Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1918-11-24

of all grades Of meats have gone
| steadily up since the beginning OF
! ihe war.
We assert, without fear OF Sue
cessful contradiction. that the price
OF shoes, clothing, underwear, neck
wear and all other gentlcmen's gar
ments and furnishings have IN
creased in price In less proportion
than the prices OF meats or sugar
| or other necessities OF life.
! 1t must be remembered at all
Vtimes that we bought our goods TO
the best advantage in the largest
markets OF the country II must be
remembered that when prices are
within the reach Of those with mod
crate Incomes the volume OF trade
| ana the total of profit is infinitely
larger ana higher than is the case
| when prices, through force and
stress OF circumstances, are 50 high
/ that only those with better than aV-
erage incomes can afford to buy. In
suCh periods as now exist the aver
age citizen, man or woman, rather
than stand the outlay OF the extra
price, or strain credit, uses the Old
shoes and the old gowns and the Old
overcoats which they would sGOrn to
wear in normal times. So that the
retail dealer. in addition to his con,
trIbutiOn to all of the war funds and
all Of the Liberty loan issues, has
borne an additional share OF the
wars burdens through the diminu-
ton in the volume of his business.
The government has strictly and
Invariably and inexorably exercised
care that the prices of the articles
sold at retail should maintain a rigid
and short percentage of profit over
the manufactured product. Our bus
iness Is as much the subject of gov
ernmental investigation and SUPER
vision as the business of the man
who sells sugar of corn meal or any
other necessity. The retail mer-
chants, all OF them, would welcome
return to normal conditions and
normal prices. Unfortunately for
them and for the consumers the mat
ter is entirely out of their hands.
They have to pay what the manufac-
turers demand and the Manufacture
ers have to buy the raw material
for what they cam
So far as the declaration OF an
arnistice is concerned the retail
trade welcomes 1t as harbinger Of
better conditions in the futre but i'll
should not be, and cannot he ex-
pected, that goods purchased under
restrictions OF a year ago can be or
should be sold at a loss. That way
bankruptcy lies. Attention has been
called to the fact that some mer-
chants are already cutting prices and
putting on sales" That is the re-
suit OF panicky or uncertain situ-
"a ifh gf a IL rnl IN
happen and which is not at all JUS
titled by either present conditions
or future prospects. When 1t is con-
sidered that more than 100000 peo-
pie have been released from the
thraldom OF war and have become
customers in the worlds markets;
when 1t is considered that the
United States, OF all the twenty
seven nations engaged in the war,
kept its production at normal or
above normal productions, the i'm |
portance OF the increased demand
TO the trade is apparent.
Rcadjustmcnt Problems.
The retail dealer must adjust his |
business to the things as he finds
them. He has to pay the jobber and |
the jobber has to pay the manufac- !
turer and the manufacturer has
to pay the producer. Whenever |
the producers OF wool, OF cotton.
of leather OF hides, charge less |
for their output than the man
the jobber, the retailer
more than glad to do so because It |
means an increase in the volume OF
business and the profit proportion
ately larger.
The retail merchants OF Tulsa ask
a comparison with the prices obtain
ing elsewhere. They ask the con-
sumers, the purchasers to invesu-
gate conditions for themselves In
OF any statements made
by Interested parties and see If the
prospect is not for higher prices
than for lower prices ?cnIt does not
require the eye of prophecy or the
prescienCe of wisdom TO observe that
the demand for all kinds, grades OF
manufactured goods is going to In
crease ten fold through the iiber-
alton Of the worlds commerce. And
where there is an increase in de-
mand there must be, there is, and
there always will be an increase in
the price of the manufactured ar
ticle.
Instead Of Withholding purchases
In the hope OF an immediate reduc-
ton in prices or prospective re-
iuction in prices the time TO buy Is
right now. 1t is the history OF every
war. especially in the case Of the ma
ion fighting a victorious war. that.
upon the conclusion OF treaty OF
peace there is initiation OF prices. 1t
vas true after the civil war. 1t was
rue in Germany after the Franco
Prussian war Of 1S70-71. 1t was
rue after the Spanish American
var. 1t has been true OF every war
n history and history will repeat it.
elf this time There Is every rea-
on for the belief that prices will go
~ instead of down and they will
to go up till all OF the pro-
luctive capacity Of the nations
which have been at war will be
.rought into play and the work Of
econstruction has been completed.