Evening star., 1932-10-08
KNIT GOODS TRADE I
STEPS UP OUTPUT
Inrcease of IS Per Cent In
Production Is Expected
Within Month.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special DISpdtcH 70 Inc 6thr.
NEW YORK, October ga gain q
IS per cent over present operations
within the month and another general
advance in quotations in many lines
were predicted by members of the Ma
tional Association of Hosiery and Un-
derwear Manufacturers gathered here
for their convention.
. Deliveries in many lines of knit goods,
especially mems heavyweight under
wear and women's full-fashioned hose,
are SO far behind that production has
been increased to its highest rate in
two years. Southern underwear makers
are from four to six weeks late in di-
hyeries, causing some of them to re-
fuse new business. To ward off fresh
demands, these mills in some instances
have marked up quotations. This move
was followed at once by Northern
factories.
Hose Demand Increased.
Although many hosiery mills are
working night and day, lifting general
operations to rs per cent for the in
dustry, which is expected to go
to 80 per cent before November
l, they cannot supply the full-fash-
ioned hose demand. Meanwhile, some
sections of the industry remain idle,
either because of credit conditions or
the lines they handle. Their machinery,
however, is not such that they cannot
assist the rushed mills on present orders.
The series of specials" and close
out" in the hosiery trade have virtually
ceased. In fact, some of the sellers
concede that the catchy slogan, sell
ana repent has more sting in it than
some CT its users realize Such mills
mad to turn inventories into ready cash
to buy supplies of raw silk. They got
the latter, but they missed the price
advances on their finished goods.
Then, too, the industry was fright
ened at the appearance of the non-run
stocking. but experts insist that this
product will not be selling in sufficient
volume to affect sales until late next
Spring. Meanwhile, Berkshire Knitting
Mills and Rosedale Knitting Mills have
advanced their low-end full-fashioned
hose by 25 cents a dozen. This upward
revision will be followed by other
makers
About so per cent Of the Autumn
business is yet to be placed, according
to trade estimates. Resident buyers con-
slider this figure somewhat high, placing
it around IS per cent. But buyers for
holiday trade will have the prospect Of
higher prices and non-deliverie5 staring
them in the face with each days delay.
Silk Price Advance.
The hosiery market registered its first
general advance last month as it sud-
denly realized that for nearly two
months the price of raw silk had been
moving upward. Hosiery makers were
one of the last groups to adjust prices
of their products with those of raw ma
terials
From the National Association OF
Hosiery & Underwear Manufacturers
comes the comment that any additional
bookings of full-fashioned hose will put
the mills into January production. as
they are booked tight to the end Of
the year. Previously most makers. as
the association had asked, restricted ac-
tual production to firm orders, with the
result that they had only small inven-
tories on hand just before the Mid
summer buying wave set in in many
parts Of the Nation.
Copyright 1927