The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-10-25

Foreign Makes.
Mr.. Bohm Says All New York I'M
porters Have Put Up
Prices
Hubbard. bartlett 4 Spencer Say Hardware
Has Como Up and viii Go still
Higher.
II the statements Of some of the clerks il
the Helena retail stores may be relied on
the tariff is not a tax. But unfortunately
for one of these clerks, his statement tc
that effect is not borne out by the testi-
mony of his employer. Mr.. Ferdinand
BONN, the New York member Of the firm Of
BONN & Co.. says: "All the
New York importing houses have taken adj.
vantage of the Mckinley bill and advanced
prices from i've to ten per cent. Domestic
manufactures will without doubt 20 M
with the tariff on FOREIGN goods to the ex.
tent of the increased tax
Mr.. Bohm's opinion Of the effects of the
bill is fully borne out by Mr.. j. NJ. Nathan
the representative of one of the largest
houses on the Pacific coast dealing in
blankets and wooden goods generally, and
who is known throughout this entire sec.
ton as one of the most conservative men
travelling in the northwest. Besides selling
goods in Montana. Mr.. Nathan has large
trade in adjoining states and territories
a n n oil
trip, after visiting merchants west of Hell
ena. Asked yesterday about the effects OF
the Mckinley bill, Mr.. Nathan said:
II am only business man and SO far az
politics are concerned in the Mckinley bill
am on neither side. 1t is foolish for any
one to deny that there will be an in
crease in the price of WOODEN and other
goods owing to the passage of the McKin-
ley bill. have not been in store within
the past two weekslb hut that I have run across
letters and circulars from Wholesalers an
nouncing an increase in prices. OF course
on the present stock, the retailers need moi
increase their prices, and perhaps will not
but when they 60 into the market to buy
new goods they will have to pay more. The
conservative wholesale houses will not ad-
vance prices all at once; that is to say, the
first advance will be about 10 per cent, say
about Nov. l. and then another advance
later on. Look at the matter moment as
business proposition. You have on your
shelves goods which you cannot go to the
market and duplicate unless You pay an ad-
vance of 10 or Is per cent. over what they
cost you under the old law. Does it look
reasonable that the average business man
will sell the goods for less than he will have
to pay to duplicate them? will put in one
instance of the rise III prices. Socks. which
have sold heretofore for $1.9O dozen ]
am now compelled to charge 81. 10 for.''
1lv1k hnvu will ho In on. l<
affect the prices of those of domestic man.
Itacture?" was asked. $500
They are bound to 90 up also. Suppose
there we're two brands of -four in the Hell
ena market-No. was sold at IS hun
dred and No. 2 at $3.50. Owing to short
supply Of No. l there would suddenly
spring up a demand for No. 2 Would the
manufacturers of No. still sell for So. so:
Not by any means. As business men they
would take advantage of the scarcity of No
and raise the price of No. to - or $3.50
This will be Just the case with woolen
goods. There will probably be falling of
in importations and the domestic manufac-
turer will take advantage OF this to raise
the price OF his goods. and the consumer
will pay as much, or nearly as much, as he
does now for the imported stuff, and viii
get in return goods of greatly inferior quail
ity.'
In the summer season underwear ma,
not be necessity for the Montana work
ingman, but certainly is in the winter. Thu
McKinleyites did not think it necessity il
any season, because they say the new TART
bill was made solely for the workingman'
benefit. In order to benefit him Mr.. Mo
Kinley raised the duty on underwear from
a specific duty of 10 cents and IS per cent
ad valorem to a specific duty of 16h cent
ana 30 per cent. ad valorem. The Ney
York Dry Goods store recognizes the fac
hot khn vvi11 J,
cost of underwear, az perusal of their ad
vertisement on the second page will show
Like other Helena merchants, this hous
will not increase the price Of the good
bought before the new tariff bill went int
effect. But this is their advice to consum
ers:
Underwear will be much higher under the ne,
tariff law. About four months sgo we antici
pAted the advance and laid in . heavy season
supply. There will be no advance in our price
s. long Sey W g. n Yhs % gs
in your winters supply now"
Now as to hardware. While there ha
been, probably, no advance in prices in thi
line in Helen, up to date, it must be remem
bored that the Mckinley bill has only beef
a law for twenty four days and the Helen
c ,n are yet selling the stock oSqsh
raised to them ON their next purchase, ther
can be no doubt. Il is left to the consume
to decide whether the merchant with whom
no deals will himself stand this advance o
whether he will add it to the. price former
" paid by the consumer. Competition il
the hardware line in Montana is close, an,
our merchants sell on as ol0se margins a
anywhere in the country. Can they stan'
the raise made by tho Mckinley bill an,
not charge it to their oustomers2 Here j
what one of the firm of Hubbard, Spense
Il Bartlett, of Chicago, says. The house i
one of the most extensive in the country
and its trade extends all over Montana, q
we'll as farther west:
There has already been an advance in all kind
of hardware and in the near future still highe
prices will be demanded. We. OF course, mus
obliged to pay for our 9oods. What that will
! is now mere matter OF conjecture. 1t is not 81
simply matter to estimate this effect as it Nigh
appear, for when the additional tariff lie added t
| The whole system of supply and demand !
changed, and manufacturers OF goods not di
rectiy touched by the new tariff will in all prob
abb lty put up their goods out OF sympathy TO
| other wares in the same general class. This 81
| feet cannot be estimated. AL we can do is t
wait and raise the price OF goods on our custom
| ers just as much as they have been raised on us
30 far the greatest advance has been on cutler
and guns"
And this from Mr.. A. F. Seebereer, Of tn
Chicago house of A. F. Seeberger Il Co
clinches the above:
The Mckinley bill will have = tendency I
raise the price OF hardware all along the line A
present, he continued, cutlery and guns kav
been affected the most. although other classes G
ssps the
| further rise. We manufacture in this country
great variety of hardware. Much Of this VA
made n profit under tho old tariff, which hs
not been changed. This will be affected. though
| n will Oh mn IN svnpanv nth other linea ToO