Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-23
BUTTON INDUSTRY
SUPPLIES DW|NDLE
Lack of MusseiS Proves Sc
rious Handicap to U. S.
Factories.
BY ]. c. RoYLE.

BY J. c. ROYLE.
Button, button, who has the button?
That question is still unanswered, so
far as the pearl button industry is
but at least the Mississippi
River seems to have lost the button.
The domestic pearl button industry,
which normally produces about $4,000
900 worth of manufactured products
each year from Inussel shells, is now
in a critical situation.
The upper Mississippi River beds,
which normally produce the largest
portion of the pearl button raw ma
terial have ceased to be commercially
Domestic supplies of mus
sci shells from other areas are wholly
inadequate. Consequently prices have
advanced between 80 and 40 per cent.
If Paris dress designers determined
suddenly to use pearl buttons as trim
ming decoration the advance probably
would be increased very materially by
the further demand. Button companies
are sending representatives to foreign
countries to seek new supplies, and q
certain amount of shell is already COM
ing in from China and Mexico.
Few New Beds.
The depletion of the supplies is at
tributed to everlasting and pollution
of streams. The difficulty is largely
based on the decline in the number of
fish in the various streams. The young
or "glochidia," in the early
stages of their development are at
tached to fish and draw their substance
from the blood of the fish. AS the
streams have been fished out and the
fish have died or been driven away
by the pollution Of the waters, the pop
ulation Of the mussels has dropped of.
There have been few reports of new
beds of young Inussels in the last few
years. This condition was first noted
in 1925 by the Bureau of Fisheries,
when r. E. Croker. an expert of the
bureau, discovered that the niggerhead
mussel, the most important species of
The upper Mississippi, was not reseed-
ing itself successfully on that river.
Unless supply of healthy mussels to
serve as brood stock can be found and
placed in unpolluted waters the future
Of the pearl button industry is in
danger.
The Bureau Of Fisheries contends for
a thorough physical, chemical and bio
logical study of all actual and potential
waters in the MiSsis-
sippi and Gulf drainage area to dis
cover the streams favorable to the ex-
tension Of mussel culture.
There are approximately 500 species
Of fresh-water Ynussels and CLAIMS found
In the United States but only Al of
these furnish shells which can be used
IN the manufacture of buttons and
novelties. This commercial supply is
restricted to flowing waters
passing through limestone strata. These
include most of the streams of the
Basin and some of those Of
the Great Lakes and Gulf drainage
area.
Factory Output.
The shells Of the button mussels have
a pearly white or iridescent nacre lin
ing. They are thick enough to permit
the cutting of blanks and tough enough
SO that they do not readily chip or
break The buttons at the present time
are made from these materials in II
major plants located in Iowa, wiscon-
sin, Missouri, New York and Massa-
chusetts. There are also many SUBJ
sidiary factories throughout the Mis-
sissippi Valley.
About 5000 persons are employed in
the factories and about 20,25o,000 gross
OF buttons are produced each year. The
residue of the shells after the button
blanks have been stamped from them
are used in poultry feed cut shells,
stucco and miscellaneous products. Oc-
casionally these l11ussels yield excep-
tionally beautiful pearls. but the fisher
men depend almost entirely on the shell
for their profits. Until this year about
$1,000 tons of shell have been marketed
annually in various forms.
Packers Extend Operations.
Everybody knows who has been feed
ng the American people meat From
his time forward many consumers will
have very good idea of who are feed
ng them the remainder Of the dietary
schedule. This Is coming about through
he modification of the packers con-
'ent decree which took place shortly
after the first of this year. The fore
most Of the packers is concluding the
1nal arrangements for the handling Of
complete line OF canned fruits and
vegetables at wholesale under their own
brands, the value of these brands hav-
ng been adequately established in con-
1ectton with meat products. Now it will
De expanded to include fruits and vege-
,ables. Other firms are making similar
plans.
Swift & Co, the first of the packers
o take advantage of the new dispensa-
ion, is shaking itself free from all en-
processes of production and
distribution. There is extremely small
ioubt that the Swift products in the
'ruit and vegetable field will be pre-
1areo and canned by Libby, McNeal 81
libby. Libby. McNeal & Libby was for
nerly controlled by Swift & Co., but
he alliance was discontinued in 1918.
Libby, McNeal e. Libby operate about
"a Yln1fc fhrNtinINntsf l,a VT,gk
md Canada and it is probable that only
! certain line of products will go out
lnder the Swift trade mark from these
plants. The remainder will be marketed
,y Libby, McNeal g. Libby as hereto
ore through its own sales force. The
Swift products will be marketed, ac-
'ording to President c.. F. Swift,
through the existing Swift branch
houses and over existing car routes by
he present force of Swift statesmen.
This will give Swift a more complete
Inc OF fruit products than any packer
has heretofore had. 1t will permit a
WIDER use Of existing sales forces and
here is no question but what the COM
,etitors Of Swift a. Co. will follow sim
lar lines in the not far distant future.
Refrigerator Cars Sold.
Swift e. Co. has taken still fur
her steps to disassociate itself from
difficulties. All of Swift
abroad cars, including refrigerator and
ank cars operated by Swift g. Co.,
rave been sold to the American
Tank Car Corporation This transac-
ion included the repair plants and
plants which the packers
lave maintained TO keep refrigerator
'ars in proper condition. These plants,
or a time at least, will be utilized by
he American Tank Car Corporation
or similar purposes. Future require
nents of refrigerator and tank cars for
Swift g. Co. will be supplied by the
American Tank Car Corporation on
ong term leases. Under these leases it
hnh LII L..