The daily morning journal and courier., 1903-09-14
ovERcoATs NOW FROM COTTON.

pIG0GIlL WOctA4# lAleilf GlI-hllOWll$ INGW England woollen mills are about to ex- tend the use Of nercerized cotton in their manufactures will cause no sur prise to those who have followed the trend of affairs in wool and worsted manufacture of late years. The use of combed and carded cotton yarns that
 have been treated with caustic soda. which is the basic principle in mereeri-
 zirlz, or Iustering, to take the place Of |the silk stripe in fancy good as well as a substitute for worsted in making the two years and is evidently meeting a want that has been llnsupplied hereto fore. Mention was made in these coi-
 ums some years ago of consignment
 of Clay worsted that were sent here by the Bradford manufacturers in which there was no particle of wool, warp and filling alike consisting of longstaple cot. ton, so manipulated in the weaving and | finishing as to deceive even the expert
 buyers.
 Large numbers of lightweight over coats were said to have ben made from the material, and found ready sale in this and other markets. The domestic manufacturers are doing now what the
 English makers did then, but are ex- tending their field into the lighter weight goods for mems wear. The com ling fall and winter witness a larger output than ever of these cotton fabrics, designed for the clothing trade and, while they answer a certain purpose i'll our economy they furnish food for thought regarding our present tariff
 policy, which on the one hand hampers our manufacturers in their use of cheap wool. and on the other prevents the consumer from obtaining such garments
 as he would prefer except at prices
 based upon the too highly protected raw
 material, Wool is destined to be unu- sually high for some time to come, the
 prices paid in the West having settled
 the question of present and prospective
 values some weeks ago. Consequently
 there is nothing for the manufacturers
 to do in order to sell their goods but to
 use substitutes. as the limit of price
 that the consumer will pay has it is clamed. been reached.
 Anotable falling off in the demand for
 fine wools has taken place of late. and
 is likely to become marked unless better
 prices can be secured for the fabrics made from them. The American manu-
 sacturer would not be driven to such straits could obtained from abroad certain grades at reasonable prices, the
 mixing of which would give him greater variety of desirable blends. The tariff on his raw material thus be- comes premium for the adulteration of domestic woollens, as it deprives the maker of the choice of materials which the foreigner finds so essential to his success in producing serviceable and taking fabrics, and which moreover enables him to sell in every other coun- try, including our own, where over three. million pounds are sent annually, val- ued at about S3,000,G00.
 But the manufacturers, in the face of the protection which is accorded their products. are adverse to antagonizing the Western wool growers, whose DOW, CT with the politicians has been. demon- strated whenever a. tariff question affecting them has had to be decided. So the fear of lower duties On woollen cloth has made the manufacturers stand pat and to resist through their organization every attempt to. modify the tariff. The American con- sumner in this way becomes the victim os a system which enables the wool growers to put an unreasonable price upon the material, thus making it irn- perative that the manufacturer shall make the price on his commondity cor-,