The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-07-17
A FLAG FOR EACH Of Us
Stars and Stripes Made by Millions and Mons-A Great
Industry Built Up by Patriotism

and their number is constantly increas-
ins
If the material used is cotton or silk
the flags are printed from copper rolls
IN the same way that ordinary print
goods are stamped with designs. Mus.
lin flags and those made of paper are
printed on an ordinary sylinder press
from iron blocks and heavy electro
types.
The smallest of the printed muslin
fage is l ga inches, and OF the printed
silk flags, two by three. The largest
OF the printed muslin flage is that
measuring 40x72 inches.
The silk flag leader is of the same
length, but eight inches wider. The
four by six printed silk flag is known
as the dinner flag and is in great de-
mand for dinners, banquets and all So
cial occasions where the small flag
enters into the scheme for decoration.
No one knows how many of the
smallest muslin flags are made each
year. One establishment which makes
a specially of such flags turns out, ST.
0OO day. Flags of this variety are
printed in sheets ranging from 36x5O
to 4Ox72 inches, each smaller sheet
containing two gross of the smaller
flags.
The muslin comes in great rolls sim
liar to the huge rolls of paper from
which the Sun is printed. They are
divided into sheets in much the same
fashion that the newspaper is divided.
the sheets subsequently being cut out
by a rotary cloth cutter called a gull
lotine.
These rolls of cloth contain from
500 to 1000 yards. The muslin and
silk flags are printed singly.
While the print flagmakers are busy
the year around, October, November
December and January are strenuous
months. Sales are greatest in the late
winter and in the spring, while the
largest deliveries are in April, Nav
and June.
The greatest demand is from the
New England, Middle and Western
states. the last being by far the heav-
lest buyers. Pennsylvania leads all
other states in the number and cost of
flags purchased every year.
An idea prevails that there is a ma
tional law against the use of the flag
for advertising purposes, but this is
an error. There is no law to prevent
anyone from using the flag as an adj
vertisement II he wishes to do so, so
far as national statutes are concerned.
Massachusetts has such a law on her
statute books, but it has been held un-
constitutional. The great restraint in
the matter of devoting the American
flag to ignOble purposes is found in
public sentiment itself.
The present boom in flag sentiment
really dates back to the Spanish Amer
lean War. Immediately afterward the
demand for flags, and flags of better
material began to grow apace.
Where the tiny paper flags had been
used for dinner favors, silk flags were
sought. Gradually this feeling has ex-
tended until silk and wool bunting
flags are chiefly in favor, the most pop
ular sizes being five by eight and six by
ten feet.
The tendency is toward larger flag
for the economical reason that when
the end of banner has been whipped
into rags by the wind it can be cut of
hemmed over and still be in prOpor-
ton
The government flags of which there
are many varieties, are exclusively of
silk and wool bunting. The sizes most
in use are 12 by and 9 by IA feet.
More flags are made for the army
than for the navy, but the quality of
the flags used by the latter average
higher. Some of the army and navy
flags are made in the government flag
factory at the Brooklyn navy yard, but
the majority are the product of private
establishments in New York city. In
fact, IS per cent of the annual output
of United States flags is made in New
York, although the western factories
have forged ahead in the last few
years.