Evening star., 1923-10-02
TREND IS UPWARD
IN TEXTILE MILLS
WooIen Outlook Better-Silk
Buying Picking Up-LulI in
Hosiery Making.
by j. C. ROYLE.

Special Dispatch to The Star
NEW YORK, October 2-ActiVity
of the looms and spindles of the tex
tile mills OF the country indicates
strongly that the actual manufacture
of fabrics will continue on an up
ward trend for months to come. Lit
tie effect is anticipated from the pub
lication of hte Department of Agri-
culture report on the condition OF the
cotton crop as of September 25. The
range of private estimates has been
such that consumers have had oppor-
1unity to weigh contingencies OF
supply, and consequently other fac
tors were more potent in determining
schedules. of manufacturers.
Wooden Outlook Brighter.
Despite rumors in Wall Street that
the wooden business was in for a
slump of impressive proportions, con-
siderable optimistism was aroused to-
day by, the statement of William NJ.
Wood, president of the American Wool
en- Company, that the total value or
untitled orders on the books or his
company on September l was in ex-
cess of any years business prior to the
war with one exception. As 1t ts
known that production of mills OF the
company engaged on mems goods has
been curtailed rather sharply, this
statement is taken by tn etrade to
mean that the demand for womens
wear has been of record proportions
Rug Auction Beoming.
The big volume of business now
being transacted at the Alexander
Smith & Sons carpet and rug auc-
tion sales and the higher level of
prices prevailing give ample indica-
tion that carpet mills will be increas-
ingly active throughout the fall and
early winter, especially in view of the
fact that many of the goods sold now
will not be available for delivery for
from one to two months. This trend
is fully supported by the volume of
orders being placed with other manu-
3acturers who opened their lines
today.
Trade Conditions Emphasized.
Men prominent in the textile busi-
ness felt today that the advantageous
position of the American manufac-
turer had been strongly emphasized
in an indirect way by Premier Bald
tives of the dominions of the British
empire. appealing for growth of
trade within the empire and for pro-
duction of raw materials by the
w nile ne ala not name
them specifically, it is felt that the
raw materials specially desired were
cotton and wool.
Hosiery Business Slow.
The hosiery manufacturers of the
northern section of the country per-
haps have felt favorable influences
less than, other textile lines, and mills
in the Philadelphia section are not
operating above 60 per cent of capac-
1ty on the average. One reason for
this is that the plants were expanded
during the war to a point where their
capacity is beyond the requirements
of normal times. Southern mills, es-
peciaIly those engaged in making the
cheaper grades. are well occupied,
and northern makers have difficulty
in meeting this competition as they
operate on forty-eight-hour week
as compared with a sixty-hour week
in the south.
Silk Buying Picking Up.
The Japanese disaster struck the
hosiery manufacturers hard. as few
were heavily supplied with silk yarn.
In the Philadelphia district raw ma
terial at the plants, on the average,
was sufficient for less than one
months run, and makers hesitated to
turn to artificial silk for fear Of in
CURING their standing as makers of
high-grad silk hosiery. They now
are buying silk in small quantities as
it becomes available, hoping that raw
silk prices will drop. In other lines
or knitted goods. however. prospects
are unusually good.
Ford's Price-Cut Explained.
The cut in prices on Ford automo-
bfles is regarded In the automobile
trade as less in the nature of stimu-
liant to sales than as a passing on of
savings, due to improved methods and
advantageous buying of materials. to
the consumer, and as an investment
in good will of Ford buyers. Except
on the ground of good will invest
1nent, it Is difficult to explain the fact
that the cut was made applicable to
those buying cars on the weekly pur-
chase plan who have not yet taken