Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-07-20
PROSPERITY SEEN
AS WORKERS BUY
AND WAGES FLY
j. G.. Shedd Tells of Business
Stimulation and Universal
Employment at High Pay
BY JOHN G. SHEDD
(Head of Americas Largest Retail
Eield'sl

(Head of Americas Largest Retail
Business-Marshall Field's)
In giving you my opinion that this
country is to enjoy unparalleled pros
perity during the next few months it
would be advisable to recite some
facts regarding the effects of the war
on the retail business of England and
France.
At the outbreak of the war, retail
business of all kinds had a tremen-
dous slump, stocks were reduced and
purchases were limited; due to the
apprehension that the consuming and
spending power of the public would
be curtailed.
Merchants were utterly amazed,
however. when the Christmas bust
ness experienced by the various
stores during the month of Deem
Der, 1914, was larger than had ever
taken place. They were still further
confounded when business during the
year 1915 was more than 10 per cent
larger than that of 1914, and in 1916
more than 20 per cent. larger than
that of 1915. AS a matter of fact,
retail business in England up TO
January l, 1917, showed a phenom-
email increase over any previous busi-
ness.
People Buying Freely
People were buying freely and the
purchase of luXurieS was extensive
There was a large demand for silk
underwear, silk hosiery, jewelry,
pianos, furs, expensive lingerie =
things of higher qualities and finer
grades, whatever the price.
This was made possible by the fact
that labor enjoyed more constant
employment and had very much
higher wages. The effect OF this was
to cause extravaganza, many for the
first time enjoying a taste of luxury.
So general We're the purchases of
Injuries in England that a serious
effort has been made to curb them
by import laws.
The prices of all merchandise
made tremendous advances. In Eng
land in the first year of the war 20
per cent OF the total productive ca
pacity of manufacturing plants for
civilian use was devoted to manufac-
turing materials for war purposes.
The English director of commerce
has recently said that rs per cent. of
the goods manufactured at present
are Tor war use. The result OF this
heavy drain on factories and ma
chinery was a large reduction in the
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civilian use.
Prices and Wages Up
This condition Immediately in
creased prices. Wages increased be-
cause of the efforts OF civilian manu-
facturers to maintain in a partial de-
gree the volume of their production.
While this situation was the primary
cause of advances in prices, a short
age of labor and materials con-
frihrrrai eh
nary advances in retail prices did not
seem TO affect the phenomenal buy
ing of the people.
Notwithstanding wonderful pros
perity, retail distributors were
sforced to adopt severe measures in
economy in order TO Offset the great
loss in men. Paper, string and boxes
sgere sparingly used. The return
,oods" privilege at present is limited
to thirty-siX hours from delivery; its
entire abandonment has been under
consideration. Deliveries We're con-
centrated on three alternate days of
the week.
While we all appreciate that war
means destruction, at the same time,
from the experience of England aud
France since August, 1914, war has
meant sustained business.
What War Means to Us
In our own country people have
not walked to the full realization OF
what the war means for us. We can
profit in our civilian life by knowing
and needing the experience OF
France and England. The release of
men will be the great need of this
country, and everybody here must
sacrifice as England and France have
have done.
War expenditures in this country
by our own government and by the
allies Will release a huge volume OF
money. This money will go in the
main to wage-earners, many of
whom have not been l. the habit of
possessing such wealt before, and
this money will be spent. This will
greatly stimulate retail selling, al
though retail merchants may be
hampered TO more or less extent not
only in securing merchandise but in
the necessary readjustments which
will be involved in the turning over
of men to the government.
Women Can Do Much
Women can do much right now to
relieve the strain of conditions con-
fronting retail merchants and OBJ
viate the necessity of the government
passing stringent laws that will vi
tally affect the many privileges ex-
tended by retail distributors. One
of the most necessary and immediate
steps that women should take is to
discontinue the extravagant and
wasteful habit of having merchan-
disc sent home and then returning it.
They should make their selections
in the store, carry their purchase
home if possible, and, unless the
merchandise is damaged, it should
be kept-not returned They should
bring their children to the stores in
stead of having the goods sent to the
children.
The adoption of this plan by every
woman throughout the country
would effect great economies for all
retail distributors, enabling them TO
release a large number of men at
@nce. and would not make necessary
Erastic government laws or the fore
rng of retailers to make extra charges
or the service of deliveries and calls
%T return goods.
Prices of all merchandise have al
~:2dy made heavy advances, and it
not at all unlikely that they will
SVen go higher, and largely for the
came reasons that made the heavy
advances in England and France
Labor will be more fully employed,
however, and at high wages, so that
] believe that this country is enter
ing on period of prosperity that
has not vet been equaled.