JAPAN AS SILK PRODUCER.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 15221, 20 May 1920, Page 5

JAPAN AS SILK PRODUCER.

.- ■— '' Z ' "■ I In the topsy-turvy dom -of commercial and industrial conditions, perhaps the silk trade presents the most unique situation in • the world to-day. Wlide no commodity.,. is mora rigid iy restr.ctcd in supply, tnere is none for which there is a more ; imperious demand. This leaps and: bounds by which prices have- increased in consequence have had no deterrent effect ;on the eagerness of the luxury-purchasing public. Nor "is it expected that buying will be , curtailed during, the continuance of the present •prosperity in this country. ■ The world's supply of raw silk comes .•al.most entirely from Japan. The small Eurbpeah^roduetion was almost entirely cut off ' by the' war, and the Chinese, have fallen, far behind in the race by j their persistence in antiquated methods. ! In 1919 Japah exported mote than: 150,000 bales of raw silk, of which, all but some 3500 bales went to the United .States'...- The . American ihiports amounted roughly to 35,000,000 pounds, an .increase; of t',000,000 pound? .since the j opening of the world war. In that time" tlie, value of the importations increased, in ro\Vpd. numbers, froiii £16,000,000 to £40,000,000. | Tho disproportionate increase in value indicates, the trend of prices towards the end' of tho year. On account of the strategic positioil which the Japanese exporter holds, it is/ said' that he 'makes a profit of 1000 per ' cent, at present prices. But it, is pot only the" exporter who. is" fortunate. 'Even tne Japanese farmer who ! 'engaged in' silk culture only as a side issue of ten receives "more for his of coc'66ns than for, all his other produce combined: But, the farmer must, raise, food, and; .for this reason, the amount of silk that Japan ra : se_ cannot be appreciably increased. The Nation may well be satisfied, however^ with what the silk worm is doing for it, since the output of raw silk'pays for; 'ail the raw materials which it' is "necessary to .buy "outside bf the islands 'and .yields in addition a/handsome balj aiice of ti-de.— Leslie's Weekly . • '