Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-04-28

Connecticut In 1910 we expofted hats
to a value of $lN.Wao. and In 1881. when
Andrew jackson was President. the an
nual production was estimated as
worth Sl5,OO0.0oo. and as giving en-
ployment TO 15.o0n men and about
1000 women. Today we have more
than 100 establishments that are
making hats and caps OF one kind or
another. and about $4,000 persons are
employed in that work. More than
$S5. 100000 worth Of capital is invested
in the business. and the wages paid
are something like S4o.ooo.oo0 per an
mum, while the products have a value
Of more than $l3S.0oo.ooa. We have
two or three hundred factories which
make hats of fur-felt. and these are
scattered over the United states from
Massachusetts, to California and from
the lakes to the gulf There are fifty
eight such factories I'm Connecticut.
forty-one in New Jersey. thirty-nine IN
New York and twenty-seven in Penn.
sylvania. According to Col CUMMINGS
statement. which ! have quoted. there
are only about dozen OF these rae
tories which have big Army contracts.
and these have kept in advance OF tho
demands of the government. There mas
been no shortage of hats FOR the SOL
diers, and this is in striking contrast
with the shortage in clothing. including
oyercoats and uniforms. Hats have not
gone up in price to such an extent as
other articles Of wearing apparel They
have advanced only about - per cent
since the war began. whereas SHOES
have gone UP more than 100 per CENT:
This is true, Notwithstanding that all
hat materials come from abroad.
Z x
Today the United States makes ~
good hats IL not better than any other
country on earth. 1t has more styles
and better workmanship. and II SPENDS
more money for fine hats than any
other country. In going through tne
factory which I have mentioneo i saw
boys of the western United states ana
Canada which sell for $50 and 80
apiece, and there are many hats SOLO
in our cities which now bring 80, -
and $40.
Japanese Chinese war. which finally
resulted in the Japanese taking hoid
of the country. 1 saw mobiles wearing
hats of black horse hair which COST
$40 or SIS apiece. These were far light
err than any hats we have. and they
were SO beautifully woven that they
looked like black lace.
have seen straw hats made in Equa.
dor which are worth as much as 500
apiece. They are made by specially
skilled women who do much OF the
work under water. five or six months
sometimes being required to make q
single fine hat. They are not made OF
palm leaf, which are boiled in a mix
ture of salt and lemon juice to whiten
them. These hats seldom come into our
market.
The Chinese wear costly hats. and the
old style of Mandarin cap was of SILK
or satin with a button on top indicat-
ing the rank of the wearer. Ii Hung
Chang was degraded by the old en-
press dowager by an order to take the
peacock feather out of his cap.
Among the most striking headgear OF
the men of today is that of the Turks.
This is the fez cap. 1t is bright red
with q blue or black silk tassel on top.
It is made of felt and is without a
brim, rising four or five inches above
the head. 1t has always been made by
Christians rather than Mohammedans.
and the supply T.. in use probably
comes from the ieS>Jries of Germany.
FRArH u. CARPENTER