The King Of Shoddy Makers

A writer signlng himself "Yankee" semds this very interesting correspondencc to The Economist, from L?eds, Knglaad. It should be read by our farmers and worktag peop'e ef-pcclally: Just as in every other trade one man or firm rises to the top and is looked upon as "king." the 'ehnmpion," or the "beet house," so it is in the shoddy trade of Yorkshlre. Although there are scores of good makers of -filis olas sof muck yet it is genorally understood that the ex-mayor o,f Morley, Charles Scarth, Esq., J. P., is considered as the Champion maker of this class of maaufacturers, and when I state a positive fact, that he turned out thoutands upon thousaads of pieces at 10 cents per yard, of 44 luches in width, and is to-day making, week'y, hundreds of pieces of such ilke stuff, it will give your domestic makers some idea of what these shoddy men are doiag. To jny mind, aay man with any idea at all about a woven fabric, be it men'e wear or women's wear, woolen, such figures are astounding, and shou'd make your maaufacturers open their "peepies." but no, rather ivould I say hut them fast aga'ast a'l suca rubbish, for 1lie turning out oí this kind of "cloth" adds, to my mind, no dig-nity wbaterer. But the name of my honored frlend is as well known in Anglö-Americaa shipping circ'oá in Leeds, Bradiord, Huddersfield and Manchester, as a maa's next door neiglibor, and omehow he's always fousy. Just for a moment think ; this man today is running taree large factories, one of which has operated for years night iind day, which makes it equal to his running four large milis. And lie'a grinding away, year in and year out, this low, ignominious shoddy stuf", a good portion of which wil be worn on the backs of your Yaakee lasses, ior you must under.stand, Mr. Editor, th;it this maker produces most'y vomen"s wear stuff. A man said to me on'y yesterday when I ivas in ï?eds 1hat Gharley Scarth had sent to Brad ord this last six months, on an average of three big dray loads of finished pieces every day and he lmew fuU veil. that the carrier bad done weü out of the job. It must Te here said. for the information of your readers, that from Leeds to Bradford by road Is not mor ethan seven miles, and all the thousands of pieces eent to Bradford are delivered there by what is liere known as Xeds and Bradford carriers, they doiag it cheaper aad quickthan if sent by rail. But how is Mr. Scarth able to do sueli big things ? That has always to me until recently, been a "capper," but a day or two ago I had my ignorance a little enlightened. Talking to one of our leading ragmeu here, I Baid, "Mr. , you have from time to time had the privilege of Belling to Mr. Scarth, and what character of rags does he buy ?" ''Well," he said, "he buys what Is ie knowa in the trade as uncut common greys, that is, clean rlpped rags, all the old coats having had the inside linings clean removed. But you know the rags at that figure are of a very low quality, and anything of any style or character about it is not sold at that figure. That being ko you can easily understand what a rubbishy class of mungo it will produce." "But they teil me he's a very iiuick payer for his goods." "Yes, no one can find fault at that, but he's considered to be about one of taie keenest buyers ia the trade. He'il get mea down to the very last sixpence, pay his account at the iortnight end and pay it generally with a 21 days aiter date draft. Thafs his way of doing business, and fhrough his 5 per cent. discount, wlr.cn he always takes, andtheproiüs accuring from his woiking maehlnery, he is yoariy maktag a huge piie oí brass." Let your domestic makers understaad that several oï our cheap Yoikehire shoddy makers never count on making a sixpence on the thousands óf pieces tüicy turn out. Th y argüe that if the pieces on'y clear tiiemselves the machiuery prolite will show a handsome return. I was talking just a fortnight üince with a weil-known wool broker who had returned from a trip to your side and, of course, had been trying to do business with your domesiic makers, aad he frankly told me that American aiaauiacturers found the keenest competition from the goods made by this noted cheap Yorkshke maker. Said he, they feared Mr. Scarth more than anybody else on this side, and well they might, and in that they oaly share the same sentiment feit by many of his competitors in the trade Dots another manufacturer briag out a aew cloth and design and show it to the trade, Bradtord shippers iastantly submit it to Mr. Scarth, tor they know full well that he Is always ready to produce the Bame at least a fraction per yard cheaper. But how does he deal with the rage when they land In hls place? Of course, he treats them after the game marnier aa I described the process in cent letter, but that is not all. And it is here that I am able to chronicle what, to me, is the latest phenomenon in the art of cloth manufacture. A very good friend of mine was coming down in the train to business one morning this week, and there happened to be travelin? in the same compartment onfi of Mr. Scarth's leading workmen. Naturally the subject of conversation turned on to trade, and my friend inquired as to how they were off for work at their place. The fact that they were working all nlght is here suffkiont Convrsation continued, and the workman canrïidly informed my friend that at their mili fhey had a very handy way of fiHing their scribbling machines. "How is that ?" was inquired. "We'l." the man fsaid, "when the rags hav egone through the rag grinder, it is then of course. mungo. At most factories this thoddy is picked up and b'ended with other raw malerials such as wool and cotton, but with us. directly the rags are ground and come out at the opposite end of the machine as mungo. it is taken ïtraigiht away as it is and f.i'led on to the Bcrlbb'.lng machine." My friend was flabbergasted, and well he might be. The very idea of o'd. worn out. cast away garmente, and every blessed thing you can piek up and mention, ground up luto shoddy, and this scribb'ed, spun, woven and finished, to be worn over again by living souls ! How in the world can we expect to see the golden fleeced merino prized and loved as it ought to be so long as there are thousands of such like pieces belng turned out not even containing a single ounce of wool about them ? It looks to me, sir, an insult to the great Giver and Creator of such Btock as sheep, given us on purpose to provide man with the best material suited for his health and comfort, and yet it is paseed by as being "too good."