El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-07-05
SAVE YOUR OLD
STRAW HAT, Mr..
You May Not Be Able to
Buy One Next Year at
ANY Price.
BY FREDERIC J. HlskIN.

by EAAEuEEAAL D. ElAGhAAa
Washington, D. c. July Save
your old straw hat. Cherish it. Keep
it out OF the rain. At the end Of the
season, Pack It carefully away where
the mice can't get at IT. It viii be
valuable next year. for next year
straw hats are going to be very scarce
and expensive. Indeed. 1t IS even pre-
dicted that a large percentage Of the
nation may have 20 go straWhatless.
While the United States is a large
manufacture Of straw hats all the
many different varieties OF braid from
which they are made are imported.
Before the war, large quantities Of
straw braid were imported from Bel
GUM and from Switzerland. which. in
turn, obtained its raw material from
Italy. Now the straw wheatfields OF
Belgium are planted with German po-
tatoes and those Of Italy are raising
beans for the army
orient to the Rescue.
The shortage in Belgian and Swiss
braid mats was quickly made up by
Chinese and Japanese braids, as well
as by a heavier importation OF Philip
pine and Porto Rfcan braid hats. Now.
however. with every scrap Of shipping
needed to carry supplies for the army
the government is rapidly transferring
Gl4AHa lAAA lAlE ELEAA4L 10 AaAE "A A4eA44A ~
coast and the shipping board is for
mulating far reaching restrictions that
viii certainly interfere with the i'm
pOrtation OF braid.
The supply OF Panama and Porto
Rican hats will also soon be cut of
by the diversion Of ships from South
American TO European service.
Under the circumstances, as soon as
serve supply OF straw braid8 Is
nTHTnrFEHnH MnEHnm will
e.-a-iy 10 which the manufacturers
may turn for new supplies. The Mex
leans make a coarse fibered straw,
used almost wholly in the manufac-
ture OF children's hats in this country.
although some OF IL is fashioned into
high crowned, wide brimmed Mexican
som breros, which are becoming in
creasingly popular for farm work in
this country.
The Mexican sombrero is the one
ray OF hope in The hat situation. II
&c comes TO the worst, We can all at
feet this style. which. by the way, is
the greatest safeguard against sun
stroke. and 60 about looking like the
picturesque but feeble minded VII
lains OF moving picture fame.
Straw Shortage Is Serious.
Unlike the chemical shortage, the
dye shortage and several other war
shortages. the straw hat shortage
cannot be alleviated- by the sudden
development Of a home straw braid
industry. 1t IS quite possible 10 grow
a good grade OF straw wheat in Amer
lean soil. but It is manifestly impossi-
bic TO secure labor cheap enough 70
make DC paying investment.
In China. Japan. the Philippines,
and in Cuba, Panama and Porto Rica
the braiding Of hat straw is more or
less home industry--au occupation
in which che women and children and
old people engage about their own
homes. Their wages are incredibly
small
In the Philippines, where the United
States bureau Of education has intro
duced hat making into the pub
lie schools the Industry is grow
ing rapidly. Filipino women every
where may be seen squatting on the
floor and braidinE the abacaca fiber
into straw braid or weaving It into
hats that bring but a small return
for their labor.
Large quantities Of the fiber are
also shipped to Japan. where il is
either braided by hand OF by small
machines Of the type used for braid
ing shoe laces- This braid is sold at
the price Of IS cents per so yards.
that being the amount required TO
make one hat Sewn into a hat in
this country in the space OF 20 min
utes or half an hour, this braid is
passed on 10 the consumer at the
price OF IS.
save Felt Hats, Too.
In Porto Rico. girl who is q rapid
worker can finish a hat In from one
and a half to two days. according TO
the texture Of the straw. She is de-
lighted II she receives IS cents for
her labor, although she is aware that
the same hat will retail for $3.50 in
Porto Rico. and FOR approximately
81 II -etailed in the United States.
Until machinery is invented that viii
braid and weave frail straw fibers.
Americans can never meet such COM
petition
The straw hat shortage. however.
is only one feature Of a precarious hat
situation 1t may be necessary for
you TO save your felt hat. too. II the
war continues much longer. Felt hats
viii be horribly expensive this fall.
while a year from now there may be
no felt hats at all Il all depends
upon an experiment
American hat manufacturers have
been in the habit Of importing their
raw material in the form OF rabbit
skins from Australia. and. in some
what less proportion. from France
France has now placed an embargo
on its skins, while the United States
ON E4lL mas DEQEEE4 the AIEall-
.ship companies running 10 and from
Australia TO cancel all shinments Of
any products but wool and wheat until
all available supplies Of these ma
terials have been moved.
It IS estimated that it viii require
three months at least to do this, and
in the meantime. American hatters
must wait patiently for rabbit skins.
ordered and ready for shipment IN
Australia, but which are not apt 10
reach this country until the fall hat
season is nearly over
Using Rabbit skins.
Made desperate by this shortage.
American felt hat manufacturers are
for the first time using American rab-
bit skins as substitutes for the i'm
ported skins. II is believed that this
fur viii prove practical. but the man
ufacturers are pessimistic about tho
supply; they are doubtful IL enough
rabbit skins can be obtained in this
country 70 hat the population. Never
theless. they are in the market for all
they can get.
Rabbit hunting. from q necessary
and laborious duty in many sections
throughout the west and middle west,
has sprung into a profitable occupa-
tion. Many people have quit steady.
remuuaratiwe Jobs ia favor OF IL Rab-