The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-03-09
FASHION CHANGE IS COSTLY
MAKING WoNENrs SKIRTS THREE QUARTERS OF YARD WIDER
MEANS s1o000OOO0 MORE YEARLY FOR COTTON GROWERS.
with grandmother's. had shrunk to

! with grandmother's, had shrunk to
40 per cen
But the most disastrous game Of
cross purposes between the: course Of
women's gowns and cotton production,
was reached in 1911-12. with daugh-'
ter's 90 per rent "hobble'' and q cot
ton production of $4,000, 900 bales.
Is it any wonder that the price of
raw cotton has steadily declined, in
spite of the increase in population
and the many new uses to which the
staple has been put?
As above noted, however, women's
gowns have reached the limit of con-
traction, and are now to begin to re-
verse the course they have followed
for half a century. Not only the Paris
and london modistes have so decreed,
but the Ladies' Tailors' and Dressmak-
ers' association of America has pro-
nounced to the same effect-"dresses
must be two and one half yards wide.
three-fourths of a yard wider than
the "hobble."
An Increase of three quarters Of a
yard in h width of skirts means hat
two and a quarter yards for each
skirt than formerly. Now. while
there are nc textile statistics to show
precisely how much cotton cloth is
estimate that 10000, 900 of the 3D.
100000 bales of the worlds crop is
applied to his purpose probably
would not be far from the truth
This estimate would apportion s.
100000 bales to the use of the worlds
women-or $500, 900. 900 pounds of
cotton. If each pound yields live
yards of cloth. the total in yards for
female apparel is 1880. 600, 00O-25
yards each for 500, 900, 900 women.
Add two and a quarter yards moro
to the allotment of each woman and
YOU have the required Increase in the
manufactured goods-1.125, 00O. 900,
requiring an additional 225, 600, 900
pounds of raw cotton to accommodate
the women of the world to the now
fashion of wider skirts. AS, IS per
cent of this would have to be produce
ed i'll this country our share in the
increased demand would by 1853. $780,
600 pounds: at 10 cents per pound
counting no proportionate advance in
price) S16,S15,000 more in the pock-
cts of our cotton growers.
Actually. however. this estimate is
considerably short of the mark. as it
shows an increase of material for only
one skirt per n Her original
allotment of % yards. of course. pro-
vides her with more than one -:kirt.
Accordingly the American cotton
growers gain would not be less than
$33.750.00O and probably two or Three
times that. or, in round numbers.
500, 900. 900.
In support of the higher prices at
which cotton has sold during the pact
two Years, modern economists have
been diligent i'm showing us the many
new uses to which cotton is put. not
ably in the manufacture of automo-
bileS,.in railway and electric supplies
and in the kahki uniforms now used
by all the great ilitary powers of tho
world: but evidently they have over
looked this homely though potent. fact
on the other side of the uestion. and
one which more than co~untrbalancs
the largely increased modern reuire-
mnts of the south's great staple.
Within the past fifty years woman
kind has more than doubled. in num-
Der. but the cotton clothing reuired
by u daughters-though twice as
many-is only about 35 per cent Of
that which our yrandmothers thought
necessary for style and comfort.
meanwhile cotton production has
increased fourfold, and with the rap
Id Development of the great southwest
must continue to increase in about the
same ratio.
When 1t is remembered that female.
apparel probably reuired as much cot
ton cloth as all the other uses to
which it could hav been app1id. it
will be clear to all that the radical
IuuctlOH i'll women S wear is a prime
factor for the consideration of the
producer, the manufacturer and the
dealer in cotton and cotton GOODS the
! world over.
4, To how the possibilities of cotton
manufacture it is only necessary to say
that the raw material made into print
cloths-which is the cheapest fabric
only doubles in value. but it is posi-
BILE to max of cotton a material SO
fine that the crude product is enhance
ed in value some two h~undredfold. In
other words. a bale of cotton worth
$50 may be made to yield $4,000.
For this reason the cotton fabric
best serves not only the peasant. but
the prince and princess as well. for
by the modern methods of mcrccriza-
ton silk is SO thoroughly counterfeit.
ed that only on expert can detect the
difference. while the cotton fabrics
durability is eual to that of silk itself.