New-York tribune., 1922-02-19

Irish linen manufacturers who have
been suffering for more than year
from extreme dullness in their trade.
are not yearning for a sudden boom
in demand, but rather for a slow and
gradual strengthening Of buying activi-
ties. This IS the opinion Of William
Adams, director OF the Albert Adams
Company. Ltd. Belfast. EXPRESSED in q
recent letter to Albert Adams, of the
Derryvalc Linen Company Of New
York.
"a rush Of business now" writes
Mr. Adams, would inevitably create
considerable disturbance and would
overthrow values and prices. and when
practically everybody is unanimous in
tho belief that increase in prices.
especially if it should be Of 4 market
character, would injure business for
months to come.
Price Increase
But can an increase in prices be
avoided:
Undoubtedly the present period is,
ss might be expected, more or less
taken up traditionally by linen sales
and stock taking, yet while these causes
may be partly responsible for the
present temporary duliness and hesi-
fancy, there is looming exceedingly
large in the background the great
speculation as to how linen prices will
rule.
universally it IS admitted that the
next eight or ten months are likely to
prove extremely critical in the lincn
industry. First and foremost is the
inevitable problem OF the faN posi-
ton. Up TO the present, enough ma
terial has been forthcoming to meet
the requirements of the reduced pro
duction of cloth But If. as seems
probable, trade returns back 20 any
thing approaching TO even half OF
what ante-war demands were. it ia
impossible to presagc where the FAX
is to come from.
Flax Stocks Low
AT the outset, we know with almost
certainty that little reliance can be
put in any further supply of fiber
coming from Russia beyond perhaps
few thousand tons. That supplement,
tary quantity can only be considered
ss al inconsequential dribet. Exact
ly year ago the total stocks of fax
then in hand represented less than
one-th,rd OF the pre-war normal re-
quirements. Remembering that in
pre-war years as much as 60 600 tons
were annually imported from Russia.
we have the contrast that only 662
tons came from there last year and
only ll,ooI tons during 1870 while
imports from ether fax-producing
countries were far below usual. 1t
may be deduced that our present total
stock is infinitely small. AS matter
Of fact it may be computed that only
1000 tons instead of $4,000 or 10000
Of foreign fiber was imported last
year. and our home supply is minimal,
too.
"It is, of course, possible that if
demands for linen goods fail TO i'm
prove, and so continue along the
gloomy lines of last years trading,
we may carry on with very re-
duced consumption of raw material.
Albeit. taking the more hopeful view,
1t is generally expressed by those best
competent to give opinion that world
trade will gradually expand. and it is
known that stocks Of linens every
where are very meager and badly in
need Of augmentation.
Meanwhile there is a gleam Of hone
that through some agenc.', though not
one yet discernble, it may not be nee
essary to advance prices Of linen
goods to any marked degree There
are certain leaders Of the industry who
assert that they can conceive of no al
tentative to increasing prices. Ger
tsinly no doubt can be ascertaned