Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-10-09

ilarly 20 per cent. during the same PERIOD.
Moreover, the glove production in france
In 1878 was only Sl6,0000O0, barely equal
to the trade II years previously -wnlIe
the demand for goods the world over
had been steadily increasing in the mean
time.
INDUSTRY REVIVED.
lust how to win back their lost prestige
was now a big problem for the French
glove manufacturers The secret OF the
success of the foreign firms then seenleu
to be I'm the fact that the work was an
done within the area Of their factories
The French realized this and made an eI
fort to centralize, but only to the extent
of erecting official headquarters in a large
building In which they also installed the
heavy machinery. such as the cuttlhg IN
struments. All hand work and sewing
continued to be done outside in the hoIues
Of the workmen and workwomen nat
same arrangement applies to conditohS
in France today. II was not now long be
fore tho French glove industry was thiiv-
ing again. In 1889 the production was
raised to a little over slS.OOoWO. one
half of that amount represents the eN-
portation for the same year.
Previous to the present European war,
France was producing more than S2i,V"'
O00 worth OF gloves annually England
had been the best customer. with the
United States second and Canada close
third That this war will demoralize the
production Of gloves in France Is certain
and the manufacturers will doubtless re-
ceivc blow from which they will prob
ably never recover.
LEADING GLOVE CENTRES
Grenoble and Millau, two prosperous
cities In southern France, have been the
leading glove centres Of the world. The
former is noted for the kid, while the
lambskin glove is associated with tho
latter place. Both have interesting glove
histories in themselves. and have figured
prominently I'm the general development
of the industry. Almost every family at
Grenoble is represented in the glove busl-
ness The mother or some other member
of the family goes to the factory and gets
a number of gloves that have been cut by
machine and are ready to be sewed. She
sews them in her home and Is paid by the
factory a certain amount per dozen
pairs
The average cost Of producing q pair OF
first class kid gloves, not counting the
buying of the skins, is scarcely more
than 35 cents. 1t might be interesting to
look briefly into the cost Of manufactur-
ing gloves by the different important op-
erations. Let us take, for example, one
of the leading firms producing kid gloves
in Grenoble. The figures here given.
moreover. seem to represent the average
price paid by the other factories in that
city.
WAGES AND WORK.
For the tanning of the skins. wage
Of about 80 cents per dozen pairs is paid
for the Sitting of the leather, about 80
cents; for the cutting 60 cents, and for
the sewing. 81 for 100 pairs. The workmen
receive about So cents dozen for EN-
broidering on the back of the glove, but
the price varies according to the breadth
of the embroidery.
In Grenoble there are at least 10 large
kid glove factories. They average about
500 dozen pairs of gloves each a week.
some Of the firms, however, have pro-
duced as many as 1000 dozen pairs during
that time. It is said that about $4,000
people in Grenoble and vicinity work for
the various factories. In addition to the
ia actories. moreover, a large number of
private individuals make gloves. Tho ma
terial used by them however, is not the
best, as they cannot afford to pay the
prices paid by the big firms. Some of the
firms located in Grenoble are well known
in the United States. such as Jouvin, Per-
rim. Esprit, Buscarlet and Centemeri.
Practically all the factories were COM
pelled to shut down as soon as the pres
ent war broke out. The Centemeri Com
pany was obliged to vacate its property
and the factory building was Immediate
ly converted into n hospital for the
French army.