Evening star., 1926-05-28
WO0LEN INDUSTRY
HELD TO Be "S|CK"
Mill Heads in Passaic Dis
b trict Consider Complete
Shutdown.
By j. E. KOYIE.
Special Dispatch to The star.


ducticn of output will not suffice to
put the wooden manufacturing indus
try back on its feet, even with Labor
troubles eliminated That was the
opinion expressed today by a mill ex-
ecutive. who is known s one of the
greatest woolen goods designers of
the world.
1t Is an open secret that while strik.
ers are arguing over the acceptance
Of "one big union" discussing the
findings Of bombs and presenting ap-
peals for investigation to Federal Of
ficials in Washington. the mills Of this
district are considering n complete
shut which may or may not
last indefinitely.
The mill executives feel unmistak
ably that. irrespective of the immedi.
ate questions at issue concerning the
restoration of last Autumn's wage re,
duction by some mills here. the wcolen
manufacturing industry is sick and
that neither the cutting of of pro
duction by the enormous plants here
nor the settlement Of the strike will
serve to restore IL to normal
The conditions which exist not only
affect the mills in this section hut
those in New England. Pennsylva MIA
on the Pacific Coast and elsewhere, as
well g the wool growers of The coun-
try and every man. woman and child
who wears clothes or sleeps under
woolerf coverings.
Couldn't Keep Pace.
The industry. according TO the head
Of what is said TO he The most per
fectly equipped woolen mill in the
world, has failed to keep up with the
.f
bumped first by the decided move.
ment of population to the South. This
move has made extremely heavy
woolen clothing for. Winter nnneces-
sarN for a large number of people.
People no longer buy heavy Winter
suits because heating Of houses, Of
fices and public Conycyances has go
improved that the heavyweight fab
RIGS have become u burden rather
than necessity. The popula tion ha g
become accustomed in recent years to
move with the climate. hence extreme
degrees of heat or cold need not be
provided against.
There was a time not many years
ago when suit was one Of the
annual requirements of every woman.
Today women have turned TO dresses
and to the lighter fabrics included
III Spttoii' 10y ofI. sim. Sllh-dIIu -WOOISI
mixtures and ol-and-rayon COM
hinations.
Trend Toward Furs.
The trend toward f,irs has put a
tremendous dent i'm the cutting up
of wooden cloth. 1t is possible today
to buy a fur coat. either Of natural
muskrat or the cheaper domestic
furs which simulate the wild varie.
f,S. hn, ivt,
grade wooden coat will cost. II is no
longer necessary to depend on the
trappers in the wilds for furs. They
are being produced on farms near
the consuming markets. The mere
trend toward fur trimmings. collars
and cuffs has made marked reduc-
ton in woolen cloth consumption.
The United States still consumes
more raw wool than Is produced
within it's borders. Rut much of this
wool is entirely unsuitable for manu-
featuring the finer fabrics and Aus
tralians get the profit of new and
original textile designs to greater
extent than do wool growers OF the
West.
To add to the complications of the
situation, many Of the woolen mills
are equipped with machinery to turn
out alf.inch.thick fabrics which now
are salable in constantly lessening
territory of the North. Much Of this
machinery Is antiquated. The guam
tity production Of the woolen mills
is now ahead Of consumption. The
change to quality production must be
at the expense. Of a change Of both
policy and machinery.
"Where once wooden mills sold
tkeir output by the thousands OF
pieces" said Passaic mill executive
ioday, now they are forced to sell
cuts which merely so into the sam
pIe lines Of clothing ma nufacturers.
All mills will open the season with
40 to so fabrics. but the real business
will he done in or ). What those
or 5 will be cannot be told in ad-
vance. but the mill must he prepared
to meet the demands OF buyers In
The quantity they desire or lose the
business"
Advantage in Designing.
Fabric experts agree that foreign
competition can he met so far as
machinery. costs Of production and
worker eficiency is concerned. but
thev point out the advantage of the
foreign designers In some lines through
the assembling method of bulk pro-
duction.
"Rodier. the great French house. Is
enra ged in the distribution OF WOODEN.
worsted. velvet. silk. cotton and other
fabrics explained one American
mill man. But Rodier is In reality
designer. not manufacturer. He
designs fabric and then parcels out
it's production among dozen diner
ont small factories. His handmade
goods are constructed In the cottages
Of the peasants. He is in the same
nosition as an automobile manufac.
turer who buys a chassis from one
maker. a body from another. an EN-.
cine from a third and transmission
and springs from a iourth and NTH.
There exists no system which will
allow such production in America.
But what Is lost In this way is
more than regained by the uniform
n,,ality and dye Of the American goods
80 +he S,,periority Of American ma.