, 1880-02-15
RAGS.
Investigating the Causes Of the
Boom in This Article.
rbe Low Prices Paid by Peddlers Have
Discouraged the Housewives.
Hhat the Ragmen Are Now 0ffering-It
WILL Pay to Save the Pieces.

WILL Pay to Save tile Pieces.
c;cht Influence This Raise Has On the
Price Of Print-Paper.
nba latest excuse put forth by the gentle
NTH an upward tendency in the matter
~ ~ nanr-the gentlemen who are briefly and
'. ou.cinctlv termed the paper ring-is that the
shoomn in prices is due, among other
4,3nps. to the rise in rags. From rather
asrefnl investigation Of this matter yester-
~. hv a TRIBUNE repoter it would appear
.sst w., - Taes have indeed "boomed," as well as
s.hsr sths things. and that an apparent famine in
thst line has been the cause Of the rise. The
-esnlt of the investigation showed, however,
-rith tolerabIe clearness, that this famine
IL oply apparent, and not real;
th,t there are rags Of all kinds,
ua1ore and conditions of cleanliness which
ssya heen boarded or laid one side simply
ha.snse % the average housewife preferred
pssninr them to selling them for tin-dipper
~ something else next to nothing; that the;
ssho1asale dealers will pay very fair prices
to- these rags delivered by the owners at
TOT ,ss a1eso ef business. and finally. that4o
tnen pas,S s, tha market the wasterars here
tnlo" o,reIaring up m a house win. provided
1olole sa,;.v s ;s Iaree enough. bring about a
aa qunn ta.nh1a IN nrices and knock mt Mt
nalu'u nro1 that has served tn holster nm
the paper-ring's boom. True, the reaction,
Vhen it does. occur, will act as damp
nener on the thrift Of the aforesaid
arpraee housewife though, come what
~ s'. the prices which she gets
ma1' lah,x rars will still be ahead of the base
Tor ner lass W" 81. t,a.atoea-o as,,.,;e
tin-dpper remuneration neioto'o1o ~ luun,n-
GENTLY offered by the street peddler who
.o1,ad at her front door and grew indignant
1H-.S eha enurned him and his base proposal.
s shut the door n ms rses possb " hou@
tsrdlv nrobable, that, under treatment of
u th;s .o,t tha neddl,r class may in the course
11n su. mata Nv - yirtue of necessity and he
Of tune maA1 .;,n q ,n,a honost - ~ ~
come compulso1lly nones1'
The investigation referred to. consisted
ina
VISIT TO SEVERAL OF TIE REPRESENTA-
TIVE RAG-HousEs
and a series Of interviews with the proprie-
+oTs w Tha first junk-shop on which the re-
hot ,f paE nj
porter oescenaea Wa u..4 " .seD' - Ioso, eS
atNo. IS La sane suees' "nefo ne 1ouno
that gentleman just closing a bargain for
1rnntfnl of old rags, brought in by a couple
~ s, amn1ores in one Of the hotels, at TX cents
" . elupo'I =, - ~ ~ oonrea ~ tall VIII tho
pound n lns eoa!se ~ .a,nad .aA tha+ na4 ne
had gone up during the past six months
fully 50 per cent az around ~ Slx mont1s
ago he paid s1;so per loo pounds
for mixed rags which now cost him $3.50.
Clean white rags had gone up two GEMS 9
pound, and On all grades sne1e Was . oeciGea
increase, kags were scarce, peyon9 aouot.
them up or sell them tor what tne peddlers
offered, and the scarcl[y tnus pIoouceq IN
rags On the market mad oeen onecause Oh tn6
rse
by the way" asked me reporter' "hat
do % ne peddleLs Ray: + ~ , oont . Mound
when the party that has the rags won't take
sSap Vi upper, " m4Sloas,na: 4iroa a.,a half
eents I nsnun1 INN ~ 81 4' p'A '''A ~ ''A> '&'>
!: ~, aa.e r.u ~ ~ - a.. xorp nnorrr
in selling to the nills?" /
"Well, If make a quarter of q cent
pound and pay expenses, l think I'm doing
pretty well. On the average, | can't make
0tC4 Ast EE1Ita pCl lVV RVUuQo E1EA ~ Wit
"You deliver on the cars here, don't you,
and the mills pay freight?"
Yes ! am selling print rags to day for |
SSS per LOO pounds, and the freight to Mo- |
line is 10 cents per lGo pounds, bringing the |
cost to the mill up to S3.45 per 100."
1.-The ragrickers, the peddlers, and the |
mills Y 81 make most Of the profit then?"
1ne ag-plcGers and the peddters DO, but |
don't believe the mills make much"
."Mhg not %' |
En- f5s " xeEs LUCKY enough to make long con:
down, and the mills have got to supply the t
paper at contract prices, whether there has
oeen raise III rags, or the other stuff that
enters en- into the composition Of paper, or not
hds:;1, hnen ne papeer.dea}ers, e not content with
Price Of paper. The mills lose money, but |
Me paper stores make it. That's about the |
sl1e q ~ " IT,
1s uele oeen any increase IN tne
~. FAlcE OF STRINGS AND BAGa1NG r.
ies, put not so much as in rags. Old pa
PEI, too' has gone up. The advance in strings, !
oasselg, anu Old paper has been about 20 per
cen1 Ia ~ around"
nat would be the effect now If people
ln1slead 4 ot Keeping their rags were to throw |
Lnem Il 2 on The nlarleto"
wen, that's all easy one. As soon as
price wouId coma ioun ao,;n of conrsa H.
I