Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1923-04-09
FEAR FURTHER RISE
IN PRICE Of SILK
Raw Supplies About Normal,
But Demand Is Far Above
Normal, Dealers Report.
BY j. G. ROYLE.
speciaI Dispatch 70 Ihe Star.

BY j. G. ROYLE.
Special Dispatch TO The Star.
NEW YORK. April 9.-The supply
or silk available for manufacturers
IN the United States today is nearly
normal. But the demand is far above
normal, and there is every indication
that prices. now at the highest point
in three years. will go even higher
before the new cocoons are spun
July /.
Gilman & Basch. large raw silk
importers and dealers, in outlining
the situation today, declared they
would not be surprised if prices were
to hold up even after the new SUP
plies become available.
Improvement in the position Of raw
SILK may be estimated by comparison
of prices today and those OF April z?
1922. On that date XXA 1915 ard
2o-22 denicr was quoted at $500; bfS'
No. TX at 1925: Kansai No. ! at So. T..
prices approximately are 800"
$9.l7l2. $40 and 1915 for the same
grades.
Building Aids silk Demand.
The tremendously increased dc
mand." said Mr.. Gilman. lis due NO
only 10 the demand of silk good
manufacturers. but to the volume ~
Of bales required for insulation to
telephone and radio wires has IN
creased u a remarkable degree: fhiS
need can only be filled by real silk
The growth of the artificial silk
industry has been enormous. but this
has not served to lessen use of tn"
real product in the slightest degree.
If artificial silk had not become
product might be greater. hut as IT.
is, consumption III this country IS
growing beyond present availabl"
supplies.
The prosperous condition OF tn"
finished silk industry is due in part,
Of course. to the natural increase in
population and also TO the higher
purchasing power of the workers a.
the country. whose woman folk ar"
purchasing silks in greater quantities
than ever before"
! Reserves Being Used Up.
Silk association figures show tha'
on March there We're 1856 bales
in principal Warehouses. Imports for
March amounted to 2S.336 bales, max
! ing a total Of 72.951 bales Stocks
on April ] amounted to 1896 bales
which shows the extent to which
preserves were absorbed. During
March 33.515 bales were delivered to
American mills. or 5,179 more bales
than were imported.
| Imports in 1922 amounted to an
/ average of $3.50 bales month and
not much more than that amount
! can be counted on this month than
was shipped in March. In 1919
! l.366.o0o pounds of artificial silk were
output OF this product has grown is
J shown by the figures for 1922. which
| totaled 24.406.00O pounds
! silk Goods Viewers show PROFIT
stores which have never handled
| high priced goods before now are
| stocked heavily with silk goods and
| the cloth manufacturers in general
| are in splendid position. Profits OF
! the Mallinson Company are expected
| TO exceed those in 1922, and the earn
! ings of the Julius Kayser Company
| TOR the Hscal year ending next Au-
! gust 81 probably will establish d
| high record for that concern. If in
| ventories are listed at a conservative
| price level. Rating the inventory
| value of silk at So a pound below the
! current quotations, the earnings OF
the Julius Kayser Company for the
| six months ending March 1 were ~
| annually on the common stock
\ million dollars in merchandise
! orders is expected to flow into the
bank deposits of Pacific coast mer-
chants and distributors this week a
a result of the rains which have
ended a SIX weeks drouth in central
and northern California and which
| have improved the crop outlook Of
the san Joaquin valley and Other
agricultural districts Farmers arr
ordering lumber. seed. hardware and
farm implements in astonishing
quantities.
Labor Shortage Grows.
ST. PAUL. April tSpeciaN.-The
resumption of work on the ST. Pau
union passenger station has revealed
| Il shortage of common labor and semi
skilled construction workers, which eX-
perts fear. will become acute wher
other large building operations get
under way. Increased wages are de-
clared 10 be certain. State officials
said today that the general labor
shortage in this state is unprecedent-
ed at this season of the year
Start Big Hotel In June.
DETROIT. April Q Especially W OH
on the second Statler Hotel here
which will cost $10.000.000 and con-
tain 1.SO0 rooms, will commence early
| in June. The activity of building
here is indicated by a report by the
register of deeds showing that the
number of deeds and mortgage re-
corded in the last month was about
double the number recorded in March
1922.
Plan S1,OOO.OOO Gas Plant.
SAGINAW, Mich. April tSpeciaD.-
Contracts have been awarded fot
construction of a 100000 gas plan
which will he erected between sag
NAV and Bay City, and which viii.
serve both cities.