Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-02-09

America IS out 70" the worlds fur
business. New YORK Just closed a sue
ccssfui, FUR auction: -, Louis held her
big sale - few weeks ago. Roth these
sales were unique in American his
tory. New York will have another
ana bigger auction in March. Appar-
entity tho United states Is at last to
take her rightful place as a world fur
market.
Tho Importance of the warlds fur
trade ~ not generally realized. Furs
arc OH" o; the most valuable Of all
commodities. and the demand for them
is steadily increasing. The FUR trade
has its branches IN every corner Of
TN" globe. Wars have been fought nc
tween nations for tts sake. II has
opened up new continents /, is az
old as the human race. and it's products
HAY" their recognized value, as real
as the value OF !oodstuns. in every
society. from savaScry TO the highest
civilization.
london IS to-day the worlds fur
market, Before the war broke out she
held that position unchallcnScd. TN.
pcits rom Canada, the Western United
states, M.Nico, South America. Siberia
ChiIta practically the whole worlds
supply went 10 Il fc" London br"h crs
THESE brokers graded the furs into
Convenient lots and sent catalogs to
the worlds fur buyers ana mauufac-
turcrS. ON this basis tn" furs were
bad on, ANA sold. small auctions were
held regularly In Russia and Germany,
but ihcy We're . drop compared to
i.oudon'S bucket. Even now. with the
FUR markets disorgauizcd by war. Lon
don holds the bulk of what business
is being don". Her auction is run
ming now.
Win the "u,ranc. OF ,hc United
inf 4,
Il new complexion. There are ten big
FUR companies il North America alone.
lf only tho business of the Western
Hemisphere can Oc done IN the United
states. it should assure the building
NJ Of a profitable industry. Moreover
shipments to the Ncw York auction
show tina; Australian fUrs viii he SOLD
mere ii sales in the United states he
come an established institution.
Protection for Americans
one great advantage in breaking up
;he present Capitalization of the bust
ness would consist IN Tho protection
afforded TO American trappcrs and fur
growers when the war broke out the
FUR market was badly disorganixcd
Prices dropped like lead. This was
becaus" the manufactures were al
must all located in the bclli@orcnt
countries London sells the furs. but
Germany and France are two OF the
biggest manufacturers. f.ugiand's fac
tories ia this line depend To a great
extent on German labor for the Ger
man is prc-cmincnt in cutting and
stitching furs, as the Frcnchman leads
In arranging them 10 best effect
Germany's excellent work mansni:
has won her y powerful position in the
far business. Her dy.iuc OF furs T..
recognized rs tho standard. and dyciug
is ono Of the most Important opera
tions in the manufacture Great ouan-
titles of American rurs were annually
shipped to Germany, where they were
dyed and made up, to be returned ana
sold here under a German Trademarks
Greece is another point whore lower
priced furs are made mp The effect
OF the war Oh all these countries was
Of course, temporarily TO paralyac the
business.
Many Trmppcrs Laid on.
Hence the American trappcr oftcu
found himself IN a position where !,
did not pay him TO Kill fur on account
Of the cXpcns" for traps and bait or
for rifle cartridges Many trappcrs
laid off entirely. and the bearing
animals. which are also the carnivorJ
Increased until III some sections they
made serious inroads into the game
animals such as the deer. other trap
pcrs sold their furs 10 local merchants
for the ii;ti bounty moucy---tha; Is. If u
pcit carried $50 stat" bounty they
would sell for so, as though the fur
itself were yaluclcSS.
The American iur manufacturer and
retailer also felt the pinch, as his Euro
p"an source OF supplies was cut aff.
AS the world got used TO the idea OF
war. and started going about it's bust
ness again, matters ease up. until to-
I daE they are coming back toward
normal; bat much of the embarrass-
mont in America could have been avoid
ed ii We had had our own regular
markets established i'm our own c"un-
try. Taking this together with tie
stimulus that an American world
market would give to the whole in
dustry in the United states. the new
| development is clearly Of first import
| ancc
OF course, London is very irmly
established In hcr position. Tile big :.
Gcst New Yori, fur dealers are slow
TO admit the probability OF dislodri Ing
her To any great extent for some time
hut they opened their New York auc-
! ton with an organ playing america"
! The auction WAS even more successful!
| than the mon who planned II had am
ticipatcd. They had more orders than
| they could fill, and big shipments OF
Australian skins are still en- route that
will arriv" too late for the sale. II
| the second auction, TO he held in March.
comes up TO expectations. - building
will be put up for the special purpose
Of holding these salcS---I feature with
| Il satisfying assumption OF pcrmancncc.
London does not view the proceed