Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1915-11-16
Representative OF
MARSHALL FIELD ( Co.
interviewed While in the City
Manufacturing Centers are
Prosperous.

AAO0pSAVuSs
One of the highest salaried travel
ing representatives of Marshall Field
& Co.-the largest retail house in
the world-was in the city yeste--
day. He is at the head Of the orr
ganization of Illinois Commercial
travellers and speaks therefore with
authority when he says that Ameri-
ca is on the eve of prosperous era
never before known. There is a
dearth of skilled labor In all manu-
facturies and a general scarcity Of
unskilled labor. He says that in the
convention Of retailers held in Ce-
dar Rapids, November 3rd, 4th and
9Th, there was an increase of TWEEN
ty-five per cent over the sales Of the
last two years. Dry goods merchants
in attendance at that convention say
that people are buying more than
they did last year or two years ago.
There is large demand for Christ
mas goods and the holiday trade is
expected to oyershadow that of for
mer years. 5s4
When it was suggested to him,
while in conversation, that perhaps
he might well speak with such OPP
timistic prophesies upon the subject,
since his firm was SO well grounded
on the rock of financial footing, he
insisted that, laying all mere hope
fulness aside, the outlook was to him.
better than in years. He has lately
visited Iowa towns-Boone, Clinton,
Davenport and other manufacturing
cities and declares that the factor
les in those places are taking on ex-
ira men with the intention Of not
only running their factories all win
ter, but Of keeping the extra men
employed also.
1t may be felt that the situation
may be as he represents 1t in manu-
featuring towns, but in farming
communities where the corn crop has
been poor this year, some merchants
are complaining that goods are not
moving rapidly enough. Clothing
men particularly have felt that this
falls business is not up to standard.
In regard to the dye situation in
America, Mr.. Smith-Marshall
Fields representative that
this is indeed the most serious OF
situations, From Germany has come
the largest amount. of fast dyes, es-
pecially black dyes, and now that
that avenue Of importation is closed,
the only dyes in America that are
guaranteed to be fast dyes are those
which were purchased before the
war. OF these, Marshall Field & Co.
have enough to last their factories
for the next three or four years, but
not many houses are SO fortunately
situated. Recently this company
was forced to cancel q large order
for goods from an American factory
which warned them that the goods
furnished would not be guaranteed
fast black: Marshall Field & Co. can
not afford to deal in other than fast
colors, since the placing in retail
stores of imperfect goods would only
result in a train of disasters for
them.
America will come into her own
some time but not for years to come.
The situation is this: From given
amount of coal, Germany can extract
by her superior methods, twenty per
cent of fast black coloring-Ameri-
ca from that amount of coal, only
five per cent. The result is that
America cannot supply her own fac
tories, although she possesses the raw
material, on account of her lack of
knowledge.
Black and white ginghams will
next season be luxuries. it is prob
able, for only few stores will han
die guaranteed fast colors in these
goods.
The Endurance Bowling Contest.