The times., 1897-08-29
UP ANDWACEsDOWN
Interesting Notes of the Effect
of the Dingley Tariff.
BUSINESS is VERY Dull.
Au Average Rise of Is Per Cent
In Poor Mems Necessities OF
Life Likely TO Reach 25 Per
Cent-Talks With Washington
Merchants.

The Times list of advancing prices
now includes groceries, beef. lard, mems
suits mems furnishings, ladies' made-up
dresses ,cloaks. cloth for ladies suits, drugs,
teas, shoes, hats, tobacco and mineral
waters. II this list is examined, 1T will
be seen to include all classes of goods that
poor men use in furnishing their houses,
clothing themselves and their wives and
children, for their food, and for their
smaller luXuries, as well as the things
that the rich use. In fact, the advances
in prices will bc more noticeable and more
felt immediately on cheaper classes or
goods, which poor people must have.
so far in Washington ther. has been
not tie slightest advance in wages in any
class OF business, and no more people are ,
employed than before the tariff went into
effect A reporter for The TiInes, in
making the rounds Of a great many of the
cealers in various classes of goods yesterday,
found the inyanable advance ia prices,
nearly always already here, or always
soon to come; but, on the other hand, found
no one who was feeling good over an
increase of business.
Business is unquestionabiy dull among
the retail dealers in Was Shington at present.
Mammotii stores are without purchasers
on entire floors FOR minutes and almost
for hours, and the smaller places OF busi-
ness are running sometimes without any
clerks.
There are as lnany hungry families In
Washington now as there were three
months ago, and il is probable that there
are more. The heads of these families,
whether they work and draw wages or
not, are compelled to pay higher prices on
all their goode 1t is estimated that the
advance in price throughout the entire list
OF things that the poor man buys has beea
already Increased 15 per cent. Before
next spring ii will be at least 25 per cent
all the way through
With sc week wages the average
workman pays $3.50 10 his grooeryman.
Items that ne Will be obliged TO pay an
advance on now are, among others, flour
] cent per pound; sugar, l cent per pound;
tea, o cents per pound; beef, TO cents
d pound: starch, cent pound; lard, l
cent q pound. This advance VIII mean ~
the 81 day workman that for his 81 90
he can purchase one pound less flour, one
pound less lard, one pound less beef, ono
pound less sugar, or perhaps In the whole
week so cents worth less, according 20
the old list of prices.
Els wages have not been advanced, aud
he vii, have to eat less. As for his cloth
ing, cheap suits will go up this winter 20
per cent. Stockings will go up, quite con-
n lr an he. will hsa, ead r..l-a
poorer quality AT two pairs for quarter.
which will wear out sooner. The same
grade Of hat Will cost more, aud he will
be obliged to get cheaper grade His 81
shoe vii, be made of poorer leather than
formerly. His underwear will be under
wear as far as lasting is concerned. These
differences In prices VIII meal that che 81
day workman will have to wear his
clothes longer, althou gh their quality is not
go good.
A large number of merchants were seen
yesterday by Times man, Among them
the following gave facts that We're inter
esting Mr.. Franc, the furuisher, said:
I'VE have received notice that the rise In
the price OF cheaper hats viii be so cents
a dozen on our next order, and that the
rise in the price of two-for- -a-quarter hose
will be 25 cents d dozen. On the more
expensive hose the rise in price will be
30 cents to 81 a dozen. Our profit on
two form quarter hose was formerly Just
this amount, % cents a dozen.
1--WE cannot sell hose for glory, and al
though we shall always have hose for two
pairs for u quarter, with rs, as with all
the other furnshers, it VIII not be the
same hose as we sold last year The
| stoc king that is now selling for 25
cents PAIR will very soon be sold for SO
cents, ard cheaper grade must be sub
| stituted for 20 cents. The extra duty
on hose was from 90 to rs cents a dozen.
This the jobber must make up and more
and the price is raised cores pondingly Go
US IT is the Same way with underwear
which will be 20 per cent higher IN
price at least"
MIR. Stevens, the pharmacist, said:
"Quinine fs advancing. The price VIII
! go up from Go TO 20 cents an ounce to the
| customer. In the two-grain capsule
form, where now six capsules can be sold
| for cents, it is probable that the cost
| VIII be 10 cents very soon. On all kinds
| OF drugs and chemicals which are Inn
| ported the rise in the tariff VIII force an
| increase Iii the price OF the consumer, OF
| course. Mineral water will be higher also
| Imported vichy VIII go up from So tt
AZ cents a bottle. Hunyadi viii go uI
| from % to 81 cents bottle"
| Mr.. Dyrenforth, the clothier, said: 'sArner-
ican wool has gone up from 1S to 80 cents
a pound in very short time on account Of
tie tariff, and the large jobbers n wool are
holding il expecting further rises They
viii ssl 1t, and domestic cloths will be
sold at Just as high as possible, under
bidding the foreign goods. This rise from
l8 to 30 cents pound in wool W i'll mean
a very large corresponding rise in the price
| Of a suit Of clothes. All clothes will be
higher IN price this winter and next
| spring"
| Mr.. E. Newton Bowman, the manager