Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1912-09-13
REAL IRISH DIVINITY.
10 cts.

we pIOCuTeu StIupIeS OF all or IQem.
There was not one piece of imported
goods In the lot Investigat ton proved
that the store buyer had purchased
these Irish" dinities from a Boston
jobber at 10 cents a yard and that they
were made in New England mill.
Here was supposed bargain" in
q supposedly imported" fabric, on
which the retailer was taking a profit
Of % per cent!
This happens to be a fabric repre-
senting the highest efficiency in Amer
lean manufacturing. 1t Is q class of
goods In which we can compete ad-
vantageousiy with any country in the
world. The tariff boards investiga-
tons discovered on sample No. SO an
American cost Of production Of 7 l-3
cents a yard. In all the mills inves-
tgated the boards representatives
found that the low and high costs of
manufacture of this fabric did not
vary half cent a yard.
Who Gets the Profit
The manufacturer Of this American
dimlty. that is sold as imported" and
"lrish." does not get the excessive
profit. In some instances the manu-
facturer does. but here he sells to the
5obber at cents, taking only a nom-
lnal manufacturing profit Of two-thirds
cent yard. The Jobbet sells to the
retailer at 10 cents. Is per cent mar
gin for the jobber.
In Canada. with Is per cent tariff. a
cotton fabric costing 10 cents a yard
would be sold to the consumer at 121s
or sometimes at IS cents II the pattern
happened to be In special demand. In
the United States. with its prOhibitive
tariff. the retail price Is always much
higher. The standard price retail Is Is
cents for the fabric wholesaled ut 10.
81 per cent on this printed dimity-the
dishonest retailer can get away with
his deception and double or more than
double his normal profit by selling the
domestic article as imported" The
retailer knows that he could not buy
a genuine imported dimity Of this
quality from foreign manufacturers
agent In New York for less than 1871
or 1871 cents. and the trade would re-
tall this at %. He compares the do
nestle and foreign fabrics and finds
the American made Is equal In every
respect to the fabric from abroad. So
he says to himself. why not Sell 1t as
foreign goods at a price that will make
It attractivoT"
In some cases the manufacturer
takes the tariff favor for his own
pocket Tariff board sample No. "a
illustrates this. No. 81 Is fancy
white goods used for dress wear. Its
manufacturer encountered a fair de-
mand for this material during the past
season. Table No. 100 Of the tariff
boards report shows manufacturing
profit Of 90 per cent. 1t costs to manu-
facture this cloth 1915 cents yard.
The mill refuses to sell to any one ex-
cepting the jobber. and through this
channel the cloth reaches the retailer
at 22h to Is cents yard. The retail
er charges the consumer So to 80 cents.
according to location and local cOmpe
titiOn.
For comparison take the value OF the
fabric on weight. At the manufactur-
ing cost Of 1916 cents . yard ono
pound Of this goods 10 worth 1923 a. it
leaves the mill. Whom It reaches the
consumer lat 80 cents . yard) the
price has been boosted to $40 q
pound.
The manufacturing cost Of this cloth
in England is practically the same as
here. yet the English manufacturer
sells It for 1914 cents a!yard. the job
Der at 1926 cents and the retailer at %
cents.
Bear in mind that the difference In
cost of production at home and abroad"
in this class Of fabric represented by
sample No. "a amounts to nothing.
but the Payne-Aldrich tariff on it
equals $3.50 per cent, or 81 cents per
running yard.
Fancy goods Of the type Of sample
No. "a are products of the Llppitt-Mc-
Coll class Of mills. The Payne Aldrich
bill raised the duty on this cloth from
IS to $3.50 per cent. Is 1t any wonder
that Senator Lippitt and Mr.. McColl
were interested in amending the
Payne bill.-New York World.