The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-02-13
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
INFORMATION BUREAU
FREDERICK. HASKiN. Director,
Washington, D. c.
oLoTHLEss CLOTHES NEXT.


other day middle-western buyer en-
tered the offices of wel1-known New
Y ork clothing establishment, prepared
to do his fall buying. AS he looked
about him, he recalled with pleasure
his visit to this establishment two
years before.
Then the senior partner had come
forth to greet him, had put at his dis
posal box of cigars, and had insisted
that he should honor the firm by
lunching with him at a nearby hotel.
Tickets were supplied him for popu-
lar Broadway hit. for which it was
serted no one could obtain tickets, and
the little blond stenographer in the
front office had accompanied him.
This time no one came forth to-
greet him; no one even looked up
from his work. He was given chair,
at last, in room with several other
buyers, and the office boy who took
his card informed him condescend-
ingly that he would try to arrange an
interview with-the general manager
within an hour or SO. All the mem
berS of the firm, according to the
office boy, were out of town. The lit
tie blond stenographer in the front
office told him that she was very
sorry, but she was too busy to talk!
Just one question:" pleaded the
buyer. rs there any way in which 1
can get the senior partner to go to
dinner with me?''
Things have Changed in the Ameri
can clothing trade in the past two
years From a period of overproduc-
ton and keen competition with Europe
the clothing industry has reached a
period of severe scarcity in raw ma
teria1 and in labor. Up to 1916,
manufa cturers were still deyoting only
goods, the rest were devoted to SELL
ing it Buyers were persuaded,
wheedled. argued, coaxed, bullied into
buying goods. Now the positions are
reversed. 1t is the buyer who must
coax and threaten the manufacturer
into selling him goods.
Buyers are already placing their or
ders for next winters wooden gar
ments, and cannot afford to be too
particular at that 1t is largely
question of taking what you can get.
Most manufacturers have a sliding
scale of prices for each month, since
the cost of raw materials is still on
the increase. The price of wool, for
example, has advanced 800 per cent
since the outbreak of the war, and
cost of labor which is now said to have
risen so per cent above pre-war rates.
We have heard much about the
scarcity of wool, but now that the i'm
portation and expectation of wool are
under the control of the government,
we are likely to hear more. The gov
eminent has already raised its voice
against tho extravaganza of present
American fashions. Belts and large
sleeves and superfluous pockets on
wooden wear have all been condemned
by Uncle Sam-alSo the fashion show.
The Chicago Garment Manufacturers
association has just announced that it
will not hold it's annual style show
this year, because."by eliminating pro-
q, Of &c cd 70 fl1a
event they viii; save many yeads of
materials
Other concerns are holding fashion
shows, it is true, but it is guaranteed
that all of the materials will be used,
and the proceeds of the ticket office
usual usually 81 to some society for war
The fabric situation, indeed, stead
lily grows worse. Cotton is higher than
it has been since 1868, and now shows
of that historic year in cotton his
tory. Imported Bingham this year is
to retail for one dollar a yard, the
former price of good messaline and
velvet, while domestic gingham,' once
considered fit only for the kitchen,
is now popular drawing room ma
tera1.
AS for linen, dealers now predict
that the next six months will practi-
cally see the end of linen in the United
States. Inc only shipments OF linen
received by this country recently have
been from Great Britain, and Great
Britain has now limited the exporta-
ton of all but a very low grade of
linen for the rest of the war. Linen
fabric weighing four ounces to the
yard and containing between 1900 and
1900 warp yarns is used for the wings
of airplanes, which, at present are
considered by the government to be
more important than commercial
table-cloths. supply of linen is now
held in American warehouses, but
only enough to last for six months.
There is one ray of hope in the
linen situation, and that is Russia.
If flax can be obtained from Russia
and shipped in large quantities to
Great Britain, the fabric may not be-
come extinct in American fabric
markets.
Another shortage which is causing
some Embarrassment now is the
scarcity of needles. Machine needles
are astonishingly scarce, owing to the
conversion of needle factories into
munitions plants, and handsewing
needles are also beginning to show
signs of disappearing entirely.
1t is fact not commonly known in
this country that no thanksgiving nee
dies are made here. Machine needles
are made in plenty-or- have been I'M
til recently-but the thanksgiving
quires the greatest skill and patience
to make, and in Europe it is trade
handed down from generation to gen.
Grafton.
Before the war the United States
depended for its supply of hand-sew-
ing needles on England and Germany.
The German supply was soon elimin-
ated by the British embargo, and
England was left to fill the demand.
Now England has found it necessary
to drop out of the needle market too.
No embargo on needles has been es-
tablished, but the governmen t is linn
iting the supply of steel wire to needle,
manufacturers.
The shortage of needles resulting
from this limitation is interfering