Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-01-02

front and solve during this most un-
usual year. At its beginning they had
] experienced tho lure of the Govern
ment plants for their operatives. many
Of whom had been attracted by the
higher wages offered in nunition
works. shpbuilding plants, and other
| Government owned and operated ac-
tivites. Against the high level of re-
muneravon paid by the Government II
was impossible to compete. and they
saw their employees drifting away
| from them even at time when the
| Government was calling upon them TO
use theiS utmost endoavors TO turn
| out maximum production Various
methods OF furnishing increased sup
plies Of labor to textile plants were
considered, the allotment of operatives
to those mills that we're especially en-
gagged on Government work being one
of the most favored methods under
considerattr.
No general systematic plan. however
was worked out for tho improvement of
! the labor situation In the textile field
and 1t was necessary for the manufsc-
turer individually to devise ways and
means by which he might attract and
| keep his help at work. 1t was neces-
sary for him to advance the scale OF
wages from time to time, in radical
way. and to provide many welfare in
| ducements IN order 10 preserve even
moderate supply Of his force for the
| operation of machinery SO needed on
| Government work
! Then came the draft which still fur
ther depleted his supply of help, but to
! which he was very willing to conform
| as a patriotic duty. AS matter of fact,
| during the entire war II has been A
! ,f hat, hn
dustry has shown a degree of patriotism
and self-sacrifce that perhaps has not
| been exceeded in any other industrial
| field. The manufacturer has had an eye
single to the main issue--the winning OF
| the war, and has allowed nothing 10
stand in the way OF accomplishing this
purpose. There have been minor han
| dicaps to the successful operation of
| machinery. the principal of which was
| probably the devastating effect of the
| influenza epidemic, causing many to
| leave their tasks for longer or shorter
period. while in many districts it was
necessary to stop the operation OF ma
| Chinery entirely for the time being.
! The dverting influence of the various
| money drives from time to time dur
! ing the year has undoubtedly also had
! its effect upon the volume of merChan-
manufacturer has given of his best in
aid of tho purposes for which these
| drives were intended
| Inability to turn out a maximum
production has not been an unmiXed
! evil, for IL now tranSpiree that had
| the industry been working to it's full
| capacity there would have been 4 sur
plus on hand that would have been
decidedly burdensome to the market
at the present time, II has been for
the best interest of all that the buyer
has been obliged to exert himself at
times to secure merchandise with
which to continue business. and that
substitutes have been invented with
which to supply the demands of the
consuming trade. This may mean de-
cided changes in good many drec-
tionS in the future. while the ConSer-
walton of styles that has been effected
/ should make for greater economy in
manufacturing than would have been
possible in the ordinary course 'of
events.
Control Of Materials
II has been said that the war was a
war of raw materials and waged for
their control In no country and in no
industry is this more pertinent than in
the American textile industry. The exi-
S'll'ltS bl war nave Tlduc II necessary
TO adopt n control policy that has been
| burdensome and irksome at times. but
to which all have submitted with as
much grace as possible. knowing that
II was for the best interests of all
The only raw material which has not
come under absolute Government control
and on which prices were not regulated
has been the cotton staple While tho
question Of regulating the price Of cot
ton has been agitated from time TO time
In Congress and out of it. actual steps
were never taken to fix the levels at
which the producer might obtain his
material Of this character.
on wool. however. the fact that virtu-
ally half the needed supply for Ameri-
can consumption is grown outside the
confines of this country and controlled
largely by England made some regula-
tion of the supply necessary. The inn
ports of wool were regulated by the
establishment Of the Textile Alliance at
the beginning Of the war. and the lines
were drawn closer and closer with the
decrease in shipping and the increased
submarine danger, finally resulting in
the control Of the domestic clip by our
own Government and the fixing Of prices
at which these woods We're allotted to
manufacturers This regulatory action
was inspired by the fear that military
needs for wool would cause prices to go
I unduly high. The result was that early
I in April the price-fNing committee Of
the war-industrics board held "A series
/ of conferences with growers, dealers and
manufacturers and the price to be paid
, for the 1918 clip was establish on
the basis of values prevailing in Boston.
the wool center of the country. on July
I 80, 1917, for the various grades of
. wool
II was further arranged that in the
territory sections. where virtually two
thirds of the wool grown in this country
is raised. wool growers should not sell
their product locally, but should consgn
it 70 concentration points. In the Mid
die West, East and Southeast, Compris-
ing what is known as the fleece growing
section, growers we're allowed to sell
wool locally, but the profits Of the local
purchaser were limited TO one and half
cents a pound, and these purchasers
were requested TO Consign their takings
TO the larger concentration points. Here
dealers were allowed a commission OF
I per cent on fleece wool and territories
provided the wool was sold in rhe orig
inal bags. and ga per cent If graded
the commission 10 be paid by the Gov
erpment and added 10 the price of the
wool. When the raw material arrived a,
concentration centers it was appraised
by valuation committees appointed by
the Government and alloCated to th'
various mills for military or civilian pur'
2 noses