WOOL AND WOOLLEN GOODS IN AMERICA.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 5834, 20 November 1880, Page 3

WOOL AND WOOLLEN GOODS IN AMERICA.

The recent advance in tho price of wool to almost double its former figure has, the Washington Capital says, been the means of causing many of the beat-known manufacturers to indulge in the practice of a piece of deception such as they would have scorned a few years ago to even think of. By some process they havo of late been manufacturing and throwing on the market goods that are represented to be all- woollen goods, but which in reality are simply woollen goods with cotton carded into the fabric, and carded in so dexterously that even the best experts are deceived. The goods of this description of course lose their color atter a little wear, aud then the deception becomes apparent. This, howevei, is but of little benefit to the clothing dealer, who buys his goods believing them to be pure wool, and of course sells them as such after they are made up into articles of wearing apparel. The dealer, perhaps, may never learn that he has been cheated ; but the customer is undeceived before long, and naturally throws the blame upon the dealer. There has been so much of this business going on of late that the clothing dealers generally have become suspicious, and a chemical process has been hit upon, which has been found to act like a charm iv detecting the presence of cotton in woollen goods. A reporter a few days ago was shown the workings of this process by Mr A. Saka. A mixture of chemicals was placed in a saucer, and put over a iluid lamp until it commenced to boil. "Now," said Mr Saks, as he took a sample piece of cloth in his hand aud submitted it to the reporter for inspection, " what do you think of this cloth?" The reporter expressed his belief that, judging from appearances, it was a particularly fine specimen of woollen goods, and on a close inspection failed to detect any signs of cotton. "Well, wo shall see," said Mr Saks. " This preparation will consume all the animal material, leaving only the vegeLable ;" so saying, he placed the sample in a saucer. Iv a moment the process of dissolution commenced, and a few moments later every bit of wool had been boiled away, leaving cotton enough to have constituted fully 3onethird of the piece as it was beforo being placed in the saucer. The cotton was not placed under tho wool, but had been carded in with it. A piece of all-wool cloth was placed iv the saucer, and was entirely dissolved, and several other tests were made wliich proved that the process was infallible. Mr Saks said that he was now testing every piece, and that where deceived as to the quality, all the counterfeit goods were at once sent back to tho mills. " How much higher will clothing be this fall than last?" "In very lowgrade goods about 30 per cent. ; in line goods not over 15. There aro many dealers who will have to buy at the full advance, and those that do so will find tho advance greater."