Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-01-26

| trade almost too good. The manufac-
turers say it is hard to get raw materials.
| Imported dyestuffs are still practically In
| visible. England is threatening an en-
barge on Australian wool. Last years
| $40 suit even now costs $3.50
Can Fill Clothing Orders.
There is one comfort" say the cloth
ing men. I'VE are putting stop to
the cancellation nuisance.
The one-prce stores all over the
bounding west used to order clothing
with a free-handed liberality. If trade
fell somewha short of it's early prom
| Use the one-price stores Cancelled with
equal free handedness. The manu-
| facturer held tpe bag. Nowadays the
| one-price stores are only too giad ~
get all of their orders. Most of them
are being forced to put up with major
| fraction of what they could sell. Some
| of the greatest dry goods stores IN the
world are located here. They report
| that trade in the west was never pet
ter. When western trade is good that
of the east is sure to be.
Road trade was not so good. even In
1909" the dry goods men report Jus
toners have broken away from, their
hand-to- mouth method of ordering.
They want all the goods they can get
now The rest they are willing to take
for future delivery"
What with strikes and tight money
and uncertainty building in Chicago
was held up last year. Some contract
ors threw temporary roofs over the
steel skeletons until conditions permit
ted a renewal of work. That mas
changed for the better. More money
was spent in the loop during the
Christmas holidays than ever before.
That argues plenty of money at home
in the housewives pocket. Savings &C
counts are going up and the pahkInS
business is becoming more lively. Inc
Chicago bum barometer shows that
warm. regular work is prevailing.
"Hoboes blow in here from the west.
said the owner of one lodging mousse
Most of them will work-at least.
little-if the work is easy to get. Work
is too easy to get now. 1t interferes
with the profits of begging:
One man didn't believe this. So he
tried the plan that social eNperimenters
in New York use every now and then.
He hung a placard on his breast: On
it he had daubed with shoe backing
shaky assertion that
Il want work.
He took it off before he had walked
two blocks through the loop. Too
many jobs had been offered him. 1t
got to the point where he either had
to go to work or dismount the placard
or submit to some gross indignities
from violent strangers. Every basic
line that moves out of Chicago to the
great weston which the prosperity
of the nation is founded-reports the
outlook excellent. Some reports are
better than others, of course. In some
lines buyers are plenty. but there is
trouble in getting material. There is
absolutely no doubt to the imme-
date future evident anywhere. Express
company receipts. postal receipts. tele-
graph receipts, sales of silks, farm i'm
plements, boots and shoes tell the same
story.
Perhaps the export possibilities the
situation offers are less important. but
they are not to be blinked at. Rela-
lively few Chicago merchants bothered
with the export trade before this year.
Efforts have been made to interest the
members of the Illinois Manufa cturers'
Association in it. Once group of
eight men agreed to join in the pay
ment of the expenses of an agent.
But We fell apart before the plan
was hatched.' said one of them. I'VE
could not even agree on what sort of
man we wanted for an agent
After Foreign Business.
Recently twenty-four members of this
organization sent man to Russia |
Stay two years, whether or not you
get any orders" were his instructions |
That means these men realize that a |
wonderful chance to get an export |
are willing to undertake the long pull |
to get it. Chicago has taken an active !
part in the plans of the bankers who |
will make it possible for foreigners to |
secure American credits. Perhaps the
most significant development is the |
opening of Offices here by foreign buy
ers. Representatives of the largest or |
CARNATIONS in Australia, New Zealand
and India have located here.
We want your very keenest prices"
We get them we will give you big or
ders."
They do. too. if they get the keen"
price they insist on. Buyers from China |
and Japan are in the market almost |
every day. The number of South Amer
leans purchasing goods here recently |
led to the discovery that Chicago's |
trade with that section has been more |
Many of these men are here for the
period of the war only. On the other |
hand. they are frank in declaring that |
when the war is over they will buy |
where they get the best price.
"All things considered, / would rather
buy of England" said an Australian |
But II you can beat the English prices |
on the same grade of goods you will |
get my business"
The national importance of this busi- |
ness is that it is jogging the American
ma nufacturer out of his sleep An of
fetal of one of the Chicago commercial
organizations telephoned to a member
the other day. A man from India was
in the office trying to buy some goods.
Send him around" said the manufac-
turer, If he is a friend of yours But
l never bother with export business"
That first order was for 10000 The
next day the manufacturer was in the
club rooms with his eyes shining.
Il want more. he said, licking his
chops Il didn't know the export bust
ness was anything like this