WORLD'S TEXTILE INDUSTRIES

Evening Star, Issue 19062, 3 October 1925, Page 2

WORLD'S TEXTILE INDUSTRIES

A paper on 'Textiles' was contributed by Mr John Syz, chairman of tho Swiss National Committee of tho chamber ami hon. president of tho International federation of Cotton Spinners to the recent congress of tho .International Chamber of Commerce. Dealing with output, the author said it had often been alleged that Iho output of a shorter working day would almost equal that of a longer one, since the mm would) arrive at their work in a better spirit, and, fooling fresher, would do more work. Experience had proved that in the textile industry this was a fallacy. In wellequipped factories which had always aimed at an intensive output there had boon no increase. The plant already worked at a speed which could not bo exceeded without injury to tho quality of the work produced. Workmen had therefore been given higher wages corresponding to tho reduction granted with regard to the working day; this surplus, like other general charges, bad to be apportioned to a reduced output, thereby increasing tho selling price. According to the author cotton was being prepared for use in most of the producing countries, with the exception of Egypt. In 1880 the number of spindles in tbs world amounted to 79,000,000 (Europe 64,500,000, America 12,500,000, Asia 2,000,000). _ Tho number had now risen to 156,000,000 (Europe 100,500,000/ America 41,000,000, Asia 14,500,000). During the past forty years, therefore in which tho demand for textiles had increased throughout tho world—in particular for the finer fabrics which was a sign of prosperity—Europe, the cradle of machine-made cotton goods, had increased her number of spindles by only 55 per cent., as compared with tho general increase, America by about 230 per cent., and Asia by 625 per cent. This development outside Europe, the author added, was still continuing, and the principal reasons he gave for it were high costs of production in Europe, Customs tariffs, commercial costs, and the rotes of exchange.

Dealing with manufacture, tha author stated that when comparing costs .of production the general rule was to estimate the average daily wage paid to the workman. This, however, often gave rise to errors. The essential fact—and this cannot be overemphasised—was not what the workman earned, but the amount of work ho did in exchange for the wages paid him. When, further, it was a question of work mainly done by women and children, who received only one-half or one-quarter of the wages paid elsewhere, and those lower wages were paid* in some countries for a twelve-hour or a fourteen-hour day instead of an eighthour one, competition became impossible. ■Other working conditions also supervened abroad, and it was therefore of the greatest importance that the rules and regulations governing work should bo rendered more uniform in all industrial countries. The same author gave interesting information on the so-called artificial silk. Doing made from wood fibre, the product bad nothing in common with silk proper, and the author preferred to call it viscose. The false appellation had led to artificial sills, products having to pay the same Customs duties ■«« silk, and in addition to pay a luxury tax. The production of artificial silk for the prcfiant, year had been estimated to reach 70,000,000 kg—even double that of silk proper. If compared with cotton, the artificial silk production equalled the material spun from 400,000 bales of raw cotton. — ' Engineering.’