New-York tribune., 1919-09-05
Little Competition
AT Army Auction
Of Cotton Goods
Large Quantities Disposed
OF, but Sale Drags and
Prices Realized Were
Only Fair


United States army Of approximately
15,000,000 yards of surplus cotton
goods did not bring out the keen bid
ding that had been generally expected.
Bids, as a whole, were around market
values. The one exception was in the
100000 yards Of duck, which was, in
some instances, materially under prices
quoted by local mill agents.
Compared with the first sale by the
army, which occurred a month ago,
when prices were far in excess of
market quotations, yesterdays results
were not satisfactory. Viewed in the
light Of a means of disposing of vast
amount of merchandise and securing
prices which were regarded by the Of
ficials in charge as fair, the sale was a
success.
1t is believed however, that bids on
the government will reject them. An
nouncements regarding that feature
will be forthcoming within few
days from Captain B. F. Falter, U. s.
A., who is in charge of the sale of fab
RIGS and textiles for the government.
1t is believed that the comparatively
low prices were the result of the re-
duction in raw cotton quotations, rath-
er than an indisposition on the part of
buyers to take the offerings.
Firms from all sections Of the United
States were represented among the ITS
bidders who gathered at the Manhattan
Opera House, where the sale was held
A large portion of the merchandise
went to out-of-town jobbers, and it was
believed that spectators also acquired
Bidding, which opened in the morning
on the duck lots, dragged. and it was
with considerable difficulty that the
auctioneers persuaded competition
among the prospective buyers. The
ducks were sold at prices from 1 to s
cents under market quotations.
That was said to be result of the
mparatively small demand for this
fabric. Manufacturers of harvesting
machinery. hose and betting and kim
dred lines, who are the largest consum-
ers of duck, have had their productions
badly curtailed by the war, and this has
been reflected in the light sales of duck
Shelter tenting went for an average of
81 cents a yard, which is cents under
present mill prices.
AS the sale progressed and drilling
was offered bidding became livelier.
Opening bids were qickly boosted to
levels equal with market values.
Prices on the various lots of drilling,
of which there was about $4,000 yards
ranged from 36 cents to So cents q
yard.
Sheeting, which next occupied the at
tention of the bidders, brought out the
keenest competition of the sale, with
the result that prices were in most
cases the equal of those being quoted
in the local cotton goods market
These ranged from 1877 cents for light
weight 0. D. grades to SO cents a
yard for the heavy gray quality. There
sold.
The towels of which there were g.
100000 huckaback and 100000 face
were withdrawn from the sale with the
announcement that they would not be
auctioned. This came as a disappoint-
ment, as there were several out of
town jobbers who had attended the
sale expressly to bid on the towels.
Prices on other lots included:
Bobbinette. 18 cents; chambray
241a cents; corset jean, from 1872 to
p cents; marquisette, 20 cents; outing
flannel, 2S1s cents; rubberized sateen
90 cents; twill, from 20 to 56 cents.
Summarizing the sale, Captain Faltel
said:
prices obtained for the merchandise
might be defined as being good for
sheeting, fair for drill, poor for duck
and good for all other offerings. We
rather expected low prices for duck
due to the small demand
The sale is reassuring, because il
shows how quickly and easily large
quantities Of cotton goods can be alb
sorbed. Prices. l think, were a re
Election from the drop in raw cotton
quotations. While it was not the sue
cess that the first sale was prices
then we're phenomenal think thai
III told If was sat SfactOrvN ~