Textiles
Media
Part of The American Chamber of Commerce Journal
- Title
- Textiles
- Creator
- Saussotte, W. V.
- Language
- English
- Year
- 1953
- Rights
-
- Fulltext
- 120 AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL March, 1953 EXPERIENCED Your printing jobs so skillfully done they stand out, they're noted,—and in time so will you! FINE PRINTING • SOCIAL ENGRAVING BOOKBINDING • RUBBER STAMPS McCullough PRINTING COMPANY Fine letterpress Printeri Since 1899 (A DIVISION OF PHILIPPINE EDUCATION CO.) 1104 Castillejos, Manila Telephone 3-24-70 NEUSS, IIESSLEIN & CO., INC. 75 WORTH ST., NEW YORK, N.Y. FOREMOST SUPPLIERS OF TEXTILE FABRICS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD for 86 years and FOREMOST SUPPLIERS OF TEXTILES TO THE PHILIPPINES FOR 51 YEARS. ♦ • FAUST SUITINGS • FLATTERY PRINTS • WALDORF PERCALES • SEINE TWINE *& YARNS • AGUILA DENIMS • CARABELA CHAMBRAYS • COMMANDER BROADCLOTH • COTTON & RAYON POUND-GOODS -------------------------- MANILA OFFICE:---------------------------304 NUEVA STREET CORNER DASMARlftAS MANILA PHONE 2-69-17 Cable Address “NEHESCO” districts, are well above ceilings. This shortage will be much more severely felt during the coming typhoon season, when supplies of locally caught fish are very greatly re duced. Supplies of canned fish in all producing countries are the smallest in many years, and it is doubtful if suffi cient quantities can be purchased anywhere to satisfy the minimum requirements of this country between now and next October, regardless of price. Textiles By W. V. Saussotte General Manager Neuss, Hesslein Co.. Inc. BOTH the Manila market and the New York market experienced fractional declines during February in sofar as finished goods were concerned, although prices of raw cotton and other natural and synthetic fibers remained practically unchanged. The declines in New York were the usual seasonal ones which follow Christmas and precede the Easter buying season. Locally the large arrivals for February, totalling about 21,000 packages, were also contributory to the declines. The Import Control Commission began the issuance of first-semester licenses around the 15th of February and has apparently achieved a certain degree of success in its objective of having import-license applications processed in a speedier and more efficient manner than heretofore. Arrivals from the United States during February to talled 20,883 packages, which is about 5,000 packages above the average monthly consumption. Arrivals from the United States included 8,640 packages of cotton piece goods, 4,301 packages of rayon piece goods, 1,431 packages of cotton remnants, 1,580 packages of rayon remnants, and 2,914 packages of knitting yarn. Included also were 845 packages of sewing thread, 202 packages of cotton twine, and 250 packages of cotton duck. Arrivals of all types of textiles from countries other than the United States totalled 3,034 packages. Included were 679 packages from China, consisting mainly of cotton knitting yarn and cotton piece goods, and 714 packages from Japan, consisting principally of cotton piece goods. There were 37 packages from-Europe and 1,604 packages from India, the latter consisting entirely of jute cloth and jute sugar bags. The Import Control Law and Textiles nrEXTiLES are the principal item of import in the Philippines. More dollars are spent every year on importing textiles than any other item, including food, construction materials, fuel, or any of the other necessities of life. In the face of declining foreign reserves, the Philippine Govern ment found it necessary to sharply curtail textile imports. We believe that no businessman can quarrel with the over all necessity to save our foreign exchange by limiting im ports in general and textiles in particular. However, under the supplementary regulations and appendices of Republic Act 650, cotton textiles have been AGENTS TELEPHONES BROKERS 3-34-20 CHARTERERS 3-34-29 American Steamship Agencies, Inc. Manila and Tokyo Cable Address: 212 Myers Bldg. “AMERSHIP ” Area Manila March, 1953 AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL 121 placed in the luxury or non-essential category while rayon textile items including expensive luxury items such as Sharkskin suitings, have been included in the category of essential imports. One does not have to be a textile expert to recognize the incongruous nature of such regula tions. If you look about, you will see that the very shirt on Juan de la Cruz’ back, the dresses worn by Mrs. Juan de la Cruz, and the children’s clothes worn by the sons and daughters of Juan de la Cruz are almost always made of cotton. This preference for cheap cotton goods is na tural to the peoples of South-east Asia. Cotton is cheaper and longer-wearing than its rayon counterpart. It can be laundered time and time again and is a more absorbent and more healthful material for wearing in tropical climates than rayon. In the Philippines, consumer statistics show that the normal textile consumption of the Filipino consumer is 4-1/2 square yards of cotton to 1 square yard of rayon. Despite this very obvious consumer preference for cheap cotton goods, the interpretation given to Republic Act 650 has sought to reverse the trend and to grant nearly three times as many dollars for imports of rayons as for imports of cottons. In the first semester of 1953, the rayon (controlled essential) quotas of old importers have been set at 15% of 1949 imports whereas the cotton (controlled non-essential) quotas of old importers have been set at only 5% of 1949. Furthermore, for new importers who are desirous of importing textiles, 75% of their quotas must be used for rayon imports while only 25% may be used to import cotton goods. Why should Republic Act 650 virtually force the Filipino consumer to buy more rayons than cottons and induce him to spend his hard-earned dollars on rayons rather than on cotton staple items? This peculiar attempt to reverse the normal textileconsumption pattern of the Filipino people may be due to representations made by the National Development Company Textile Mills to protect its textile production from the cpmpetition of imported goods. Although the NDC Textile Mills are among the most efficiently-run of government corporations and among the few to show a profit in operation, the fact of the matter is that the NDC Textile Mills are simply too small to provide more than a drop in the bucket of the cotton textile requirements of the Philippines. The total weaving capacity of the NDC is only 5,500,000 yards of cotton cloth per annum as against an average annual consumption of 150,000,000 square yards of cotton textiles, or approxi mately only 4% of the normal national requirements for cotton textiles. Under the peculiar interpretation given textile imports by Republic Act 650, the Philippines is being forced to spend more dollars for rayons than for cottons at a time when dollar for dollar many more yards of cotton textiles could be purchased than rayon textiles because of the fact that cotton textiles are cheaper. PASIG RIVER BODEGAS GENERAL BONDED WAREHOUSES ¥ SOUTHWESTERN SUGAR & MOLASSES CO. (FAR EAST), INC. MOLASSES BUYER 145 Muelle de Binondo Tel. 2-63-10 THE ROUTE OF THE BEARS Serving THE PHILIPPINES JAPAN HONGKONG U S. WEST COAST PORTS HALL, PICOMLL, ORTIGAS & CO. INVESTMENT BROKERS, DEALERS & UNDERWRITERS FAST - REGULAR - DEPENDABLE UNITED STATES LINES, INC. GENERAL AGENTS MEMBERS MANILA STOCK EXCHANGE 201 AYAI.A BLDG. MANILA ! 33601 33602 33603 33604 PORT AREA MANILA 122 AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL March, 1953 VOw? BOIES MULTIPLE VITAMINS AND MINERAL CAPSULES Will Pep You Up Multiple Vitamin, • Supply dally vitamin requirements to the average diet. Cod Liver Oil • Specific against rickets and the resulting bone malformation. Liver, Iron, and Vitamin B-Complex • Specific against simple anemia and corresponding blood deficiencies. Manufactured in the United States Diilribuled Exclusively by Philippine American Drug Co. (BOTICA BOIE) 102-104 Escolta, Manila CEBU ILOILO LEGASPI DAVAO At all Leading Drug Stores throughout the Islands Distinctive PICME-FRAMB Only the finest materials are used, artistic care governs the choice of colors and styles, and our expert workmanship com pletes the frame to your satisfaction. PWUPPHE EDUCATION CO # 1104 Custillejos MANILA Telephone 3-22-51 When Republic Act 650 comes up for review at the present session of Congress, this incongruous situation should be brought under scrutiny as it is believed that the Philippines is the only country in the world where rayons are considered as an essential clothing item while cottons are classified as a non-essential. At present the Filipino consumer is being forced to wear the more expensive rayons whether he likes it or not because three times as many dollars have been allocated for rayons than for cottons. Such a situation appears to be contrary to the public welfaie and it is believed that the authorities will not be con tent to let this situation continue. Legislation, Executive Orders, and Court Decisions By E. E. Selph Ross, Selph, Carrascoso & Janda THE Committee on Labor in the House of Represen-. tatives has recommended approval of House Bill No. 3254 which provides for a gratuity fundforemployees made up by withholding 5% of the compensation of the employee and the contribution by the employer of an equal amount. There are four grounds for payment to the em ployee of separation pay in the amount of one month’s pay for each year of service. These grounds are: (1) resignation; (2) death; (3) retirement after 60; (4) incapacity not his own fault, abolition of his position, or other reason independent of his will. House Bill No. 3569 provides for a division of Drug and Cosmetic Control in the Bureau of Health. There will be a Board of Drugs and Cosmetics empowered to conduct investigations and set up standards. House Bill No. 3583 provides for amendments to the emergency medical and dental treatment laws and reduces the number of employees for which the services of physicians, nurses and dentists, and clinics and infirmaries may be required. House Bill No. 3513 provides for the establishment of an Industrial Research Institute and maintenance of the same by a 1/2% fee on all imports, to be collected in the same manner as the exchange tax. House Bill No. 3594 provides for the elimination of the import of foreign leaf-tobacco at a rate of 20% per annum of the 1953 imports, so that by the end of 5 years no further importations would be allowed. 't'here is a recently published decision of the Patent Office to the effect that “Nylon” is a generic term and cannot be the subject of a trade-mark registration, (In re 20th Century Nylon Shirt Factory, October 9, 1952) any more than silk, cotton, ramie, or linen. MOTOR SERVICE CO., INC. AUTOMOTIVE PARTS • ACCESSORIES GARAGE & SHOP EQUIPMENT BATTERIES • TIRES • TUBES 230 13th St., Port Area — Tel. 3-36-21