davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1921-12-06
DECEMBER TRADE IN NEW YORK
NAY EXCEED THAT FOR 1920
Holiday Shopping So Far Reported of
Excellent Proportions Demand Is
Larsely for Useful Things.

employment situation, which has
been a thorn in the side of business,
is rapidly Improving In this section
of the northwest. There are nearly
9 per cent more workers employ ed
now than on November 1. and this
resumption of activity and increased
buying power is aiding the holiday
trade to increase retail sales. The
state program for winter highway
Improvement will involve the expen-
diture of $4,50O,O00. and will give en-
ployment ito $500 men for three
months. This work will begin at once.
as the last of the contracts was le.
last week.
Wholesale trade has sagged II the
last ten days. but is expected to pick
Some factories and jobbing houses
report spring orders already begin
Evening star., 1921-12-06

ming to come in, the volume OF new
business comparing very favorably
with that of last year.
The strike Of packing house en-.
ployes has resulted in an almost
complete tie-up at local yards, as II
is estimated about 2,700 workers are
out Killing was retarded az tne
fell of. sharply. Mail order houses
report business quite active. rehect,
ing better conditions In the rural
communities, where farmers are SELL
ing small amounts of grain and bene-
fitting from improvement in prices
Evening star., 1921-12-06
Commodity Reports
From Various Sections
Non-Ferrous. Metnls.

NOn-Fefrous, Metals.
NEW YORK, December 8 Especially.
Copper stocks In this country con-
tinue to decline steadily with
strengthening Of prices. Manufac-
turers of copper products also have
advanced their prices. 1t is forecast
that some of the stocks, ear marked
for export, will be used in local con-
sumption before there IL much gen.
eral production from the mines,
Evening star., 1921-12-06
time schedule with less than a fun
crew employed.
Automobiles.

Automobiles.
BOSTON, December s (Special).-
distributors for the Nash automobile
In New England sold twice as many
cars in November this year as in the
corresponding month last year. So
Tar sales for spring delivery are
greater than they were last season in
February.
SAN FRANCISCO. December 6 (spe-
-cfaD.-Some of the dealers In low
priced automobiles report business
good, but this Is not the general rule.
Registration of cars for the year in
this state totaled 620,297, q gain of
41,O00 over last year.
Evening star., 1921-12-06
Dry Goods.

PHILADELPHIA, December s (Spe-
cial).-As a result of failures of sew
eral small dealers. local department
stores which have bought up bank
rupt stocks have been offering bar
gains in mems and women's with the
public responding quickly to bargain
prices. One store sold 5000 imita-
ton pearl necklaces at 95 cents each
and then marked up the price to So.
Evening star., 1921-12-06
Machinery.

CHICAGO, December . (SpeciaO.--
The shop employees Of the Chicago and
Northwestern are considering a pro-
posal from the management to cut the
work to a four-day basis with full
force rather than to run longer
Evening star., 1921-12-06
Coal.

PITTSBURGH, December 6 (Spe-
cialG-The coke market is dull and
the resumption Of hundreds of ovens
in the Connellsville district. operators
Evening star., 1921-12-06
Clo,thinr.

ST. LOUIS, December 8 (special).-
Manufacturers of mems clothing
have announced reductions Of from
S to Is per cent on spring goods.
Evening star., 1921-12-06

are pessinistic. Trade Is extremely
light Sixteen plants Of the H c.
Frick Company are in operation and
1924 furnaces are going.
Evening star., 1921-12-06

The Welsh tin plate mills have re-
sumed operations on about q SO per
furnaces in England are In opera
Evening star., 1921-12-06
Heunp.

