The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-10-13
PROSPERITY Or PANIC :?
res. s3.911.sl

(From the "American Wool and Cotton
Reporter.'o
The week has been rather quiet in the
mems wear department of the woollen
business. The clothiers were buying
very few heavyweights,, though prices are
firmer than ever. The matter which is
receiving the greatest amount of atten-
ton just now is the question of fall '9S
opening. The important feature of the
next fall opening will be that goods of the
same quality of last year will have to be
offered at such greatly increased prices
that doubt exists in the minds of some
commission merchants and mill agents
whether this condition will not necessitate
their making practically an entirely new
line of goods. They realize that the man
ufacturing clothier has got to have GER
tam grades of goods at limited prices in
order that he may make up his regularly
graded stock.
1t is not generally believed that the pur
chasing power of the public will, by that
time, be SO largely increased as to justify
the expectation that the consumer will be
able to pay about 50 per cent. more than
last year for his clothing. In other words,
worsted fabric which was sold this fall
at $l.50 yard, and which the wholesale
clothiers made into suits, for which were
asked all the way from $3.50 to s14, accord
in gto the quality of trimmings and
tailoring, must during the fall of 1898 cost
not less than 81 a yard in which event
the suit cannot be produced and sold
wholesale at profit less than from Sl2
for the very lowest grades of make and
trim to $3.50 for the best In the nrSt
case, the suit could be and was retailed
at from SIG to $22 The wholesale clothier
must have for fall and winter of '9S a
fabric around S1.50 a yard. 1t will not be
possible to give him an all-worsted fabric
at that price.
Now the question is will ut the neeessi, u
overcome the clothierS Well-grounded
prejudice against cotton mixed worsteds,
and will they be willing to take a fabric
with cotton at the back at $1.371a to $l.50
a yard? 1t looks very much now as II
there will be of necessity great demand
for this sort of fabric. 1t must not pc
imagined by the woollen manufacturers
or commission merchants that because
the times are more prosperous the cloth
ing manufacturers are going to buy notn-
ness in suitings next fall will be done at
from S5 to $1.50 a yard, because there Will
be still a greater demand at retail tor suits
from $40 to $1S. But the recent great de-
mand for cheap fabrics, which We're made
into suits that retailed as low as 80, is a
thing 1.-The past.
The manufacturers of kerseys are also
wondering what sort of a time they VIII
have when they open up goods which they
sold this fall for 81 yard or thereabouts,
and for which they will have to ask in the
neigiburhood of S1.5e, taking the present
price of wool as basis for calculation.
The situation is being considered very
carefully by all parties interested and II
is safe to say that, with the clothing man
ufacturers expecting to pay an advance,
it only remains for the woollen men to
carefully adjust their prices at the time
of the opening, SO as not to frightseln tsl purd5 md
at the same time to be firm enough so
as not to weaken the general tone OF the
M a