New-York tribune., 1922-08-06
Forced Production
In Raw Silk Leads
To Lower Quality
Post Advances New Stand
ards of Evcnness TO Over
come the Present TrOu-
blcs in Japan Stock

Because 90 the attempt Of japanese
raw silk rcelers 20 push production 81
present the quality o. the raw silk
from that quarter is deteriorating, M
the opinion OF George A. Post. OF the
Post & Sheldon Corporation, who sur-
rests that the American silk trade
rdrrt standards of eveness in raw SILK
with consequent variations 10 prices.
The whole question Of inferior silk
is being reviewed by the silk Associa-
tion Of America In an effort 70 deter
mine a course o. action u possible.
TIE association has sent out ques-
tionnaire 20 Us members concerning
the sizes and grades of raw silk used,
methods o. dyciug, the nature Of de-
fects in raw silk about. which which
there has been much complaint Of late
etc.
Answering this questionnsire Mr.
Pest says:
"A serious complaint can be lodged
against japanese raw silk - the pres.
ent time for the increasing number o.
fine and coarse ends and dirt.
unnecessary difficulty IS expert
enecd In an fhe processes Of manuiae.
ture with the consequent chances oi
imperfect goods. This trouble is par
t.cularly apparent in that cver-popuiar
cxample-silk hosiery. In space OF
two or three inohcs you will very oftenl
see four or FIVE changes in the size OF
the silk. This is in silk composed o.
six or more threads doubled together
Doubling would ordinarily tend 70
average M the uneven threads and
make them more even. 81,
"The American market has put itself
or record many times and N many
ways that IL needs more even SIX ior
its high speed machinery and high
priced labor. In spite o. this. we have
been forced 20 accept silk that con,
.tartly is getting worse. The fine ana
coarse threads are multiplying very
fast in an grades. with the resulting
decrease In mill efficiency.
This trouble cannot be overcome by
purchasing higher grade silk because
silks are not graded according 20 these
defects. There seems 20 be no rela-
ton between the grades and the dirt
and uneven threads IN them. Very
often the silk of the supposedly best
flaments i. full Of fine and coarse
riaccs. due 10 poor or very little super
vision. Il is not that the carelessness
is intentional. They simply do not see
the importance OF the matter. To them
IL is only q question of producing as
much silk as possible that can be sold.
They sell what they reel now, so why
worry about it?
81 have personally proved the truth
n these comments through the WORK
OF tho Wilkes Barre testing laborato-
ries and the figures are further sub
stantlated By those given IN the re-
ports of the raw silk classification COM
Tnittee Of the silk Association Of Amer
lea The committee used as q basis re-
sults Of actual tests during the pre-
vious wear from all available testing
Laboratories Of the manufacturers.
Comnarinr recent tests with these re-
ports. however. shows the SILK TO De
worse than IL was at that time.
"Some blame the silk released by the
Imperial Ray Silk Syndicate, but, from
information that | have obtained, TINS
silk was carefully selected but went
bad with age. 81,
"No. Il is not the syndicate silk in
particular: IL is the japanese six IN
eeneral-poor because Of too much at
TEMPT 70 force production.
What remedy is there for sueh a
condition? The buyers OF raw SIX.
through the SIX Assoclatloh' sn"u "
request the sellers 20 designate an al
lowable range in the number OF hne
and caarse threads for the different
grades. This would make u possible
FOR the buyer to select the quality he
needed according 20 standard OF
evenness and he would pay the right
price for Il. The reeler, In turn would
be paid a price proportionate TO the
quality Of his reeling. thus eneourag-
ing him 20 make more Of an effort
TO meet our market requirements.
Now the reeler is not properly re-
imbursed for the extra cost IN reel
ing better silk because there IS no
wav OF proving that IL is better OF
what the quality really Is. Let US, by
mutual agreement. adopt standards for
evenness in raw silk and ] assure you
that the most Of our friction and dis
satisfaction will be overcome.