ciai).-Japanese purchases of Manila
hemp Is strengthening the market
in that commodity, according to re.
ports received in this market. Spot
prices show but little change here
owing to desuitory buying by cordage
manufacturers: -
Evening star., 1921-12-06

steel.
LONDON. December 6 (SpeciaD.-
New-York tribune., 1921-05-08

dollars is the yearly bill Americans
are paying for silk manufactures to-
day. Total American production of her
silk articles is valued at s750,000,00o
8 year st the factory; she exported IN
1919 something like cz0,00o,0 900 worth
of the products OF her corresponding
silk factories. 1t is no small business,
therefore, even for America. And she
is entirely dependent on Japan and
other foreign countries for her supply
of raw silk. Why? Certainly not be-
cause she cannot grow mulberry trses
here: some Of the worlds finest white
mulberry trees grow in the Mississippi
Valley. AS early as 1922 silkworm eggs
were introduced into Virginia and a
pretty serious attempt was then made
started in to raise siikwoFrns and
succeeded at it so well that she used
to ship about 10000 pounds of sils
annually by 1860. And about that time
Connecticut began to take up seri-
culture and led all the rest Of the
American states for more than seventy
years IN the industry. 1t Was done
here once and successfully: that is
history. Why not now? The com
monest answer by general run OF ex-
perts is that the present American
labor cannot compete with the eheap
labor Of Japan and China. There is
something in that, doubtless. L does
not explain ali however. All the Ameri-
can cotton is not raised, picked and
spun by machinery here in America,
and some sections of Asia have the soil
and climate quite as kindly for cotton
cultivation as those Of the South.
Silkworms must be raised even as an
artist. paints picture-they must be
reared as works of art. They cannot
be raised on a large scale. Japan has
tried IL and failed. It will fail in
America as surely as in Jepan-an at
tempt at quantity production Of silk
worms. Therefore, in the very nature
OF the thing, it is a home and family
industry. 1t lends admirably to the
limited domestic Industry Of small
farmers, who can afford to give good
deal OF personal attention to the worms
both by day and by night. No ma
chinery has ever been created
which can move silk worms from one
mulberry leaf TO another. A machine
can hardly be endowed with the tender
| ness and delicacy of touch which are
absolutely essential TO the handling Of
worms in order TO get the best results
from them-to save them from utter
destruction, in fact. And in serving
worms the fingers of small children
apd women folks have their decided
advantage over the hardened ones of
! men,
| American women who thrill TO the
| magic caress of their silken garments
may never have dreamed of such thing
as the anaity between the two great Pa
cific powers. But the fact remains; silk
lis the most potent as well as the
| snoothest diplomatist among the sta
pie commodities of Japan. And as long
as America remains the flower Gus
toner Of our silk, she is touching
where millions Of Japanese farmer
folks have their living, and the loudly
advertised international crisis such as
the third rate politicians are trying TO
stir up out California way would remain
what it is-a silly little tempest in
teapoI
New-York tribune., 1921-05-08
Raw Silk Prices \
Expected TO Drop
AS Syndicate Ends
Lower Cost of Living In
Japan One of Factors in
the Probable Withdraw
al of Official Support

Expectations of lower raw silk
prices are becoming more numerous
among the members of the domestic
silk trade here. The belief that prices,
which are based largely upon the prices
prevailing in Japan, as the other mar
kets tend to follow the largest pro-
ducer, IS founded on a we'll defined
opinion that the cost of producing the
fibre in Japan has declined materially
in recent months.
1t Is pointed out that the pegsed
price OF l,500 yen picul for Shinsi1iu
No. was based on the minimum cost
OF production last year, By the Silk
Syndicate, which with government
backing in Japan has pegged the mar
ket at this figure. Rice, on which the
Japanese laborer's wages are largely
based, and fertilizer for use in eulti-
ating the mulberry trees. on which the
silk worms feed, both have suffered
severe declines in the last six or eight
months.
The syndicate, when formed was in
tended TO function temporarily and its
period viii be UP at the end of this
month, unless ii is empowered to CON
tinue. Recent advices from Japan in
dicate considerable opposition to g
continuation Of the operations of the
syndicate, especially on the new crop
silks, which viii be coming into the
market in another two weeks, and &
is understood in many quarters that
the buying Of silk by the syndicate viii
cease on Nav 81
New-York tribune., 1921-05-08
Why l2-Hour Steel Day Sticks
Gut i'm Pay and Establishment of Eight-Hour Shift
Would Mean Reduction of 6212 Per
Cent and Caused Trouble

