Evening star., 1933-09-26
.RAYON M|[LSKEPT
At CAPACITY PACE
Styles, Silk Strikes and Price
Ratios Create Huge
Demand.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star
NEW YORK, September 26.-Fashion
trends, strikes in the broadsilk industry
and . moderate price policy adopted
by trade leaders last Spring account
for the present position of rayon.
Rayon production Is at capacity,
some yarns for immediate delivery being
acutely short Of supply. November out
put Is completely sold and mills are
planning to expand manufacturing ca
pacity.
Dame fashion is to blame in part
for this wide gain in rayon consump-
ton, as was indicated today by an
products here by leading factor in
the trade and by Chicago dispatches
detailing the showing Of synthetic tex
tiles in the large stores there.
Taffeta. moires and velvets with
rayon piling, along with satins and
silk mixtures. are furthering the use
Of rayon. The dress cutters. unable
to obtain their broadsilks because OF
the weavers and dyers' strikes. are
utilizing rayon. Not only are the lower
priced dress manufacturers purchasing
the artificial silk, but SO are underwear
makers and hose manufacturers who
cater to the chain store distributors.
Prices Differ Widely.
The range of rayon yarn, viscose $50
dernier 40s. first quality, here thus far
this year has been from so to IS cents
q pound Meanwhile the best quality
of raw silk in this market. double
extra cracks 70 per cent, has ranged
from a low of $1.15 a pound to high
of S242l2 Middling uplands cotton
advanced from o low Of $50 to high
Of ll55 cents q pound. Wool. terri
tory fine combing blood. in Bos-
ton, rose from Al to 81 cents q pound
Rayon consumption. in 1888, accord
ing to Stanley B. Hunt, writing In
Textile Organon, has gained 81 per
cent over the first seven months OF
1892 Cotton use has gained IS per
cent and wool utilization So per cent
over the same period OF a year ago.
Price differentials between silk and
rayon have enabled the latter to COM
pete with greater ease. Silk use was
up only per cent in the first seven
months contrasted with the same 1882
period.
Plant-expansion plans OF II Of the
Is American rayon mills. according to
Mr.. Hunt, call for installations of ma
chinery that win add ~ .000, 900 pounds
to production next year. The trade
does not believe this increase will AFFECT
the market materially. Such a situa-
ton might easily induce new interests
to enter the making of rayon. but this
is prevented by the firm moderate
price policy Of present producers and
the new securities act. which makes
financing Of such new projects virtually
impossible.
Output Controlled.
Yarn monthly available under the
four processes in this country, Is esti-
mated at 1880, 900 pounds, or the rate
Of current production. Unlike last
Spring, however. weavers and kn1tters
cannot draw against stocks, for. with
the exception of small floating sup
ply" no stocks are to be had. as .
result of the "man-made control OF
rayon production
Low price levels of rayon not only
are spurring demand for it. but also
are making some important changes
in other textile products. Underwear
makers report q trend from silk to
rayon, though manufacturers OF the
latter insist some Of the low-end un-
dergarments will be priced considerably
higher this season. Former au-Wooi
sweater makers now plan to use only
IS per cent worsted yarn. Hose knit
ters who formerly made only silk,
though of cheap grade, now are
turning out seamless rayon stockings.
Berlin cables indicate that the Ger
man rayon cartel is alarmed by the
huge increase of japanese rayon yarn
exports to the Reich within the last
few months. British rayon exports IN
August exceeded those Of q year ago
but shipments in the first eight months
we're lower. Imports, London cables re-
veal, were up both in August and Tor
the first eight months.
(Copyrieht 1880