The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-08-12
Necessities Still Soaring on
Topeka Markets.
Even Brass Ascends in Cost, Ac-
count of War.
WHEAT TAKES scent JUMP
And Imported Cigars Are Doing
the ~HesitatiOn."
Meanwhile Innocent People
Suffer Account European War.

Scores Of nfe's necessities and lux
uries including hosiery. gloves. dry
goods, silks. notions. diamonds. watches,
ivory supplies. chinaware. copper.
brasses, varnish, paint and photo sup
Topeka today or are expected to adj
vance within the next few days.
Facing the greatest shipping crisis
that the United States has ever known
American importers and manufacture
ers continue to advance, the prices on
practically every line of imported
goods. Not a few Topeka wholesalers
and retailers predict that unless the
war across the seas is brought to q
speedy end it win be practically impos-
Sitle to. obtain hundreds OF articles and
foodstuffs III common use by the Amert-
can public.
Possibly there is no line of trade in
the United States that will be affected
more than the dry goods houses. AL
most all the cotton and cheaper grades
of hosiery used in the United States
are manufactured II Germany. Manu-
facturers and importers report a great
scarcity in this country. Topeka dry
goods merchants also report a scarcity
of kid and fabric gloves and all kinds
Of notions. Articles of this kind have
advanced in price from ten to twenty
per cent in the east. 1t is only Ques-
ton of short time when Topeka mer-
chants will be affected.
Fine silks and linens, strictly inn
ported goods, cannot be obtained by Inn
porters. Prior to the war France and
Germany furnished practically all the
line laces used in America. The sup
ply is now cut off. An advance In
price is unavoidable.
Watches and Diamonds.
No importation of diamonds is be-
ing made. The price of this valuable
stone has been advanced from 10 to
Is per cent in the east
Topeka jewellers also expect an adj
vance in the price of imported
watches. The worlds greatest watch
factories are located near the frontier
of Germany and Switzerland. With the
outbreak of the war the factories
closed-the men were put in the
army.
Ivory goods, imported from Eng
lish, French and German colonies in
Africa, are scarce in America, accord
ing to importers and Topeka mer-
chants.
Chinaware is expected to advance
in price imme diately Topeka jobbers
say there is limited supply in
zeaass ~ Jump in Copper. -s
Copper, while not wholly an im-
cent in price this morning in Topeka.
Jobbers say retailers in this city say
it is the biggest jump copper has taxi
en- in years. The advance means that
it will cost from two or three dollars
more to wire an ordinary size house
than 1t formerly did.
Fixture houses in Topeka expect q
Is per cent advance on brass within a
few days. Should this prove true it
will affect the price OF hundreds of
common articles in use by Topeka peO-
pie.
1t is expected that the price of paint
and varnish will jump soon. Paint
manufacturers report that the supply
Of varnish gums in this country is
limited and it is impossible to obtain
an additional supply from Europe.
Even the photographer will be at
fected. American Photographic in
terests say that there is a good supply
of raw material in the United States
at the present time, with the excep-
ton Of hypo, one of the most common
chemicals for Photographic use.
Local laundry men say that 1t Is
impossible to obtain quotations on the
price of chemicals used in laundry
work. Soap mixtures and bleaching
solutions are practically all imported
from the eastern hemisphere.
Wheat Up Three Cents.
Farmers are holding their wheat fol
higher prices and as result the price
Of the grain advanced again three cents
q bushel in Topeka today. No advance
has been reported on flour today although
1t IL expected in a short time.
Among the luxuries of life affected by
the shipping crisis are all lines ofimported
tobacco. Eastern tobacco factories say
it Ia impossible to obtain Sumatra wrap
pers which are common wrappers used IL
American factories. An advance in tht
price OF imported cigars is also expected
cppINcER wnN IT )