The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-07-29

of detail which are the burning issues OF
the day TO the retailer or small manufac-
turer. Such problems rarely get into the
public prints. and few men in one line OF
business know what is going on in an
other. An examination of the retail trade
OF the country shows no sign of 'reec-
ton in prosperity and many too-wise
and too-careful wholesalers and manufac-
turers are regretting that they stopped
100 soon A late spring caused a slow
uoTement IN many lines Of goods but
the advent OF summer brought slow
movement in many lines of goods but
the advent Of summer brought things 90
their normal condition for the time of
year The big New York stores sold
more goods in June. 1907 than in June,
1906 and the same thing is true Of many
retailers elsewhere.
Nevertheless, the changed condition Of
affairs in the country, the higher prices
OF raw materials. tie higher price of
labor. and the stationary income of the
salaried class is having its effect The
high price OF shoes, which gave the one
price advertisers no little difficulty. has
caused the wearer to take better care Of
his footwear Comparatively few people
have used shoe trees TO keep their shoes
in shape, but the number is increasing
rapidly OF late, because trees make shoes
wear longer and thus save money. The
higher prices have caused a great revival
OF the shoe repairing business, especially
in the cities. The metropolitan cobbler
conducts his business in the most up-to-
date fashion. His wagon calls upon his
customers. collects the shoes. repairs
them, polishes them, and sends them
home Many such concerns are operated
in connection with shoe stores
Everything made of lumber is high in
price and comparatively scarce, yet the
furniture dealers found famine in a Ger
tain line which was wholly unexpected
Common chairs OF a cheap variety are as
staple IN the furniture trade as sugar is
In the grocery business. About so many
are made each year, q reasonable allow
ance for increase is made, and there you
are. The manufacturers never gave them
a thought All at once the demand was
sreater than the supply, and common
cheap chairs were not 10 be found on the
market The furniture men began TO COM
pare notes, and soon found what had
caused the chair famine-the mOving-pic-
ture scent theater
Hundreds of these "nickelodeons." as
the first scent theater was called, sprang
up IN a few months. Each one had 10
have from 20 to 200 chairs Naturally
they wanted cheap ones and the run on
the furniture stores began. There is
town Of 30u00 inhabitants in the Middle
West which IS supporting ten OF these
theaters. in addition 10 two amusement
parks where moving pictures and phonu-
graph shows are also to be seen. Chicago
has more than 500 Of them, and in somla
sections OF the country they are TO be
found in the mere villages. Circulating
moving-picture films and photograph rec /
ords insure a change Of programme as
often as desired, and the popularity or
this cheap and mechanical entertainment /
does not seem to wane
Inability 10 raise the selling price Of a I
product while being forced to pay more
for raw material and labor IS the trouble !
of many small manufacturers. especially /
in lines where competitors have striven to /
keep the prices at the old figure as long
as possible. The veneer cutters have not I
shared the general prosperity Of other /
branches Of the lumber industry on ac- /
count Of this tendency. A movement IS |
now on 10 get a concerted action OF ali /
veneer cutters 10 insist upon fair meas !
ure of profit for their work No attempt I
at consolidation is contemplated. but /
there are hopes of working trade agree |
ment which will prevent cutting OF prices /
below the living margin.
In the other great retail business az /
fected by the pure-food law, the liquor /
trade, very little attention is being given /
1t. The liquor bottles must be branded 4
at the distillery. and when the whisky /
gets to the barTOom it is handled there /
according 70 the custom and ethics Of 4
that particular place. IN thousands Of 4
baTrOOms q bottle marked straight 1
whisky and bearing the green revenue F.
stamp Of the government will do duty
for dozens and dozens Of Tefillngs from
blended or TeCtided whisky barrel OF /
course the proprietors must not get /
caught, and they are. therefore, care
full. At other barrooms one gets what /
one calls for without fail At such as
these, the better class. there has been a
tendency to inquire into the origin Of a
brand Of whisky a little more carefully,
but beyond this the pure-foOd law has
affected the business but little. So say
the retailers.
The fur trade, which has enjoyed a.
wonderful prosperity for the past ten
years, IS not disturbed by shadows nearer
than those Of absolute panic and oriental
war. Furs are bought when people have
the money TO buy them, and the question
Of price IS not so closely considered. The
three revenue cutters, which are patrol
ling the Alaskan islands on the lookout
for pelagic seal poachers, are there for
business. The protection OF the seals is
as important to the fur trade as a pro-
teCtive tariff is to American tobacco. and
the trade follows the news from Alaska
with the utmost interest
In the clothing business. the advertise.
ments Of one-Drice suits has caused no
little worry and trouble &c the retailer.
About twenty years ago a certain manu-
facturer Of re1dy-made clothing began
advertising his line, For ten years little
impression was made. Then. all at once.
people began TO insist upon that make OF
clothing. The advertising had done its !
work Then other houses came into the
field Their advertisements have been
most artistic and appealing. In every
city and town they have gone into the To- /.
cal papers for the benefit Of their local !
agent The man in the advertisement is I
depicted in suit Of stylish cut and fit {
IItra-stylish perhaps I
BY and by the wearers Of ready-made D
clothing began to insist upon a certain :
make and a certain price. The clothing I
tself vas much superior to the hand-me-
Downs Of ten years before. All went well =
NTH III suoraosa ~ r,,-ioee Of - b,fo- ~,,,s