Of 104 local silk features, about 60 have been closed during the past week owing to the shortage of cocoons. About 20,000 workers are affected.
About 30 members of the First Branch Silk Filatare Workers'
Union held a meeting at 9 Ziang Tsong Li, Paoshan Road, between 2 and 3.40 p.m, May 5 and decided to request the Social Bureau to devise relief measures for workers who have recently suffered severe hard-stib.
Commenting on the Chinese silk industry and its steady decline during the past few years, the '"Sinwanpao" predicted that this year would be an exceptionally bad lone for the Chinese silk merchants.
Several days ago, says the journal in question, a huge sum of zaoney was remitted to the silk-producing centres by the merchants but it was seized by tufei before it reached its destination. This money belonged to the Chen Yih Silk Filature and was intended for the pure cocoons and raw silk, Upon ing of thi alarmed and withdrew their funds from the banks, with the result that less money is' being sent to the producing centres than in previous. years.
'A further obstacle to good trading conditions is the weather, which this year has proved tobe very inclement and most unfavourable.
Sometimes the weather has been intensely cold, at others it has been too warm for beth the mulberry expos and the silkworms. The result is that the cocoons are not good as in past years. In some places in Uhékiang the rebore says, that all the silkworms have died on account of the irregular weather conditions and this, naturally, ha: affected the cocoon' production. In cthers, they have died of starvation because of the lack of mulberry leaves, and in still others, the farmers have failed to take care of the silkworms as in previous years because of the depredations of the; Uandits, who have destroyed large tracts of mulberry trees.
Owing to the activities of the tufei, i& is said, the insurance companies are reluctant to issue policies. to the cocoon merchants this year, 0 the Silk Merchants Association and to the provincial authorities of Kiangsv, Chekiang and Anhui requesting' them to give proper protection to the merchants who ave now visiting the silk producing it centres for. the purpose of purchasing cocoons, as well as the transportation companies which are bringing the cocoons to Shanghai All these things, says the "Sin-wan pao," are responsible for the extraordinary shortage in the supply of raw material which is estimated to be about 0 per cent. less than last year and which is sure to result in higher prices this year.
It is feared that the native silk filatures will be faced with a shortage of cocoons worse than last year, in which event many will be forced 19 close Joseph's Church by the Rev. R. P. Gerault, The bride, who was given away in marriage by her father, was charming in a princess gown of ivory charmeuse, Her veil was of She was attended by the Misses Emma and Silvia Bos, her sisters, and the Misses Emmy and Clara Bos, her cousins. The bridesmaids wore frocks of pale green georg gette, and matching picture hats.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.