IMPORTS

Table 20, covering the period from July 25, 1897, to December 31, 1924, shows the imports for consumption of loom harness or healds under the act of 1897, of loom harness, healds, or collets, under the acts of 1909 and 1913, and of loom harness, healds, and collets, under the act of 1922.

Imports consist largely of the finest healds for the ribbon and silk industry, and are generally from France, and at times from Switzerland.

TABLE 20.-Loom_harness, healds, and collets, of cotton (or other vegetable fiber)— Imports for consumption-Revenue, 1898-1924

1 From July 25, 1897, to June 30, 1898, inclusive. Imports not recorded prior to act of 1897.

* From July 1 to Oct. 3, 1913, inclusive.

From Oct. 4, 1913, to June 30, 1914, inclusive.

4 July 1 to Dec. 31, 1918, inclusive.

• Includes 6,142 pounds, valued at $11,698, dutiable at 25 per cent ad valorem, and 569 pounds, valued at $2,114, dutiable at 25 per cent ad valorem and 7 cents a pound.

Jan. 1 to Sept. 21, 1922, inclusive.

' Includes 3,305 pounds, valued at $3,859, dutiable at 25 per cent ad valorem, and 1,167 pounds, valued at $7,129, dutiable at 25 per cent ad valorem and 7 cents a pound.

For 9,189 days, equivalent to 25.18 years.

Sept. 22 to Dec. 31, inclusive.

10 Preliminary figures.

COMPETITIVE CONDITIONS

The domestic manufacture of twine harness is confined largely to products of the standard type made of domestic twines of medium yarns and used in the general run of weaving in fly-shuttle looms. It is delivered to the consumer in condition for the process of web

drawing. The domestic demand for this type has hitherto been fully supplied by the domestic industry. Although there have been no competitive imports, it was reported that in 1923 a large manufacturer of cotton print-cloths imported 1,500 full sets of standard twine harness of this type from England, at a landed price, including duty, 30 per cent below the selling price of the domestic article. Imported harness of this type would land in the form of bundles of twine healds, the healds being knitted together at the end in the process of manu-. facture, and the additional expense of the necessary shafts, of stringing and spacing the healds thereon, and of the screw-eyes would fall upon the importing consumer, tending to offset to some extent the alleged difference in price. With this reported exception, imports of twine harness have consisted almost wholly of fine cabled and braided twine healds, in bundles, mainly for use on silk ribbon looms and in the weaving of skein-dyed broad silks, and have been of French or Swiss origin.

The largest imports of healds of this type come from France in bundles of 50,000 each. They vary from 15 to 17 inches in length, and are made of two strands each, of fine twine braided or knitted to form the openings for the eyes and loops; some of the healds are supplied with two "eyes" or "mails" for double-deck weaving. Imported healds of this type compete in the domestic ribbon and broad-silk weaving trade with the fine domestic healds previously described; and although the domestic type, owing to its construction, requires about twice as much material per end of warp as that used in the fine imported healds, the price of the domestic article is still on a competitive basis with that of the imported type, this being due to the smaller amount of labor and time required in its production. The domestic manufacturer has a further advantage when prompt deliveries of fine healds are demanded. He is, however, at a disadvantage in the matter of raw materials, as he is obliged to import his finest twines from England at landed prices that necessarily include the duties provided for fine yarns. There is no fine domestic harness in which the healds are formed in the same manner as in the competing imports.

Various types of Jacquard healds are also imported; these are equipped with brass, bronze, or glass "mails." They are generally imported in two sizes, 7 and 7 inches, or 7 and 9 inches, as to top and bottom spacings. The Jacquard healds are of a very fine cotton or linen yarn, plied but not cabled, and glazed. Healds for Jacquard weaving are imported from France.

There are no imports of fine harness from England. Some fine healds come from Switzerland, but a large domestic dealer asserts that their price is likely to be higher than that of the French makes, on account of differences in labor costs.

Imported Jacquard healds are generally from Lyons, and fine healds from St. Etienne, France. It is held in the trade that collets can not at present be imported at a profit.

