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The term "shoddy" is inapplicable. Would have the term "reworked wool" used instead of "shoddy."

That the term "shoddy" has become an epithet used to designate almost anything that is of an inferior quality.

Since shoddy was first used, wool that has previously been used in cloth has been known to the public and to the trade as "shoddy."

All dictionaries, all encyclopedias, and all text books on textiles designate wool that has previously been used in cloth as "shoddy."

The United States Government in its records and statistics classifies as "shoddy" even the wool obtained from the finest clippings of cloth.

The United States Government in its published census of manufacturers gives the following definition of shoddy:

"Shoddy is the generic term applied to recovered wool, cotton, jute, or other fiber of any sort."

There are two, and only two, substitutes for virgin wool that are used in the manufacture of cloth purporting to contain wool-on is shoddy and the other is cotton.

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The meaning of shoddy and the meaning of cotton is understood by all, and deception is not possible with either the term "shoddy" or the term "cotton."

The designation of "shoddy" and the designation of "cotton" in fabrics is absolutely necessary in order to protect the people against those who would charge the price of the genuine for a substitute and who would force the sale of a substitute against the people's will.

Designation of "shoddy" and "cotton" in fabrics, the two and the only two substitutes for virgin wool is absolutely necessary in order to protect the people against those who would charge the price of the genuine for a substitute, but to designate any of the subclassifications of either shoddy, cotton, or virgin wool would impair the protection to the people that the designation of shoddy and cotton guarantees, against those who would charge the price of the genuine for a substitute.

It would impair this protection, because it would open the door to confusion and would provide a means of deception.

Reworked wool is a subclassification of shoddy, and because it is a subclassification would, if used, establish the principle of subclassification-a principle which would seriously impair the people's protection against those who would charge the price of the genuine for a substitute.

Quoted from an article in the American Wool and Cotton Reporter, August 21, 1919: "Since the introduction of the latter name (reworked wool), not very long ago, there has been more confusion in defining the different sorts of wool stock and their relative values.

"There seems to be an inclination to discard the name of 'shoddy' and to include every kind that is not the straight original under the head of 'reworked wool.' This is rather mystifying to those who are not so conversant with the class of material as are the experts or those engaged in handling it.

Therefore, there is liable to be a suspicion in the minds of some cloth dealers concerning the true character of reworked wool, and to guard against any unseen depreciation by its presence, they may decide to have only the original material."

The growth of language results from the "new adaptation of words to meet the need" for a precision of expression that prevents mistakes and misunderstandings.

The term "virgin wool" like the term "virgin soil" or "virgin forest," can not be misunderstood.

There are two, and only two kinds of wool, shoddy wool that has previously been used one or more times in cloth, and "virgin wool"-wool that has never been used. The term "all wool" may be truthfully used to designate either shoddy or "virgin wool," but the people do not even suspect that the term "all wool" may mean shoddy.

The people's misunderstanding of the term "all wool" has resulted in shoddy's making the term "all wool" an "alias" under which shoddy passes as virgin wool.

The term "virgin wool" is the most hated and feared term in the English language by those who profit by selling shoddy as virgin wool.

This is true, because the term "virgin wool" makes deception impossible.

The rapidity of the wide-spread adoption and use of the term "virgin wool" by those who desire truthful terms that can not be misunderstood is abundant proof of the great need for the term virgin wool" which is the only term that prevents absolutely possibility of mistakes or misunderstanding.

A few quotations from daily newspapers, typical of the press comment of the country:

Quoted from the New York Times:

Virgin wool grows popular.-A great deal of satisfaction is taken in the woolen trade in the acquisition of the term 'virgin wool' in place of 'all wool.' The latter phrase was the cause of unending controversy between those who believed in the merit of reworked wool and inIcluded that article within the strict meaning of the term 'all wool.' The commonest kind of shoddy could be called 'all wool' without any twisting of the truth, but the consumer's interpreta

tion scarcely jibed with that of the technical manufacturer's."

Quoted from the Moline, Ill., Dispatch: "When a fabric or garment is guaranteed to be 'all wool' the public understands it to be 'virgin wool,' which it is not. The public does not know that the 'all wool' guarantee has lost its meaning. Even inferior shoddy may be truthfully described as 'all wool.'

