The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-26
LscaI Laundrymen Claim Every
 lem of Expense In Their Business Has increased
FANCY SHIRTWAISTS
 HAD TO BE INCREASED
Laundries Make Little Profit on Shirts and Have To Make It Up On Prices Charged For
 Collars.

The people are discussing the launory question. Yesterday, from the time The Age-Herald was circulated until a late hour at night, people were expressing their thoughts and opinions. Some insist ed that the prices were outrageous. oth- CTS narrated personal experiences and remiscences The laundrymen and their friends spoke in defense of the plants, de- claring the prices charged here are no higher than those charged elsewhere, that the cost of necessary supplies, equipment and labor is ever on the increase, and pointed to several firms in other cities which, since the advent of the late money stringency, have closed their doors.
 But the bulk of people neither abused nor defended. They showed their interest in the discussion, and expressed them selves as eager that it be continued, not for the purpose of doing injury to any man or firm, but to find out if in this par ficular as in many others, the cost of living in Birmingham is too high These latter individuals, who, as stated, were vastly in the majority, desired earnestly that Birmingham be ever fully supplied with labor and for that reason wanted to publish to the world just what it costs to exist in this metropolis.
 Experience of Texas Man.
 In reference to the laundry question gen. orally, there came to The Age-Herald yesterday information concerning a penny laundry that is and for some time has been operated successfully in Dallas, Tex.
 The proprietor of this laundry, believing that it was exorbitant to charge for the laundrying of a collar one-ffth of it's re- tail value, and there was money in laundrying a shirt for s cents, started business of his own, along his own ideas, but without a scintilla of equipment. He charged l cent for laundrying collars, and for other articles of wear price as radi- oally decreased from the standard charges. He then employed other laun- dries to do his work, paying them so much per pound. He has prospered.
 Blinn Defends Local Prices.
 George A. Blinn, proprietor of the Ex- celsior laundry, when told the above story yesterday afternoon, referred to the fact that there was formerly penny laundry in Birmingham and that it has since dis appeared. He stated that the proposition was a continual loss. He stated, too, that there was a great mistake in the general belief that a laundry was a mint for money making. He cited figures to prove that while his firm is doing a great amount of work in excess of that done five years ago, his percentage of profit was proportionately on the decrease. He attributed that fact to the increase in the prices of material that is used in the laundry business, and the increase in the cost of labor.
 MT. Blinn furnished the following figures showing the price of articles three years ago. and their present price: Starch, 5Ac- 71ac; soap, 47s-7Ac; twine, 16c-23c; paper, Sl4c-5c; coal $1.10-s1.95 buttons 1Sc-26c 35c-45c; shirt boards, $1.25-s1.60; paper boxes per thousand, $12-$1S, st6-s24; laundry lists, 45c, 55c-65 shirt bands, 39c-42, 5Oe- 54c per thousand; Japan wax, Sc-9c, 16c-1Sc per pound; baskets, 90 per cent increase; labor, 20 per cent. increase; rent, from % per cent. to 100 per cent. increase; board for horses, S12.50-$2O per month; price of horses, s75-s1OO, $l25-s175; wagons, $50,