Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-01-12
THE COST OF LIVING.
IV-THE PRICE OF CLOTHING.
BY Frederic ]. Haskin.
BY Frederic ]. Haskin.

While there are many kinds Of cloth
and clothing which sell at an obviously
higher price than they did ten years ago.
In the majority Of instances the increase
has not been added by marking up the
price. but rather by the process OF cut
ting down the quality Of the goods. The
manufacturer finds II much easier to
change the grade OF an article than the
price. The price on dress goods sold un-
der a certain name may remain the
same. yet the width may be reduced by
one or two inches Of the number OF
threads per inch may be reduced.
A certain clothing manufacturer has
the same price as formerly. yet the cloth
used in those suits runs from two to
four ounces lighter to the yard From
this 1t will be seen that many people
are not paying more for their clothes
than they did decade ago. but unwit
tingly are wearing an inferior kind OF
clothing.
The same condition prevails with refer
ence to ladies' and children's shoes.
While the retail prices Of such shoes
have not advanced to any large degree.
there has been a change in the materi-
ais used. The manufacturer is able to
substitute a leather OF lighter weight
which. OF course, is less expensive. lie
Is then able also to effect saving in
tine cost Of putting the shoe together.
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The bureau Of labor recently completed
an investigation into the increased cost
Of clothing in
Average Prices the Uniter
One-Fourth Higher. inres,isa 10
embraced sixtY-five different kinds of
cloth and clothing. 1t was found tina.
the average price was nearly one-fourth
higher in 1910 than in 1901. These figures
of course. represent wholesale prices. It
has been the common conclusion Of all in
vestigators that retail prices rise even
more sharply than the wholesale quota
tons. When 1t Ia remembered that the
products Of the textile industry of the
United States are worth more than two
billion dollars annually. and that many
other commodities other than textiles en-
ter into the American clothing bill. it will
appear than an increase in the price Of
clothing Of % per cent In nine years re-
suits In an additional annual expenditure
Of many hundred million dollars by the
American people for clothing alone.
1t is not improbable that the average
American. taking the rich and the poor,
the rural resident and the City dweller.
has an annual clothing bill amounting TO
So. This would call for total expendi-
ture Of nearly $1,000 100000 for clothes.
An increase Of. % per cent would mean
almost enough to bear the entire burden
Of operating the machinery Of the federal
government.
Articles on which prices advanced by as
much as 10 per cent in ten years are not
exceptional When the housewife went
to the store in March. 1910. she paid one
half moro for thirty-inch, Stark "a
drilling than in March, 1900. For indigo
blue, all-wool -slitings, serge. cotton warp
cashmere dress goods, she paid upward OF
40 per cent more For mems vici kid
shoes, some kinds of cotton flannel. many
denims, brown drilling. many ginghams.
certain sheetings and nearly all shortings.
the price was higher by 80 per cent in
1910 than in 1900. On the other hand,
| the wholesale price for Japanese raw silks
decreased moro than % per cent in that
period.
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