, 1922-05-25
SHODDY IN ALL
WOODEN GOODS
Conflicting Claims as 10 Percent
age and Ratio Between Shoddy
and Virgin Wool

TIL" nationwide demand for a
"truth-in-fabrics' law, which il re.
Elected in the French-Capper bill,
now being considered in Congress,
ihas caused a widespread interest in
and investigation OF the question of
lshoddy and the extent to which it il
used and passed off on the public as
all wool" or pure wool" 1t has
also caused those engaged in the
business of producing shoddy and
those protiting by its use to rush to
tine rescue of this method of gouging
the public and depreciating the
value OF the wool product OF the
country.
In a recent lecture delivered to
the Textile School Of Lowell. Mass.
a representative of the John r. Slack
company. shOddy manufacturers, OF
Springfield, Vt. stated that only
one-fifth enough virgin wool is
grown in the world to cIothe the
people in old climates. and, accord
ing to Mr.. Bliss, the other four
flfths has to be made of re-workeh
wool. He is also quoted as stating
mat according to experiments made
by the Bureau of Standards in
Washington. shoddy is re-workcd as
many as six md seven times.
ChaS. NJ. Haskins. secretary OF
the National Association of Waste
Material Dealers. in a statement pun
lished in 1913. estimated that all
the virgin wool in the world would
lonly allow fourteen ounces a year to
Ievery person living outside the
TROPICS.
Mr.. Cherington. secretary OF the
National Association OF Wool Manu-
Ifacturers, estimated that there was
|only enough Virgin Wool grown to
supply il pair Of knee brooches a
piece to the people living in the
icolder climates.
VIM. c. Redfield, while secretary
lof the Department Of Commerce OF
the United States Government in
1919, stated that the worlds an
nual production of virgin wool was
only Approximately one-third enough
to make the annual production of
wool cloth. II that the deficiency
must be supplied by shoddy.
:. J. b. Wilson. of Mckinley, Wyo.,
and secretary of the National Sheep
& Wool Bureau OF America, when
asked for his comment on these esti-
mates of the amount OF shoddy used,
Isa1d that there had been a very
l marked decrease In the number of
5 sheep in the world during the last
half decade and that this might ex-
: plain Mr.. Bliss estimate that four
: fifths of the wool used in woolens
is shoddy, as compared with the esti-
9 mate of two-thirds of Mr.. Redfield in
1919"
When asked why there was such
"a discrepancy between these esti-
mates OF the amount Of shoddy used
and the census figures frequently
lquoted Oh the subject, Mr.. Wilson ex-
. planned that he census figures do
not give the amount Of shoddy used
but only give the noun OF shoddy
reported.
MANY Of the larger fabric manu-.
:, facturers not classed as shoddy
manufacturers make their own
shoddy, and many fabric manufac-
~turers who use shoddy do not want
it known. This" said Mr.. Wilson
"explains why the mou of shoddy
actually used is so greatly in excess
lernment or other census figures. but.
the serious part is not SO much the
lamoant OF shoddy used as the fact
that none of this shoddy is sold as
shoddy. but it is all sold as virgin
wool under the names of WOOL all
WOOL and pure WOOL 1t vas to
correct this alarming condition by
preventing the counterfeiting of
virgin wool by shOddy that the
was introduced in Congress-"