The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-08-04

1t is cabled from Paris that 144 coll
ors have been introduced into our au-
tumn costumery.
This is joyful news to the dressmak-
er as well as to the amateur In color
schemes, but it brings sense OF de-
preston to the artist. The vast as
sefnbling of colors in one season Is
excellent for the commerce OF a coun-
try 1t provides persuasive idea 70
berused to coax the coin out OF purses;
it gives a clerk something to talk
about; it enhances the pleasure OF
shopping to the woman who Is never
certain what she wants to wear IL
gives to the inveterate shopper-the
woman who goes from store to store
on pleasure bent, and who does not
buy enough in season to warrant one
shopping tour--another chance 10
stimulate her excitement
sOne is tempted to speculate on the
reduction of excitement that will come
to. that kind of shopper If the no.
sample law and the no-returned-goods
law come into effect this autumn.
The shopper who finds her greatest
stimulation of the day in vaguely spec
uIating on what she can make out OF
everything she sees, and, to aid in her
meditations on this subject, requests
that samples of each color and mate
rial be given to her, will experience
depression if samples are refused ana
goods are not sent up for approval.
The shops of the American contl-
nent are fighting this question today
to the best of their ability. They re
ranging up all the advantages and dis
advantages, in two parallel lines and
having great experts find out whether
or-not it is advisable to make dras-
tic change.
The cry of the country is against the
wastage of food and fabric, and the
designers are contemplating the cut
ting off of all frills, superfluous pock-
cts and extra bits of cloth that are
not necessary to make clothes smart
Surely, if the designers are Geter-
mined to cut off unnecessary inches or
material in the making OF costumes,
the merchants will find 1t advisable to
refuse to give samples. The figures
that have been made out by the eX-
perts as to the wastage OF fabric In
the giving of samples by every shop on
this continent read like war statistics
They deal in billions, instead os hun
dreds.
The merchants are quite aware that
1t may work to their disadvantage to
refuse samples, and it may be that
clerks in certain shops will be given
leeway in using their judgment as to
whom to refuse and to whom to give;
but it is probable that there will be a
drastic supervision of curtailmcnt of
sending goods on approval and giving
pieces of fabric to curiosity seekers.
The merchants of the country feel
that they have gone too far in leniency
toward customers Extraordinary
evnste has been involved in the system
Which is now accepted as the courteous
and convenient one.
The immense and sweeping reform
which was brought about by the adop-
ton Of one price against a reduction
of price thru bargaining has placed
merchandise in this country on a solid
baEis. 1t was great merchant and a
man with vision who saw the evils Of
conducting a department shop Oh the
basis of an Oriental shop, where one is
supposed to bargain for half hour in
an effort to reduce the price, and
where high price is put on every
article because the bargaining is a
part of the game.
In the beginning, the public resent
ed this attitude of the merchants Now
there are thousands of people in this
generation who do not know that any
other method existed, except the one
price method.
In the days before the reform was
established, women went out to bar
gain. 1t was the prime recreation o.