to local steel men, and not abridged
hours OF labor.
The wage cut therefore, passed off
in the Steel Corporation towns with
out any incident among the workers
and with but little comment. A local
newspaper reports an interview with
worker in the great Homestead mills
in which he is quoted as saying: 'The
wage cut has come. Now we know
that it is. The uncertainty is over
and we know where we're at. Let's
go'
Lets go!" might be taken as the
signal for the whole steel trade. The
sales manager of one of the leading
Independents said to-day, Everything
is set. We are ready to move on
right now. Nothing stands in the
way The bottom in selling prices and
wages has been reached, at least for
many months to come. What the rail.
roads and building trades may have
yet to do to clean house is no longer
of concern to the steel industry. We
can move on now and the rest will
soon follow
On the other hand, President James
A. Campbell, of the Youngstown Steel
and Tube Company, believes that gov
er1nental interference with business is
responsible for many of the ills now
being experienced, especially as affect
ing the railroads, and that until it is
eliminated, the permanent, assured up.
turn will be hating.
New-York tribune., 1921-05-08
Cotton Goods Converting z
Trade Sees Uncertainties

The cotton goods converting trade is
sailing a rough aud uncharted business
set at present. The converters report
that business is more brisk than it
was earlier in the year, but is fraught
with many uncertainties, the chief of
which are price and profit. From con-
versations with number of converters
it appears that the present business is
Welding q minimum OF profit, largely
through the keen competition that has
resulted from the reinstatement of a
buyers market.
The unwilingness of the garnet
manufacturers and retailers, the chief
customers of conyerters, TO place or
ders in advance has forced those who
intend trying to do any business to use
their own judgment in processing
goods and carrying them in stock until
the customer is ready to purchase.
The size of the stock in many cases
dictates the price, and much of the
figuring Of selling prices on a basis OF
cost has been lost.
Converting costs, however, are tend
ing to come. down. One converter re-
ported shading of finishing costs of
a quarter OF cent yard on 10000
yard order last week. The tinisher,
who originally wanted ga cents q
yard, finally accepted the order ct 21z
cents
New-York tribune., 1921-05-08
Would Change Rail Act

He urges modification of the Esch-
Cumn1ins act and repeal of the Adam
son law, so that the roads can manage
their own properties, reduce wage
rates, cut freight rates and generally
SO adjust their affairs as to place
their properties on sound earning
basis.
ain country so large as this, long
freight hauls are required to move
inland products to seaboard and for
the exchange of products between sec
tions." Mr. Campbell points. out.
"High freight rates are barrier to
this and they react by depressing
trade and hurting business all along
the line. Farmers, fruit-growers.
stock raisers and dairymen as we'll as
industry, are all injured and the rail
roads themselves suffer through re-
duced volume of traffic"
George F. Alderdice, vfce-president
in charge of sales of the Brier Hill
Steel Company at Youngstown, says
that prices on sheets and plates are
being maintained.
One of the most interesting develop
rnents of the week is the purchase of
1000 tons of standard basic pig iron
By the Sharon Steel Hoop Company,
Sharon, Pa, at s22, Valley. from q
steel works interest in the Youngs~
New-York tribune., 1921-05-08
soecia, p;spatck to The Tribune


PITTSBURGH, May The long
awaited announcement from Ebert H.
Gary on the wage policy Of the United
States Steel Corporation proved to be
less revolutionary than was anticipated
by many at the head of independent
steel companies, who had heard all
manner of rumors about the judges
intention Of putting the three-shift day
into effect.
It was known that great pressure had
been brought to bear upon the head of
the corporation to influence him to
abolish the twelve-hour day, or turn
pressure from certain groups Of stock
holders within his organization, as we'll
as from the militant type of uplifter
without. In oSder to have the guidance
Of men Of wide experience in the COM
plex task Of doing for labor what is
best for it, and giving it what it really
wants, the Judge formed a committee
OF the presidents OF al the subsidiary
companies composing the corporation
and assigned to them the study of the
problem of working hours and wage re-
ductions. The committee had had the
subject under study for weeks, and the
announcement of reduction in wages
and policy as to hours made this week
undoubtedly was close TO the commit
tees suggestions. That the Judge was
wise in his selection Of counselors in
this delicate matter will be appreciated
when it is realized that most of the
presidents of subsidiaries have risen
from the ranks OF labor and have the
New-York tribune., 1921-05-08
Promise q Pretest

