Evening star., 1926-09-12
ECONOM|ESSTUDy
IN TEXTILES URGED
Organization of Inter-Trade
Body to Survey Situation
Is Planned.
RY HARDEN COLFAX.

Steps are being taken toward the
organization of an interindustries com
mittee of national scope designed to
effect economies eventually which
may mean higher prices to the wool
grower and the cotton farmer ana at
the same time put clothing on the
backs Of American men and women
at lower costs.
Representatives of all the varied
lines of the textile industry, including
domestic producers and importers OF
raw materials, manufacturers of
fabrics and manufacturers OF cloth
ing, household merchandise and in
dustrial goods, and the distributors,
both wholesale and retail. together
with the numerous allied branches,
appear to have decided there Is a
common ground for silk and wool, for
rayon and cotton, and that now is
the time for all good men to come
to the aid of the situation.
No Revolution Expected.
No sudden revolution in any of
the stages Of production or in the
distribution is expected to be brought
about which will give the consumer
more raiment or bed clothing or au-
tomobile seat covers for less money
SAAhSiA AAS 40 poS Aiieo INV OoI ~ Ao OC-
lieved that economies, beginning on
the sheep range, the cotton field and
far distant mulberry trees where the
Silk worms spin can be carried
through every stage of the industry
until in course of time their develop.
ment will reach the consumer, mean.
while also benefiting business men all
along the line.
The industry itself has initiated the
movement to bring it's various
branches together. The Department
of Commerce has been asked to lend
helping hand and has been sound.
ing sentiment with results which
brought indications this week that
the formal organization of a national
textile committee to eliminate waste
Will take place this Fall.
Ihere are agricultural associations
manufacturers associations, import:
ers' and exporters organizations
trade associations of wholesalers and
retailers without number in the tex
tile field. They touch one another at
times. but principally in a single
pranch OF the industry such as when
manufacturers and distributors of
| the same kind of textile gods will
have organized contact.
Cotton and Wool Contact.
Nothing heretofore has been devised
to bring together the cotton and wool
interests all up and down both lines
for instance. The proposal for the ma
tional textile committee contemplates
a single contact point for every
phase of all branches Of the industry
1t will be a committee of industry it.
self, free from the dominance of gov.
ernment bureaus, although co-operat
ing with them.
Food. shelter and clothing are the
three essentials of life. The textile in
dustry, using the term in it's compre
hensive sense, has reached it's great
est proportions in the United States
Here, its manufacturing phase alone
ranks second among all manufac
lures, with an output annually val
ued at more than $4,000, 900 900 and
employing normally nearly 1000, ,0OC
workers.
The United States not only produces
more cotton than any other country
in the world. but it consumes more
More than half of all the cotton con
sumed in the mills of the world is
American grown.
This country is also the second
largest producer of wool, but is the
| largest manufacturer of this fiber and
imports about half it's total require
ments.
Leads in Silk Manufacture.
In silk manufacture and in the con
sumption of silk the United States Is