The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1909-03-09
By Frederic J. Hsskin.

ate their own factories. In addition
to the mems clothing factories, there
are 1000 shirt waist factories and Q
large number of other establishments
which produce only women's wearabies.
In order to keep up with the flight Of
the seasons, summer clothing Is made
while the ground is covered with snow
and overcoats are being turned out By
the Thousands during the hottest
weather.
The process of converting q bolt OF
cloth into a suit Of clothes Is marvel-
Gus to the initiated. After being
shrunk and inspected, the material 10
turned over to the cutters. There are
thirty-three different pieces Of cloth
that go to make up mans suit, and
perhaps as many different people have
q hand In completing 1t. The cutter
follows a pattern with a sort of min
iature buzz saw which will cut through
twenty-four thicknesses of cloth In
less time than a man could cut out one
piece with q pair Of shears. Tailors
put the pieces together on sewing ma
chimes. The garment passes on to the
buttonholers and other workmen. and
finally to the fnisher who sews by
hand. Nearly everywhere else ma
chinery is the order Of the day.
From the clothier's standpoint the
most benefcent invention since the
mythical discovery of the art Of weav-
Ing by Minerva, the goddess Of wisdom
was the American sewing machine. the
perfection of which has enabled the
American clothing industry to lead the
world. The machine appeared about
1850 and soon afterward came into
general use. The advance which IL
represented overland sewing has been
equaled In every branch of the cloth
ing Industry, except that Of pressing
clothes. There the ancient goose
continues to reign supreme, albeit
electricity is replacing charcoal as the
heating agency.
New York City Is the center of the
clothing trade. Much of the material
is produced in adjacent States and
some is imported. The influx of i'm
migrants provides a contiguous sup
ply of labor for the factSrieS Methods
Of selling clothing have kept pace with
the system OF manufacture. In the
old days the country merchant would
journey to New York on a s!oop or
schooner, or overland by stage coach.
and occupy lodgings over the stores
Of the clothes dealers and clothing
makers while making his purchases for
the spring or fall trade. Now hum
dreds of acute statesmen are traversing
the country from ocean to ocean car
rying samples Of the products OF the
factories they represent. Other sales
.1ASh ahS CAPAoitiHS Tie merits OF Amer
lean clothing in the farthest corners
Of the earth.
The ability of the clothier to keen
up with the times and to experiment
with new methods and materials is
shown by his success in converting
rags and other waste into wearable
clothing. This is called shoddy The
CASTOR clothing of America is used In
large quantities to make shoddy In
~
woven from paper strands Is a recent
invention in Germany. The possibili-
ties of substitution and consequent
frauds in the business are SO great
that legislation is proposed to protect
the innocent consumer Michigan
wool grower recently suggested to the
House Committee on Ways and Means
Which is considering the tariff on tex
tiles that Congress should pass a
pure clothing" bill similar to the pure
food law, under which ali cloth and
clothing would be tagged by Govern
ment Inspectors SO as to show the
quality and kind of material the pur-
chaser was paying for.
Another proposition Is to regulate
the advertising of clothing In the Dis
trict of Columbia ana other places un-
der the Jurisdiction OF the Federal
Government, also interstate advertis.
ing of the same character. Tho Gov
eminent IL trying TO regulate adver-
tisements through the use OF the pos
tai fraud order, which denies the use
of the mails to those who make mis-
representations. It Is claimed that ie-
climate clothiers would welcome a
law penalizing fraudulent advertise
ments, Misrepresentation as to alleged
Are Sales" etc.
The condition of the workers in the
clothing industry In this country has
been improving for nearly twenty
years. From 1880 to 1890 IL was very
bad. In this connection sweat shops
and sweated workers have been the
subjects Of legislative enactment ana Of
consideration by philanthropic people
and social students ever since Charles
Kingsley. the novelist, originated the
terms that have since been applied TO
the grinding system of employers who
seek to get as much work as possible
out of their employees at the smallest
possible cost. When Thomas Hood
sang the Song of the Shirt" there APP
peared to be no hope for the poor
wretches employed In making cloth.
ing. but now clean. light, airy facto-
ries and fair wages are the rule rath-
err than the exception.
Copyright, 1909. by Frederic j. Has
kim
TomOrr0w-Proat in Goat Rnfxfur