The star-independent. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1904-1917, 1915-02-23
Value OF SILK OUTPUT IN
america CROWS RAPIDLY
Jumps From $41 900, 900 70 s0OO. .OO0.-
600 In Thirty-five Years-Increased
Imports Of Raw Material and Rapid
Growth in Domestic Manufacture

Washington, D. c., Feb. 2S.-The silk
manufacturers of the United States IN
the .thirty-fve years since 1880 have
increased the value of their output from
SAL, 900, 900 to upwards of $200,00O,-
900, have consumed in that time about
450 100000 pounds of raw material
and have increased their proportion of
the domestic consumption of silk goods
from little over one-half the total in
1850 to more than -ffths in 1910,
the latest year covered by the reports
of the government.
The fiscal year 1914 surpassed all
previous years in the quantity of raw
silk imported int& this country, the
total for that year, according to the
figures of the Bureau of Foreign Do
mestic Commerce, Department of Com
merce, being "a, 500, 0,000 pounds, against
S2,000,000 in 1913, 100000 in
1900, 100000 in 1880 and a half
million in 1870.
This rapid growth in imports of raw
silk is reflected in the rapid expansion
| in the product of domestic silk manu-
| featuring establishments, the value
thereof rising steadily from $12,0OO,-
900 in 1870 to s41,000,000 in 1880,
| $S7. 100000 in 1890, 100000, 900 in
1900 and s197, 100000 in 1910. The
importation of silk manufactures has
been conversely affected and the value
of silk goods imported last year, $780,
| 455, 900, is less than the total recorded
thirty years ago, and substantially the
same as that of sixty years ago.
Japan supplies a large and increasing
proportion of the raw silk consumed in
American factories. Ten years ago she
| furnished more than half of the total,
while last year her share was nearly
| three-fourths. OF the 1861 900
rounds of raw silk imported in 1904,
6,691 900 pounds were from Japan, g.
| $685. from China, and 2,095,OO0
from Italy. In 1914 there were import
ed 2S,500,000 pounds of raw silk in
skeins reeled from the cocoon or re-
reeled, exclusive of waste, and of this
amount Japan s share was 20, 10000
pounds against 5,927 200 from China,
| and 1,997,000 from Italy. 1t is inter
esting to note that a considerable part
of this increased importation of raw
silk from Japan is paid for by Amer
lean cotton. In 1904 we exported TO
japan 23,000,00 pounds of raw cotton
/
pounds.
OF the sS5, 100000 worth of silk
manufactures imported in the last fiscal
year s12,232, 200 worth, or more than
one-third, consisted of fabrics woven
in the piece; So 1000 spun silk OF
sehappe yarn; 81, 1000 wearing ap-
| parel; s4.S51,0 200 laces and about sS,-
| 100000 each consisted of ribbons,
and of plushes, velvets and other pile
fabrics. In addition over S4,000,000
worth of artificial silks, mostly yarns
and threads, for use in domestic fac
tories, were imported.
France supplied over one-half, Japan
one-fourth, and Switzerland one-eghth
of the silk fabrics imported. OF the
silk laces and embroideries imported
| France furnished over three fourths. OF
the plushes and velvets imported we
bought s1,712,000 from France and
S1,056,000 from Germany out of to-
tai of $685. 900 last year. Switzer.
land ranks next to France in the supply
of ribbons, their respective shares being
S1,1S6,000 and S1,S30,000 out of a
total of S3,112.000. The silk clothing
imported into the United States is
largely from France. imports therefrom
totaling s2,S4S,O0O. as compared with
less than a half million dollars worth
from England or japan, a quarter mil
lion from Germany and about s10s,00C
from Switzerland.
The customs revenues on imported
silk manufactures in the fiscal veal
1914 aggregated s16,704, 1000, equiva
lent to As per cent. ad valorem, against
s13,9SS,000, or 80 per cent. ad valoren
in 1913. Under the present tariff law
the rich man 5 silks cost him more anC
the poor man S silks cost him less thar
formerly. The law changed the rate OF
duty from SO per pound and upward OF
silk goods to 45 per cent. ad valorem
Thus S2-ounce bolt of silk containing
say twenty yards, and worth 50 at the
foreign port of shipment, which for
merly paid s6 duty. now pays only 90
cents.