Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-09-21

heavy stocks on hand.
::
In the cheap lines of glassware.
crockery, china, enamelware, tinware
and k itc II e II
U. S. Will Supply novel ties, the
or stupendous sales
oo'eA"A A1A1ies' of the five and
ten cent stores and cheap department
stores have developed their manufac-
ture in the United States to such an
extent that an adequate supply will
be constantly maintained. The only
effect OF the war on such goods will
be possible shortage OF raw material
in few lines. The tin situation. of
course, will reflect an influence over
many of such articles.
An interesting sidelight on the en-
terprise of the American merchants
to meet the shortage in holiday goods
is shown by reports received from
producers of rag and muslin books
toy books, cut-out books, painting
books and muslin dolls and animal
toys printed so as to be cut out and
stuffed. These lines normally are good
sellers in the big stores, but manufac-
turers report that they are fairly
swamped with orders. One manufac-
turer says:
I'VE find that the five and ten cent
trade have, in Il great many instances,
increase their orders with us, and
several big concerns have doubled
their acquisitions during the last few
weeks. This is simply because we
are making a great many novelties
which, they tell US, will take the place
of toys and other goods, heretofore
imported from European countries.
Consequently. We are working day and
night at full capacity to take care
of the demand, but at no increase in
prices"
Another important feature in the
| cheap stores is low-priced candy. The
largest five and ten cent store cor
poratiOn in this country last year had
a gross sales record of something over
500, 100000. OF this total, more than
100000 was represented by candy.
Since the candy counter accounts for
from 8 to IL per cent of all the sales
in most of these cheap stores. the
effect of the war on the sugar market
is of tremendous Importance. Uncer-
tainty as to the future of the sugar
market is acute. but the chief fact
is that the price of sugar has almost
doubled
It is a trade fact, despite the oppo-
sition of the pure food experts. that
much cheap
Saccharin Prices candy is
Are Moving Upward. the use Of
saccharin instead of sugar. Even this
commodity has been tremendously al
fected. since practically all Of 1t is i'm
ported, and the price jumped from $1.1o
a pound August 10 to $4.25 a pound
September !, and the tendency is still
upward. If it be true. as is often
charged, that Il great many cheap
candies carry generous percentage of
&c fIIy g
affected, as we produce sufficient tale
to supply the whole world.
t,heap toilet preparations that have
talcum powder as their base will not
he affected, but such things as per-
fumes and cheap fancy soaps inevitably
will be forced upward. The materials
may be had quite as cheaply IN the
United States as In Europe. out IN
such lines the cost of labor bears SUCH
a large proportion of the total ex-
pense OF preparation that American
manufacturers cannot compete at the
old prices. This will have the effect
of raising many such things out OF
the five and ten cent class altogether
The general public probably Will not
view with great alarm the prospect OF
l.. famine in five and ten cent Je"elry.
However, when one is considering the
interest of the cheap stores. this Is u
VERY serious problem. American manu-
facturers can, of course, make cheap
jewelry. but there must pe lauLcai
changes i'll design due to the TACT that
stones used to decorate cheap Jewelry
are almost all imported. This sug-
gests the opportunity for new Amer
lean industry. since there is no ques.
ton that the vari-colored chips OF
glass used in five and ten cent Jewelry
can be produced here. Heretofore 1t
has simply not been worth anybodys
while to undertake 1t. The Rhode
Island and Massachusetts, concerns al.
ready report increases in orders, but
they are substituting all metal de-
signs for lines in which the glass
Jewels were formerly used.
So far as the five and ten cent stores
are concerned, substitution of new
lines of domestic manufacture will I'M
doubtedly take care of the increased
business that will be drawn to such
cal spending that is spreading over
the country. The notion counters in
the department stores will have to fol-