The Washington herald., 1920-02-26
RAW MATERIAL
HIGH ABROAD
American Manufacturers
Find No Change from In
flated War Prices.
AVERAGE GAIN 5000
Some Foreign Growers
Show Tendency to Boost
Prices Higher.
AVERAGE GAIN 5000

united states manu1acturers are
getting no encouragement from
abroad in attempts to reduce the
cost of their products. In fact. the
first anniversary of the armIstice
showed that the prices Of the raw
materials which they are compelled
to bring from other parts of the
world keep on advancing without
the slightest reference to the ces-
sation OF hostilities.
The Egyptian cotton grower. for
example who had seen his export
prices of raw cotton increase nearly
100 per cent during the war period,
could not be persuaded that he
ought to reduce his price merely
because the guns had ceased to roar,
and he continued the boosting pro-
cess which had characterized the
war period with the result that
American importers of Egyptian
cotton are now paying nearly 50 per
cent more for that necessity OF man
ufacture than at the close of the
war.
The jute growers of India are
also demanding and receiving today
an advance of more than so per
cent on their prices at the close OF
the war. Producers of goatskins in
Latin America, China, India, North
Africa, and Southern Europe. not
content with an increase of 100 per
cent during the war period. insist
ed upon a still further advance in
celebration Of universal peace, and
were in November. 1919. demanding
and getting so per cent more than
at the termination of hostilities in
1918, and the quantity brought into
the United States goes on increasing
irrespective of the advance in price.
Raw silk producers, on the other
side of the globe. far distant from
the scenes of hostilities, were not
satisfied with an increase Of 100 per
cent up to the termination of the
war, but calmly added 50 per cent
more to the already high prices in
the period between November, 1918,
and November, 1919.
The livestock producers Of South
America, Australia, South Africa,
and India, who have developed the
habit" of pushing up the prices of
hides, whether of cattle. sheep,
goats pigs. horses, or kangaroos,
have continued the advance which
characterized the entire war period.
and the average price which Ameri-
can importers must now pay in the
country of production is so per cent
higher than on the day on wnicn
the whole world was celebrating the
return to peace.
These figures, based upon official
data, says a statement by the Ma
tional City Bank of New York, IL
lustrate the difficulties under which
the manufacturers of the United
States, dependent upon foreign as
we'll as domestic products for their
material, have labored in their at
tempts to reduce the high prices
which existed at the close of the
war. In fact, they have found in
practically every important article.
abroad as we'll as at home. the prices
not only refusing to come down."
but actually advancing since the
Termination of the war.
The average import price of raw
silk, for example, brought into the
country in November, 1919, was. as
shown by official figures of the gov
ernment, 1910 per pound, as agains,
$500 in November, 1918, at the ter
mination of the war, and $500 In
the first year of the war. and yet
the quantity imported in 1919 is
greater than ever before, and nearly
twice as much as in the pre-war
year. Goat skins imported, of whicn
the price in the countries of pro-
duction, chiefly Latin America,
China, India, North Africa and Eu-
rope, averaged 26 cents a pound in
the year before the war, advancing
to an average of 81 cents a pound
in November, 1918, and an average
of 90 cents a pound in November,
1919, the increase in price per pound
in the one year following the war
being actually greater than that or
the entire war period Of practicai,y
five years.
Hemp. OF which the import value,
based upon cost in the country of
production. averaged s177 a ton in
the year Immediately preceding the
war. stood at $372 a ton in Noyen-
ber,- 1918. and $677 a ton in Novem-
Der, 1919. Raw cotton, imported
chiefly from Egypt, but also in lin
tied quantities from Latin America
China and India, averaged 16 cents
a pound in the country of produc-
ton for that imported in the fiscal
year 1914. IS cents a pound in No.
vember, 1918, and 4S cents in NJ
vember, 1919