Evening star., 1924-07-11
SILK HOSE DEMAND
SPEEDS Up MILLS
Stocking Sales $3.50, 900, 900
Per Year-Heavy Buying
Also in Hat Trade.
BY j. c. ROYLE.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK, July 11.-Some indus
tries today are making money out OF
the extremities of the American peo-
pie. This is meant purely in a phySi-
cal sense and does not indicate
profiteering in any way. For the
firms in question are engaged in pro.
viding coverings for the heads an6
feet of American citizens, and are
most busily and protitably engaged.
The desire of American women tc
of the public has developed stocking
manufacture from an industry with
total sales of $9,O00,000 to one OF
$250,0O0,0OO in late years. Production
has almost doubled since 1904, ac-
cording to the Real Silk Institute OF
America, located at Indianapolis
Enough Enough stockings were manufac
tured in the last year to allow every
inhabitant nine Dars. In 1904 produc-
tlon averaged six and half pairs
tor each man, woman and child.
Boom i'm Silk Hosiery.
When silk hose was placed within
the buying range of other than the
wealthy, stocking manufacture took
It's frst bound upward. Women began
To buy with regard to appearance as
well as for comfort and wear, and
d well turned foot and ankle became
physical and sartorial asset. When
fashion shortened the skirt, produc-
ton hgures were heightened in direct
ratio, and the trend was further in
creased by the demand for coloreG
hose which would match or harmon
lze with the frock worn.
The trend toward sheer silk hos
iery of the chiffon and lace types
combined with the relegation of the
high shoe to the background, raised
production to 1,O15,749,0S4 pairs in
this country in 1919. Production this
year, it is estimated, will be slightly
under the 1919 figures, but this will
be due rather to caution of manu-
facturers in holding down stocks and
awaiting development of fashion
trends than to lessening of demand
Output Vary Large.
In the last year reports from 27O
establishments, controlling the larger
portion of the stocking output, show
that I96.159.512 pairs of cotton hose
ll5146,4SS pairs of all-silk and 30
266.97b pairs of silk -and-cotton or
wool mixtures. Nearly 5I.O00,O0O
pairs of children's and infants hose
We're made and 53,934,4S0 pairs of
boys and girls stockings were pro-
duced.
The vogue for knickerbockers for
both men and women. which fol-
lowed the increased hold golf has
taken on the American public, ran
the sport hose production to 2,512,00s
pairs.
Stocks on hand are light at presen,
and sales prospects tor the remainder
of the year are good. For the first
six months Of this year 342 estab-
l1shmentS. making 10.4 of the total
value of the hose produced in the
country, turned out l61, 1,47O.596 pairs
Hat Production Going Ahead.
While trade interests in many lines
are hesltating, one purveyor to the
other exit entity, head, has decided tc
go ahead at full speed. After the
July holiday the john B. Stetson Com
pany Of Philadelphia. large hat manu-
facturers, began operations on full
time. Frank g. Rochards, genera
manage, in discussing the business
outlook today, said:
The domestic dem.:nd for hats is
especially pressing at this time ant
this speaks well for business condi-
tions Throughout. the United States
We have 1000 employees and from
10000 to 10000 hats row steadily are
in process of manufacture. Produc-
tfon is running ound $4,000 n week
or 1900 a day. The maximum out
put reached by the company was
1000 dozen a week, but that was
reached under unusual conditions anG
included soldiers hats, which re-
quired no trimming. So, you see, we
are now running close to capacity and
have good reason to feel encouraged
This condition is largely due to the
energy of the sales force
Mr. Richards added that styles
were largely a matte of locality and
that models designed for various sec
tionS of the COunt.= were adopted
after consultation with retail mer-
chants of each district, who were in
closest touch with the desires and re-
quirementS of their customers.