Metal heddles are not included in paragraph 913 of the tariff act of 1922, being provided for in paragraph 316; yet, owing to the fact that at times such heddles supplant loom harness and healds of twine, it is of significance that such metal heddles are imported in competition with heddles of domestic manufacture.

TARIFF HISTORY

Imports of loom harness or healds, made of cotton or other vegetable fiber, or of which cotton or other vegetable fiber is the component material of chief value, were provided for in paragraph 320 of the act of 1897, at a compound duty of 50 cents per pound and 25 per cent ad valorem, but collets were not specially mentioned. In paragraph 330 of the act of 1909, imports of loom harness, healds, or collets, made of cotton or other vegetable fiber, were provided for at a compound duty of 50 cents per pound and 25 per cent ad valorem; and in paragraph 262 of the act of 1913 at 25 per cent ad valorem. In paragraph 913 of the present law (act of 1922) imports of loom harness, healds, and collets, made wholly or in chief of cotton or other vegetable fiber, are made dutiable at 25 cents per pound and 25 per cent ad valorem.

FOREIGN PRODUCTION

No statistics are available for foreign production of loom harness, healds, and collets.

PRICE DATA

Standard cotton twine harness is generally purchased in the domestic market complete, ready for web-drawing and hanging-up in the loom. The price per set of such harness depends upon the material, size, and type of twine used, the number of eyes per shade and their spread, the depth of the shade, the number of shades per set, the size of the wooden shafts, and the number of screw-eyes. Such harness is also frequently adapted for use in automatic warpdrawing machines by the addition of heald-separating and spacing spiral springs and rods, this generally being done by the manufacturer, at a small advance in price, and much below the corresponding cost of the same work if done at the weaving mill. Harness, so completed, is shipped in crates to the consumer. In the domestic market, standard price lists adopted by the trade are available for harness of different types, and competitive net prices quoted by manufacturers are practically identical. The price per set of domestic standard harness is made up of the price of the shafts, the screweyes in the shafts, and the total healds or harness eyes in the set, the price of the harness eyes being affected to some extent by the number per inch, as well as by the size and type of twine used.

CONCLUSIONS

Owing to dissimilarity in the details and methods of construction of the domestic article and of the imported types, as outlined, comparative costs per pound would be of no value. Under present conditions the fine healds from France and Switzerland, previously described, are imported for use in certain branches of the weaving industry, in competition with domestic products adapted to the same purpose. The reported import in 1923 of 1,500 sets of standard twine harness for common cotton weaving may indicate the possibility of imports of this type competing with comparable domestic products.

COURT AND TREASURY DECISIONS

There are no decisions of importance on loom harness, healds, and collets, wholly or in chief value of cotton or other vegetable fiber.

107634—25†—1—7—————6

IX. LABELS FOR GARMENTS OR OTHER ARTICLES

GENERAL INFORMATION

DESCRIPTION AND USES

Labels for garments or other articles, composed of cotton or other vegetable fiber, imports of which are provided for in paragraph 913 t of the act of 1922, are assumed to be woven although not so specifically stated. The bulk of labels imported under this paragraph are woven on narrow-ware looms, and with fast edges.

Cotton woven labels are generally used on garments that are to be washed or laundered, manufacturers of such garments generally having their individual styles of labels, which serve as trade-marks for the identification and advertising of their products. In recent practice labels are also being attached to indentify cloths of established reputation from which some garments are made.

The lettering and figured designs in woven labels are produced in the process of weaving by the introduction of yarns of different colors, the ground weave being usually of bleached yarns.

THE DOMESTIC INDUSTRY

History. The manufacture of woven labels for garments originated in England but imports now come largely from the Barmen district in Germany. The highly successful domestic weaving of labels is due to the perfection of the domestic ribbon loom with the Jacquard head, including all necessary modern equipment; also to the technical experience of the executives of the industry, many of whom learned its details in the Barmen district. The largest domestic plant was established in 1888 and incorporated in 1896. Labels were first specifically mentioned in the act of 1897.

