Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-04-29
NEW YORK NOW CENTER
OF FUR INDUSTRY
Daily Letter by Frederic J. Haskin

NEW YORK CITY, April &C.
The beaver on the shield OF the City
OF New York, which at times has
appeared a trifie meaningless. has
lately become as appropriate as II
was in the old days when the shrewd
traders of Nieuw Amsterdam placed
1t there. For New York o claims
to be the center of the worlds fur
industry.
Before the war, Leipsig enjoyed
this prestige, the German city hold
ing virtually a monopoly on the dye
ing and dressing of all expensive
skins. But this year. with some of
E~urope's cleverest furriers transfer
red to New York shops and certain
secret processes evidently transfer
red with them. American furs are
rivaling and even surprising the fine
peltries exhibited in Leipsic mar
ket.
Yet this lead is not likely to be
maintained without a struggle. The
reputation of the German furriers,
whose skill has been famous for
centuries, presents a formidable OBJ
stacle. Stiff competition Is expect
ed not only in the manufacture and
sale of the finished skins, but in the
OLN u VI AAS a LoA ma ~
Ever since the war, the American
fur trade has unquestionably held
the advantage in procuring raw furs,
but the recent re-entry of Russia
into the worlds fur business has
caused a good deal of uneasiness in
New York rur circles. The first
blow fell last fall when the Soviet
government shipped nine carloads of
furs to Leipsic to be sold at auc-
ton. to pay for German locomotives
and farm equipment. 1t fell with all
the greater emphasis because most
of the furs were the conhscated
property of private firms and indi-
viduals, including several Amer-
cans. Some of them had come from
the palaces of former Russian mob
les. while others had been removed
from the packs OF small fur traders
and the large commercial warehous-
es. Among them were about four
million dollars worth of skins belong
ing to a single American firm. They
had been gathered in with fine i'm
Partially by the Soviet government
in its process of natiQnalizing all
resources.
II suppose they demanded even
the fur capes and neckpieces from
the women in the streets" remark
ed a New York fur man recently, in
explaining his firm had failed TO
get its furs out OF Russia. But, I'll
say this for thsm-they're always
very polite. They sent all of us in
vitations 10 come owe TO Leipsic and
bid on the goods, ever II they did
happen TO be our own. Perhaps
they thought we might cherish a
sentimental attachment for some of
the furs, and they weren't going to
be so mean as to stand in the way
of our buying them back. If we want
ed to.
Selling $50, 0O0, 900 OF Furs
1.-THE sale last fall was the first.
Since then, there have been several.
Gradually. the Bolsheviki are getting
rid Of about $50.000.000 worth of
furs. These represent old stock that
has been sold since the revolution
and do not include new skins
brought in by the Russian trappers.
We've got just as good a chance to
buy the new furs as the Germans.
Our fur scouts are over there low
in Kamchatka and Siberia and down
at the crossroads and village fairs
of Mongolia, Manchuria and Persia.
| These Leipsic boys won't have any
| cinch, believe me, even If they are
so friendly with the Bolsheviki. Be-
sides, we have the great fur re-
sources Of Canada and Alaska TO
draw from on the continent here at
home.
THE fur trade today" he contin-
ued with enthusiasm. lis about as
exciting sport as IL was in the old
days when the Hudson Bay Company
was busy forcing its way through
the American wilderness. The only
difference is that now the company's
scouts are charging across the Ber-
ing Sea and invading the wilderness
of another continent. There's just
as much risk and thrill as there
ever was-piracy on the high seas
poaching in the seal rookeries. In
dams robbing caches and traders
starving. trappers freezing to death
on a lost trail, and others growing
| moderately rich over night from the
pei. OF some wonderful silver fox.
Trapper Gets $4,000
Last summer the fur dealer re
lated, a friend OF his, a young ten
derfoot OF eighteen or nineteen, went
TO the Tanana valley in Alaska. 70
try to sind a gold mine. He had
studied geology in high school. and
he believed he knew how to hum
one. Put be was unsuccessful. Fin