Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-11-29
NO REDUCTION IN
MEMS CLOTHING
Because of Scarcity OF Wool and
Other Handicaps Spring Out
look is Gloomy.

Owing to the small stocks of wool and
increased demand for that commodity
and because of the advanced cost Of
materials and labor, mems clothing will
be expensive next spring.
Writing 10 Wilmington customer,
New York dealers in WOODEN goods say:
The sudden coming of peace, SO much
sooner than we had dared to hope for II.
hIs aroused some anxiety among our
customers as tn the future prices fer
wooden goods VIC think it may he ,lse-
fu, therefore to state thc facts as they
appear 10 us,
'Tn both England and America the
stocks Of civilian Coods arc exceedingly
small If government control OF manu-
faCturCrs and of wool were TO cease at
once there could he no reduced prices Tor
WOODEN goods In the spring OF 1919 Even
with 4 possible temporary weakening ~
Inc price Of wool the high cost and scar
city Of labor would prcvnft manufacturers
lowering their prices VIC are selling
>lsing goods IN many cases at lower prices
than the makers now demand from US
II manufacturers should make some
Slight concessions from their present
figures We could not lower otir prices
In fact, our supply Is small, and Il We
arc compelled to buy for tho spring season
we must advance our prices ana cannot
possibly lower them our customers may
franoIillv proceed with their spring hus3
moss and must maintain and IN many
eases even advance thmr present prices
for their output Very icw tmlnrS arr
,-cftIng prlcCS at all commensurate with
the advanced cost oi materials and labor
.'Thc changing from military and
naval uniforms to civilian attire by
great numbers of our officers and soIdicrt
NAV have an important bearing upon the
spring and summer business OF Our custom
cre in every part 81 the country
More than oOAO00.000 people IN
Pclcium Holland. Norway, Sweden,
Denmark. Germany Austria. Hungary,
Greece Buicaria. Serbia. Roumanla and
in the principal cltics of Turkey md
Russia have practically exhausted thor
stocks of wool and manufacturers oi
wool The wooden industry N those
countries Is totally dIsorranHed, and ~
many eases. no doubt On account - the
scarcity or total lack of rtv material,
the machinery has hrcn dl9nanii'd and
the metal used for mIItery purposes
Also $50 900 600 people IN North amt
South America, Grcat Britain, france,
Switzerland, Italy, Nran, f"rtlg1 and
other count Ties arc f@ll NHk tsN- 't''ii ttt-
half of the stocks Of manufactures of
WOOL which thev normally carried N 1918
'"Thus $50 00O, 600 people will need to
hc wholly or in part rcstocked during the
next two or three wears Viii all the
wool now in the world, or To he grown N
the time mentioned, suffice to reTtoct
$50 .Oo0. 900 people and supply current
requirements As wellT
Moreover, the change from army
uniforms to civilian wear ovcrroats,
suits. underwear hosiery and hats
will he an exceedingly important factor
The estimated number Of men 70 he thus
rcclothrd will be IN conservative round
figures. British, 5000 900. French and
Belgisna. 3.Oo0. 600; Germans, 5000 600;
Awtrians and Hungsrisns, 100 200,
Italians. 2.5o0, 900; Americans 3,W0,tHh,
Others. ZOO 600; total, o3. 500 600
You can form ycur own conclusions
rs 70 The likelihood of lower prices for
manufactures of wool during the wear
1910 and ister We expect high prices tp
he naIntaJnci for long time To como