Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1921-03-26
PUBLIC KIDDED
BY ALL WOOL "
CLOTHING LABEL
Head of National Wool b.
reau Explains How Public
May Pay for Virgin Wool
and Get "Shoddy"

The disastrous results to the
consumer of the misunderstanding
of the term "all wool" ana how
this can be remedied to the extent
that purchasers will know exactly
what kind of cloth is in the cloth
ing they are buying, through the
passage of the French-Capper bill
by congress, was discussed in an
address by Secretary Greene, Of
the National Sheep and Wool bu-
reau, which was read yesterday
morning at the wool growers con-
vention by President Prayer, as
Mr.. Greene was unable to attend
the convention.
Years ago the term all wool
meant virgin or new wool. Then
the manufacturer of shoddy dis
covered a process whereby they
were able 10 carbonize out of
wooden rags everything but the
wool content. Some of the manu-
facturers saw in this process an
excuse for calling their cloth all
wool OF course, merely calling
shoddy cloth all wool does not
increase it's worth, as it In no man
ner can ever equal In any sense
the virgin wool Of the same grade.
Peopie Fooled.
In spite OF the distinction be-
tween this shoddy cloth and virgin
wool, the people have been buy
ing shoddy cloth under cover of
the term all wool for twenty
Years without discovering that they
have been fooled into paying high
prices by the technical term with
a double meaning. Most people be-
lieve that the term all wool
means just one thing-the wool
straight off the sleeps back
Garments now are marked
all wool Shoddy is being sold in
ever increasing quantities, but now
it is called 'all wool instead Of by
the old familiar term of question
able repute."
Junk Dealers Profit.
Mr.. Green stated in his address
that the wool scare shortage of
the war period, although it did not
exist, proved bonanza to the
junk dealers and to manufactur-
ers of shoddy. The morale of even
the most conservative manufac-
turers was broken during the
scare and many of them who had
refused to put shoddy into their
"all wool" cloth, began to do so.
He also discussed some of the as
founding scandals which were the
result of this, such as some man
ufacturers not having an ounce Of
virgin wool in their possession, but
selling their blankets and other
articles at virgin wool prices.
Fifteen dollar shOddy blankets
were marked "all wool" and sold
readily at $45 pair.
No Wool Shortage.
After the war was over and
the world began to take stock of
its wool supply, it was discovered
fthat more than 700,000,000 pounds
of virgin wool was stored in the
warehouses of America alone. The
junk men and manufacturers got
the profit-the wool grower held
the sack.
According to Mr.. Greene,
"worsted," French black serge"
"worsted cheviots' and other such
terms which the public have been
always under the impression could
not be made of rag wool, but must
be of virgin wool, have been used
in many instances to deceive the
gullible public into paying virgin
wool prices. &C., We
The French-C apper bill is SINH
lar to the pure food laws and If
passed by the coming congress,
will require clothing to pass the
same examination as prepared
foods and it will be stated on all
samples Of cloth either in the piece
or in the manufactured articles,
exactly what amount of wool is
contained in the fabric.