit to
the consumer
Actually diverse causes have pro-
duced a similar result. In 1899 depict
ed stocks.o of raw silk in the principle
silk-buying markets of the world Undue
ed buying movement which carried
the average price for the year to $l.l5
per pound over its normal price. I'm
fortunately, this advance took place in
the face OF the fact that the yield of
raw silk was greater by 10 per cent in
the silk season of lS99-1900 over any
previous year in the worlds history.
Although the import Of raw silk in
the United States In 1899 was 77,4l4
bales, say, IL, 1887 pounds, being one
third OF the worlds production, the ad
vance in the price referred to repre-
sented an addition Of Sl2 800, 900 to the
normal cost of raw material to the silk
manufacturer in America. His trouble
was that the American market would
not respond in the price of the manu-
factured product to the parity of this
added raw silk cost.
America being a larger consumer of
raw silk than any OF the other nation
alities of the world outside of the ori-
entail countries, this inability to di
gest the increased supply simultane-
ously with an advancing price devel-
oped very unsatisfactory market in
the spring oi 1900. This was not only
the case in America, but extended TO
Europe. The raw silk season OF the
world is controlled by its crops OF co.
coons, and extends from July to June
30 in Italy, France and Japan, and from
June to May 81 Ia China, the latter
country exporting annually about 40
per cent Of the worlds supply. Raw
silk prices, which were highest in De-
cember, 1899, and January, 1900 began
to drop, slowly at first, but later in a
marked degree, aud the silk season OF
1899 1900 closed in June, 1900, with pri.
ces down far below the highest point.
Under conditions similar to those
that have prevailed in 1900, prudent
manufacturing requires a decided cur
tailment in the volume Of business,
which, unfortunately for all concerned,
means half time or two thirds time in
the mills for the operatives and mark
ed diminution in the consumption OF
raw material. 1t is no great surprise
therefore, that the imports Of raw silk
in the United States have fallen of
nearly one-third in 1900, and that the
year closes with large stocks DIT all the
distributing points.
Standing on the threshold of 1901,
the outlook is highly favorable for a
successful spring season, aud indica-
tions are plentiful that there will be q
brisk demand for plain goods as wei
as for high novelties in silks and satins