"There is coming to be large demand for a truth-in-fabric law for the protection of our sheep and wool-growing industry, as well as for the protection of the public." Quoted from the Staunton, Va., Daily Leader:

"If the term 'virgin wool' can be brought into general use for such wool, it will tend to protect the buying public from a manifest and serious fraud. The expression is being used by manufacturers * * *

"It (the term 'virgin wool') ought to be generally adopted, and there ought to be a law requiring 'all wool' goods to be labeled either as shoddy, mixed, or 'virgin wool.' Then deception would be impossible unless the buyer were too stupid to do anything for his own protection."

A few from the scores of quotations from trade papers showing that the term "virgin wool" has been adopted to describe unused wool:

Quoted from an editorial in the Clothing Trade Journal:

"Interest in 'virgin wool,' * and shoddy, seems to be spreading from consumer to retailer, from retailer to manufacturer to the mill. The point at issue is perfectly clear in spite of any efforts made to obscure it.

"It is a happy sign of returning honesty to business, industry, and life that we are now urged to label the ingredients of cloth. No one protests against using shoddy or cotton. All we want to know is: Is it shoddy?""

Quoted from the Clothier and Furnisher:

"The requirements that all fabrics be properly branded would render it impossible for anyone to sell shoddy as 'virgin wool' from the first factor of distribution to the retailer, and would therefore reach the disease right at its source, which is the only effective remedy."

Quoted from an article credited by the Daily News Record in which it appeared September 8, 1919, to Charles M. Haskins, secretary of the National Association of Waste Material Dealers:

"For years the clothing trade have, in a sense, been taking money under false pretenses, in that they have emphasized the fact by advertising and other methods, that their goods were all wool. Their

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In some of the most fashionable imported goods that our so-called exclusive dressers must have, the shoddy content is greater than 'virgin wool.'"

Term "virgin wool" used by important clothing merchants:

Quoted from an advertisement of the Case Shop, Montreal, Canada:

"We invite you to visit our shop, see our window display, and learn why Case Clothes, tailored by Society Brand Clothes (Ltd.), of virgin-wool fabrics, at $55, are to be preferred."

Quoted from a booklet distributed by Hart, Schaffner & Marx, to retailers and their clerks:

"Wool is the basis of all good clothing fabrics; and the best and finest cloths are woven from 'virgin wool'; that is, wool which has never before been spun or woven."

Herman C. Ritter, former president of the National Association of Retail Clothiers, in a recent statement says:

"The day is not far off when we will have standardized fabrics marked 'strictly virgin wool.'

"Our patrons are entitled to it--the merchants should demand it."

Quoted from a speech by Mr. B. F. Harris, banker, of Champaign, Ill., at an advertising convention held in Chicago, October 27, 1919:

"When we talk about 'all wool' as we used to, we mean just that. Now some

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of them get around it by saying 'all wool,' and we have had to invent the term 'virgin wool.""

Quoted from a published statement of Mr. Redfield, ex-Secretary of the Department of Commerce of the United States:

"A conference was held with officials of the Department of Agriculture, and we were advised that, although the Department of Agriculture has been conducting a campaign to stimulate the sheep industry in this country in order to increase not only the supply of virgin wool, but also the meat supply of the country, it is the opinion of that department that it is doubtful if the industry can be developed to such a degree that a sufficient supply of virgin wool can be secured to meet the domestic demand."

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The branding of fabrics as proposed by the truth-in-fabric law can be handled by automatic machines, which operate simultaneously with one of the other processes of manufacture. The trouble incurred is negligible. The expense for transfers for use in connection with this

machine when purchased in large quantities will cost about 1 mill each.

These machines are in constant and daily use for marking extremely rough fabrics, such as imitation furs, etc., and it has been found possible to mark even the very coarsest of materials when a peoperly designed transfer is used. Transfers, when properly applied, will stand very rough handling.

For materials, such as are used in ladies' opera cloaks, a transfer which would be long and narrow in shape could be placed on or near the selvage of the goods. This selvage is either cut off or turned into the seam. Transfers, therefore, would not be objectionable.

The manufacturers of the machine agree to have a sufficient quantity of the attachments on hand for immediate use, when this law goes into effect. Their shops are large, and they have every facility for the rapid handling of a proposition of this kind.

The answer to last objection is similar to second objection, that a transfer can be properly designed for marking materials even as rough as carpet cloths and upholsteries. It is, of course, absolutely necessary to be familiar with the materials upon which the transfer is to be used in order to obtain the best results.

It is the unrevealed presence of substitutes, especially shoddy, that is economically unsound from every point of view.

This is true because of the following facts:

The unrevealed presence of shoddy ab rogates the law of supply and demand by depriving the people of their right to choose between shoddy and virgin wool.

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