Geographical distribution.-Statistics are not available as to the manufacturing of labels for garments as a separate or distinct industry. One of the leading textile directories lists label-weaving plants as follows: Nine in New Jersey, 4 in New York, and 1 each in California, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania; one of the domestic companies also controls a plant in Ontario.

Organization and equipment figures as to plants engaged primarily in the weaving of labels are not separately shown in the Census of Manufactures, but are included in the statistical data of the smallwares industry. Although the textile directory lists 16 plants, other large plants engaged in the manufacture of small wares are also equipped for the weaving of labels, especially those of medium weaves and grades, and the development of the industry has doubtless advanced greatly beyond the above figures. In the Senate Finance Committee hearings on the tariff bill, in 1922, it was stated that the total investment in the industry amounted to $8,000,000; that there were in operation between 1,200 and 1,500 looms; and that the annual pay roll totaled $1,500,000 for approximately 1,000 employees.

Materials used.-Cotton woven labels are made from cotton yarns, the ground of the labels being usually woven of bleached warp and filling. The ground weave is generally plain, the lettering and figures being developed in the process of weaving with the addi

tion of fast-dyed yarns of different colors and shades. While labels of coarse and medium texture can be successfully woven from medium yarns, fine texture requires fine yarns, and labels of the finest texture and detailed designs call for finest yarns. In fine labels the warp yarns may range from 100s two-ply to 200s two-ply, mule spun, gassed, bleached, and prepared. In the selvages, warp yarns are at times used that average 80s two-ply. The filling yarn in the ground weave is generally 70s single. About 60 per cent of the labels contain red yarns, and these are generally of the Turkey-red dyed type, and about 60s two-ply. Approximately 20 per cent contain black yarns, Nos. 50s to 60s, and the remaining 20 per cent yarns of other colors. One of the largest manufacturers of fine labels imports his bleached fine yarns from England, and his fast-dyed yarns from Germany. The very fine yarns, mule spun, gassed, bleached, and prepared, are not made in the United States; and the fast-dyed yarns are imported on account of the demand for dyes that will withstand the abuse of the laundry, alkalis, and perspiration, and remain fast to light and not bleed in boiling. The filling yarns are generally regular ring-spun twist in the original.

It is stated in the trade that domestic 60s two-ply yarn can be mercerized and dyed by local job dyers, who will furnish a fast dye against bleaching and bleeding, but which will be uncertain against alkalis. It is now possible, however, to obtain domestic fast-black dyed cotton yarns in medium numbers that will meet all the requirements for a label. Of the labels used in shirts of a certain popular and standard brand, those containing fast-black yarns are of domestic manufacture and contain domestic yarns exclusively. For the very fine yarns domestic gassing and bleaching are said to be unsatisfactory; although coarse and medium domestic yarns can be had of satisfactory bleach and finish, yet in the very fine numbers, if the bleach is sufficient, the yarn is so tendered that it will not stand the subsequent scouring processes.

Mercerized cotton yarns are also used, in fact, yarns mercerized before dyeing, are sometimes the more economical. (See Section I, under the head, Bleaching, dyeing, and finishing.),

Methods of production. The subjects of yarn preparation, the narrow fabric loom, bleaching, dyeing, and finishing have been treated in detail in Section I-Fabrics with fast edges not exceeding 12 inches in width and articles made therefrom.

Most label-weaving plants purchase all yarns ready bleached or dyed, and merely perform the necessary operations of winding, warping, quilling, and web-drawing, preparatory to hanging-up the looms. The labels are woven with fast edges on narrow-ware looms, provided with Jacquard heads, and with from four to six banks of shuttles for varying the filling in each weaving space; the shuttle of each bank contains a separate filling, the shuttle being changed, according to the weaving design, while the loom is in operation.

The entire lettering and figured designs are completed in each unit or label, each complete repeat constituting one label, the repeats continuing as the loom operates, and the narrow fabric as produced being wound up as a ribbon. The line of separation for the cutting apart of the labels is indicated in the process of weaving by the proper change of filling on predetermined picks. The completed fabric is shipped in rolls to the consumer.