New-York tribune., 1919-08-06
Cloth Prices Too
High Is Verdict
OF the Producers
WoOllen and Worsted Manu-
facturcrs Urge Larger
Supply of Raw Material
and Longer Labor Hours


Members of the American Associa
tion of Woollcn and Worsted Manu-
facturers yesterday went on record as
opposed to the high cost of living. Al
the semi-annual meeting of the or
ganization at the Waldorf Astoria
Hotel, three resolutions directed
pontedly at high prices of fabrics
were adopted. The first called upon
officers of the association to bend
every effort to increase the supply
of raw wool in this country through
facilitating the transportations of
wool supplies from South America,
Asia and South Africa and cooperating
with the British to ship New Zealand
and Australian wool here.
The second resolution called upon
the association to present to the gov
eminent the necessity of lengthening
the hours of labor in the woollen and
worsted industry so that more cloth
can be produced to check the pres
ent growing shortage. The third di-
rected the executive committee of the
association to investigate the reports
that sellers of cloth are demanding
advances Of buyers over the contract
price and that buyers are offering
bonuses to sellers for quick delivery
Some discussion of advances and
bonuses was precipitated when the
subject was introduced by J. Foss, of
the Brightwood Manufacturing Com
pany, and an effort was made to bring
out the names of concerns sanction
ing the practice, but no disclosures
were made
Two phases of the dye situation in
imports of German dyes were given,
by DR.. j. Merit Mathews, represent
ing the dye interests, and Colonel
John P. Wood, president of the Pc
quea Mills, Philadelphia, who pre-
sented the textile manufacturers side
of the case.
Opposes Dye Licensing Plan
DR.. Mathews made an appeal for
the licensing SYSTEM. declaring that it
was necessary to the preservation of
the great dye interests which America
has built up during the war. The
vast quantities of dyes, which he said
Germany was ready to ship to this
country unless restrictions were
placed on importations constitute a
menace to American dye manufacture
ers in his opinion.
Colonel Wood objected to tn,
licensing plan, in that it would place
too much power in the hands of the
dye manufacturers here in rationing
supplies to users. Few of the textile
producers, he said, were direct i'm
porters of dyes and had to depend
upon dye commission houses for their
supplies, and endless delays and df-
ficulties would result from the licen-
ing system. He advocated tariff to
protect the dye industry here. Ameri-
can dye manufacturers have made
good profits, he said, and cited a case
Of one company which had invested
S18,OO0,000 in the development of it's
property and has twice written off
$8,O00,000.
Private expressions from cloth
manufacturers indicated that the dye
situation is more serious than appears
on the surface or was recognized Of
ticially at the meeting
"If we felt that the dye interests
were trying to do the best they could
under the circumstances, we wouldn't
object" said prominent mill agent,
but their actions recently have made
US suspicious. We are not only dis
satisfied with the colors we are GET
ting from American dye makers, bat
also with the treatment they accord
US when we make complaints and en-
deavor to get an explanation or a
promise Of remedial measures"
United States Cloth Holdings Sarge
In his report, j. ]. Nevins, secretary
OF the association stated that in a
day or two the surplus property divis-
ION OF the army quartcrmasters' corus
will offer for sale through sealed bids,
100000, yards Of all wool 20 ounce
amounts Of all worsted cloth and
worsted warp wool filled cloth of the
20 ounce weight. A committee ap.
pointed by the association, he re-
ported, found that the government has
IN ITS possession, about 19,5o0,0OO
yards of 20 ounce O. D. suiting, 49,
100000 yards of the 97a ounce melton
and 100000 yards of 80 ounce over-
coating. The delay in offering these
stocks to the trade, the committee re-
ported, was due TO the apparent in
ability to get the Quartermasters rs
Department to declare any part Of
these stocks as surplus. The Offering
to be announced soon indicates that
release of more stocks will be forth
coming soon.
Mr.. Nevins further reported that
negotiations are under way. in CO.
operation with The National Associs
ton OF Wool Manufacturers to have
Australasian wool brought to BOSTON
and sold there to relieve the raw wool
shortage. American buyers will be
permitted to buy at the London sales
IN Limited quantities, he stated.
His report called attention to the
establishment of the Mutual Adjust
ment Bureau to settle disputes be-
tween buyers and sellers of cloth and
advocated the use of standard
clause referring disputes to the bu
reau on all copies ef orders. The
machinery for grading merchandise
and putting it into mill shape will be
complete with the installation of a
rolling machine within few days, he
reported