Therefore, the twelve-hour turn was
not abolished. A half promise was
held out to eliminate it within year.
but among steel men this is taken to
be mere pretext to avoid complete
explanation of failure to wipe off the
long turn.
The real reason the twelve-hour day
remains on the company's rolls is be-
cause the workers them mselves would
not stand for it's abolition. AS has
been explained in these columns, the
twelve-hour day is not one Of contin-
nous, but Of intermittent, labor. Under
the basic eight -hour-day system now
in universal force throughout the steel
Industry, the twelve-hour worker re-
ceives time-and-a -a-half pay. for all over
eight hours. or gets fourteen hours
Pay for the twelve hours work. To
suggest 60 the twelve-hour man that he
be cut from fourteen hours pay to
eight hours' pay. and that the latter be
further reduced 20 per cent, would have
amounted to wage cut of 62h per
cent!
Had the experiment heen tried the
result, it is said here, would csntainly
have been trouble in the mills. Wages
is what the woySAgs want, according
New-York tribune., 1921-05-08

thing, because his wife wanted furs,
jewelry and other luxuries such as she
saw adorning those Of her sex in and
around the hotel. The young man and
his socially inclined wife had many
disputes over her fondness for fine
clothes, but lie always came out the
loser, he said.
Mrs. Ritchey urged him to take
some of the sample budgets she
showed him to his wife and ask her to
come in and talk over their problems.
Whether another battle ensued Mrs.
Ritchey never learned for the wife
did not put in an appearance.
Another case of failure to save
anything from a large income was
brought to the attention of Mrs.
Ritchey by professional man, who
said his income averaged about s700
monthly, while his expenses We're new
er less than and often exceeded that
gum. After consultation Mrs. RitcheY
New-York tribune., 1921-05-08

Thrift Torn Her Daily Task

~ FFERING advice on how to
Y make both ends meet is the
daily task Of Mrs. Porter
Elizabeth Ritchey, director Of the
home savings department of'the Saw
ings Banks Association Of Che State
Of New York. -
Mrs. Ritchey offers to show how easy
it Is by means Of budget TO live
within ones income, and--as if that
we're not snough--lay aside regularly
sums for rainy day. Not few Of
her correspondents are young married
couples or persona about to be mar
rsed. Yet there are large numbers Of
others who, falling to balance budgets,
seek the assistance OF Mrs. Ritchey In
handling their accounts. OF course,
the objetc sought is to spread the gos-
pei Of thrift but Mrs. Ritchey attacks
the object sought is to spread the Cos
avoids making this virtue odious. She
gives personal touch to her replies
that makes the recipient feel he can
keep his expenses within the limits she
prescribes, even though his first glance
a. the figures tells him it is impossible.
And out OF her work Mrs. Ritchey
gets great deal Of enjoyment, espe-
cially in debating answers to young
people who are attempting to live on
small incomes. Here is sample of g
letter che received the other day:
Dear Mrs. Ritchey:
am wTaing to ask whether you
would be kin denough to help me and
my fancee arrange budget. We
expect to begin housekeeping as
soon rs we are married and we have
found it difficult to figure out how
my income will take care Of the
necessary expenses. We would ap-
preciate your assistance in helping
us solve our problem.
To the young man Mrs. Ritchey
wrote lengthy reply, in which
pointed out the advantages Of trading
where the lowest prices were main
tanned, that is, in chain stores and at
markets where competition prevented
unduly inflated quotations. She showed
him how to obtain recreation inexpen-
sively and offered other suggestions.
Then she invited him to write again il
he found further trouble and wished
him happy married life.
A pamphlet containing suggested
budgets was inclosed, such as the one
shown herewith, and If the young man
follows the advice he and his bride will
avoid the pitfalls Of living beyond their
means. They might even go 80 far as
to duplicate the feat of the young
couple who wrote to The Tribune re-
Gently for advice on how to invest the
large sums they put aside each year
from an annual income of $4,000.
Many amusing incidents come TO the
attention Of Mrs. Ritchey in her en-
deavors. One of these was that Of a
young man who received what some
would call high wages for his work in
a large New York hotel. He COM
planned that he could not gave any
New-York tribune., 1921-05-08

found that servants got large part
of the $700 and she advised him to do
away with specialists and get some
one who could act both as maid and
as cook or Iaundress, instead of hav-
ing one for each task.
Almost daily scores of such prob
lens are laid before the home savings
department director for solution, but
she finds time to study each personally
and supervise others, doing similar
work in many savings banks. She in
structs young women in the work Of
making it easier for those who have
never saved before to start a bank ac-
count In this she is receiving the
cooperation of many large banks in
this city.
The work has increased rapidly un-
til it is one of the most important de-
partments of the association, which
has it's headquarters at So West Forty
fifth Street
New-York tribune., 1921-05-08
Trade Council Formed
All Inclusive Organization I,
Finally Completed

