The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1915-09-04
CLOTHING NO CHEAPER
UNDER DEMOCRAT TARIFF

IN IHe united STATES senate, on June
9Th, 1914, during a discussion on the
results Of the Underwood tariff bill, a
colloquy was held between two lead
ing senator's as to whether the retail
price of men, clothing has been re-
duced as a result of the reduced tariff
q wool. In response to the statement
by the Republican senator that he had
been unable TO obtain any reduction in
hig tailor made clothes, the Democratic
senator said;
eff the senator will just join the
holy army of men that God created
with such perfection Of physical form
that they may be fitted at a ready
made clothing store, the senator will
find that goods are cheaper"
As this statement was made in Wash
ington, and therefore evidently refer.
red to Washington prices, an ~investi-
cation shows that five prominent deal
ers in standard makes of mems cloth.
ing-makes which have a national rep
utation-were asked if there has been
any reduction in the price of ready
made mems clothing in the last three
years.
The all said that they had to pay as
much now for their clothing as before
the Underwood tariff bill went into
effect, hence had to charge the eonsum-
CT as much now as before. They all
sid that the consumer pays at least
as much now for his re~ady-made cloth
ing as he did three years ago.
One dealers said that the cloth used
now is no better than that used before
the tariff reduction; one said that the
cloth is a little better, he thought. An
other said that the cloth is no better,
but that the reduction in tariff is made
op for by a little better workmanship,
such as tailoring and finishing. Two
said that the cloth is about the same
low as then in the $50 to $25 suits,
and that the clothes for which these
prices are paid today win not give one
bat better satisfaction or better service
than suits bought at the same prices
before the Underwood tariff became eff.
fective.
The fifth dealer said hat he is doing
a business Of over 800, 900 annually
IL a standard brand of clothing AMI
that, while the prices have not been
lowered, he thought the cloth used in
ferior now because of the scarcity of
wool Many OF the wool growers, an
tieipating the tariff reductions, had
sold their sheep and many of the sheep
hsye been used for mutton, which has
decreased the number of sheep by
about nine million head. All but one
OF the dealers said that they had no
tieed that the consumer had much more
money TO spend before the Democratic
tariff became effective.
The cloth used in a suit Of clothes
costing at retail $40 or $50 does not
cost over s. and very probably it costs
less. There is hardly a cloth used which
costs over 81 per yard, especially of
the kind used in the average-priceI
suit retailing from 500 to s25. Suppose
that the price of this cloth were re-
dneed 10 per eent-which would be a
very great reduction-this could not
reduce the retail price Of the suit more
h 30 cents. With this reduction, a
$25 suit could be sold for s24.65, if the
consumer were given full benefit. But
Investigation has shown that there has
been no actual reduction.
The claim of the Democratic senator
quoted above, is therefore wide of the
mark and must have been made merely
for political effect. The Underwood