The Washington times., 1903-07-01
COTTON GOODS BOUND
TO GO UP IN PRICE
Raw Material at Almost Prohibitive
Figure.

The cotton situation is becoming
rore and more interesting and the out
look for the mills and the merchants
more cloudy" said a prominent Wash
ington merchant today. The price of
the raw material has reached IA cents
pound. which may be termed a pro-
tihitive price. Mills in Lowell are
shipping bales of raw cotton back TO
New Orleans. because it costs them
more TO buy it than they would get for
the cotton goods turned out by them
and sold to the merchants.
"One of two things must happen.
Either the present high price of raw
material must drop or the price of cot
( ton goods must increase. The reliable
and long established merchant will do
everything in his power to keep the
price Of cotton goods-or any goods-the
same as usual. Any change is sure to
irritate customers. There is. too.
prohibitive price beyond which the buy
ing public will not go.
Price Almost Prohibitive.
we have nearly reached this price
! in cotton goods. An advance in price
7 q
not seem great, but often such an in
crease will perhan~ change the busi-
ness in cotton goods from success to
failure.
"We have learned by long experience
I that the public must be handled with
eloved hands and that any sudden
change in the prices viii scare custom
/ crs off and they will try somewhere
else The majority OF buyers-and that
means "a out of a 100 in Washington
will make their old things last in hopes
of a drop in prices, IL they cannot buy
their accustomed supplies at the accus-
toned prices.
AS an instance of what the public
! will do in this line. take the sale OF
winter underwear. half cotton and half
| wool. last year. There was no really
cola weather here until after Christmas
Consequently the public. with the eX-
ception of a few wealthy buyers who
always provide themselves with what
the season demands, made the fall
weight do until spring came and the
winter underwear business was failure
for both the merchant and the manufac-
turer.
Orders Cancelled.
For as soon as the merchant found
that the goods did not sell he Cancelled
further orders with the manufacturer.
This same winter underwear turned out
by the mill last fall and containing a
large quantity of cotton, is causing
much reflection on the part of the man
rr7
famine. 1t is a question with them how
much the wholesale price should be
raised over what it was a year ago. and
how large a raise the merchant, and
especially the public. will stand.
Several years ago the price of cotton
was very low-about 51z cents pound.
II steadily increased until 1t reached
9 cents. and in a comparatively short
time il has reached the highwater mark
of IA cents, an increase Of about 80 per
: cent in the raw material. which must
mean an increase in the wholesale price
of cotton goods turned out, or the clos
inv down of the mills. Many mills have
already been shut down or partly shu,
down.
Small Profit Now.
ut took several years 20 educate the
public up to the 9-cent price of raw ma
terial. and to get the public 10 the IA
cent price in a few short months would
be impossible. We are selling cotton
goods now at 3 much reduced profit
There will probably be a slight raise in
the price OF cotton goods IN Washington
stores this fall"
II is the opinion of Washington mer-
chants. however. that the high price OF
the raw material will be forced down by
the refusal OF the mills and the mer-
chants 10 handle much cotton goods
leaving a surplus Of cotton on the hands
OF the cotton brokers. They feel sure
that the public will be spared any
change to exoTbitant prices.