Permanent organization pf the Ma
tional Council Of America4 Inanarters
and Trades, the first all inclusive asso-
citation Of importing interests in the
country, has been effected.
y. f. Franklin, of Kny-Schcerer Cor~
poration OF America, has been elected
president; Peter Fletcher, of Lamb.
Fialay & Co, first vice-president; VIZ
liam 5. Pitcairn, Of ". S Pitcaira Cor
pofation, second vice-presidenr; F.
Bode,. OF Gage Brothers, third vice
president; HI. Q. Lloyd, of julius
Kayser g. Co, fourth president.
and Frank Van Leer jr., secretary.
The membership is restricted TO
American citizens and firms that have
been engaged in importing for at least
ten years
New-York tribune., 1921-05-08

with Comparative Statistics of the
Textile Industry" There is a long way
TO travel before these reaeS. the point
OF usefulness they ought to have at
tanned long ago. Thoir collection and
arrangement--on both sides of the At
lantic--has been mostly in the hands
of "ststisticians." AS a result they
often dissppoint the practical man in
search of g practical answer to trade
question, II is tedious task for the
individual to bring the figures of the
different countries as they are given
to us to-day to basis where proper
comparisons can be made or exact con-
clusions of world conditions figured
out.
A full quota Of time is to be allotted
to the warehousing, ginning baling and
compression Of cotton. These prob
LENS have long been solved in other
cotton countries. being to-day almost
exclusively American difficulties. There
has been much talks but little action
to cure the abuses. Promoters have
battened on one phase and another of
these abuses of our cotton trades dis
orderly complications. At this stage
our Americans will have the chance Of
their lives to make a mark, and if
they can set afoot any plan that will
deliver the American bale to the spin
szer in as respectable shape as he
gets, say, his Egyptian, the South
might we'll keep the date on which the
breath Of life was put into such re-
form, as an annual gala day. It is to
be hoped that at the last session, at
which Research Problems of World
Import" are to be thrashed out, Ameri-
can cotton growing, baling, transporta-
tion and selling activities may be
started toward the wiping out of our
great disgrace before the world of
commerce, and result in the evolution
of system OF which rne South need
be no longer ashamed
New-York tribune., 1921-05-08
To Name Own Prices

Dealers IN two commodities. ear
petS and fpss, viii have an opportunity
this week to set their own prices en-
articles taey handle The oppogtans-
ties viii be provided by auction sales,
the Alexander Smith & Sons Carpss
Company TO sell in their New YorS
salasroorns $4,000 bales OF rugs and
$500 rolls Of carpets, ard the Cana.
dian Fur Auction Sales Company. Lid.
to sell = fairly large amount OF fars
in Montreal.
New-York tribune., 1921-05-08
Wage Conferences

Conferences will start the latter part
of this month between manufacturers
and representatives of bar, sheet and
City over the wage agreement for the
next. scale year starting July 1. The
bar iron scale deliberation is expected
to consume about one week and will be
followed by similar conferences to
govern wage scale and working con-
ditions in the shet and tinplate diYi-
sions.
It is expected that the manufacturers
will strongly insist on the modification
or complete elimination of extras in
the form of additional crew members.
Effort to alter the base rates is not
anticipated.
New-York tribune., 1921-05-08
HOLIDAYS This Week

Monday, May S--Egypt, HeJaz, Aeso-
potania, Turkey, South Australia.
Tuesday, May foEgypt, Hejsz,
Mesopotamia, Turkey. In the United
States: North Carolina, South Caro-
lima.
Friday. May 13 Brazil, Canada. In
the United States: Rhode Island.
Saturday. May Id Egypt, Paraguay,
Soviet Russia, Sweden (half day.