New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-07-09
TRADE WAR GAGE
IS MAADY'S CLOAK
Manufacturers at Odds as
Designers Despair Over
Garments Length.
OPINIONS DIFFER
BY SEVERAL INCHES
Credit Men Give Warning, while
Debate on Dress Causes
Woe TO Many.

Recsusc the designers and manutac'
.urers of cloaks and suits cannot Ssie9
unon what Is to be the stylish iehg'"
Tho coming season, the New York man
uf.c,urinr trade is in the worst tangAe
:, has been since the strike Of Univ
years ago. nj, ,o os-
uorc is the situation: The two as
.oo;,,iops of manufacturers arc en-
deavoring to say what m'l"dy ""0
wears rcady-made garments VIII Ou'
,ao designers are trying to agree o'
,yba, will be the most styl'Sh' "'N
orod;, men are hosting warning sig
rals arains, credit practices that have
crown nm As a result Of the conluS'o"
!" Noeryhilc. say the manufacturers
,he hnyers are placing oniy nn nio,S
orders. and their plants are lu,e
,bev wish to take chances on n"I LIE
lot Of garments left IN thch "" 90
with every promise OF rdo~s
please race at the hnlSh WIZ"
do begin to come IN ho ORC mem
hors of the Cloak. Suit and SKIRT Na"u,
Taetrrcrs' Association, after bSnS III
scssion M the McAlpin all iNsuas
,,irbt were not much nearer declSIom
20 ,yhat would constitute the proPet
length than they were when tneE ven
80 scssion About all that they were
creed upon was that trade cohui'io"9
are bad. .o,o elso in an
all night session at the Grahu Ope@
Vouse. were no nearer agTeeuien0
their employers. Ihese aIt's's -
many opinions OF their own d. ~. hut
Tho nroner length Is Tor a coat ou
,hov we're agreed on one thing ana
r.. vas that many of the manulac act
urcrs are better adapted to driVlhs
trrcls or running push carts tnan III
sttucting designers concerning sNIV'
Af,or much debate the designers
Who could not agree as 10 "he'nTT5
,b;r+v-tWo or fOrty-twO inches Wouiu
be the best length. finally deeided 10
nd a committee. heaGed by Max New
man. 10 confer with committees I iOnl
the two manufacturers assocIatioi0
and try TO reach some aSr
,.rimert tried this year of holding no
ionvertion on STYLES was responsible
Cor the trouble the trade ilnds ltSel
IL
ycntions should be resumed
Manufacturers in Wrangle'
The manufacturers meeting was
moro turbulent that that OF the de-
sirners. Admission was restrlc'eu ~
members in good standing, ana an
,,~esert were impressed with the neces-
-, 90 keeping the affairs secret, lest
tho few buyers now In the market
might be scared and return to their
homes withou. placing orders
II was agreed by the various speak
,rs that one cause Of the trouble was
zoo carly showing OF samples, that
Inc Il was full early enough to Degln
sbo,cinq lines and that next year that
date or a later one, would be decided
upon. ..e....d 90
FINALLY the matter was referred 10
,bc executive committee with power 70
act. the expectation being that II VIII
decide that garments should De from
40 20 IS inches in length, and let mat
tiers rest there. or refer the questlon
ON tho ground that the whole trade ana
NO. tho committee should take the re-
snonsibility for settling the question.
"The less said about the meeting
tho petter." said Eugene l.. LeznIKy'
secretary. after the manufacturers mad
referred the matter 20 committee.
Charles Heinemann, who had hurrledly
called the meeting, was equally I'M
communicative.
Summed down. those present were
nearly unanimous IN saying that lot
the manufacturers OF the popular
priced goods a staple length was best,
and tended 10 conserve the interests
Of the dealer as well as the consumer.
With Lengths within moderate range
IL was pointed out that substantially
any garment within that range would
be in style.
was asserted TO be about the right
length. with AZ inches as the limit Tor
the fancy articles. ,, =.
skirts came in for very little dis
cussion, il being conceded that the
short coat would permit the use OF
almost any kind of skirt.
Price Makes Big Difference.
The trouble Of those engaged in the
manufacture of the popular priced
goods do not worry those VINO manu-
facture the more exclusive garments
that sell for from S75 70 $3.50. In these
lines each manufacturer creates has
own styles and lengths.
The popular priced manufacturer,
however. is very much concerned with
what the exclusive makers do, for
"pirating" Of designs is common
practice in the trade, and the maker
of 5000 garment IS not unduly sur
prised when he finds that the lines Of
that garment have been followed close
IS by some small maker.
Because Of the uncertainty many
manufacturers have circularized their
customers advising that orders be held
back until the trend OF the season be
more firmly established. Others have
given buyers guarantees that the styles
they are showing will hold through
the season. agreeing TO take back goods
that prove unstable. This and big
increase IN the practice Of sending
goods out on memorandum have caused
the credit men in the trade 70 unite
in eondemning the practice as tending
20 trade decentralization, losses and
bankruptcy on the part Of those who
foliOvg n