Great Falls daily tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1895-1921, 1919-12-29
CHEAP
W00LS, BEST
COSTS MORE.
Insistence Of Public for
Fine Grade of Cloth Is
Factor in High Prices
Says Magnate
Charges Government Is
Holding Its War Time
Wool Purchases to Sell
for a Profit.

Boston. Dec. cS.-Ihe InSlstence of
the public upon cloth made from fine
woods is large factor in high prices of
clothing. according to William M. Wood.
president of the American Wooden COM
pany.
Mr.. Wood. who recently charged that
some of the merchants in Lawrence
were demanding excessive prices for
necessaries and were in the habit Of
raising prices with every increase in
wages in the companys mills in that
city. has given out prepared statement
in response to a request for his views
upon the high cost of clothing.
IF our people would consent" was
the conclusion. ito wear good. substan-
tia. durable clothes made of the coarser
woods. clothing could be purchased at
considerably lower prices. than those
which now prevail.
His statement in part follows:
1T is generally thought that the cost
of cloth Is the controlling factor in the
cost of clothing. but the fact is that the
cloth cost is less than half the cost OF
a completed suit. and other factors con-
tribute to the price Of clothing quite as
much as the cost Of the cloth.
Increase In Labor.
"The cost in 1919 of the cloth for a
suit of clothes Of particular grade IS
S1367 The corresponding cost in 1914
was S45S showing an increase in the
cost Of cloth Of 5000.
The 1919 cost of making this suit
is S1447. The corresponding cost Ill
1914 was S49S. showing an increase in
the cost Of making Of $949.
These figures show that cloth con-
tributes slightly less than labor and
other materials to the increased cost
of clothing Therefore. to your question
why prices of clothing continue SO high
throughout the country. the reply is be
cause the costs of labor and cloth and
other materials that go into clothing con-
tinue SO high"
After pointing out that there IS
shortage of cloth and clothing in the
markets of the world which always
means high prices and that almost
every material and every process IN
volved in the manufacture Of clothing
has to pay heavy tax both state ana
federal Mr.. Wood continued:
Refuses Coarser Grades.
'In measure during the war, and
TO great extent since, there mas
developed a curiously insistent demand
for cloth made from the finer and more
expensive wools. People will no longer
buy cloth made of the coarser and con-
ssquently cheaper grades. although cloth
ing made from these woods is both
serviceable and sound
There is now shortage IN the
worlds supply Of finer woods Of about
two hundred million pounds.
During the war. agents OF our gov
ernment purchased from the British
government some hndred million pounds
of Australian wool When the armistice
came they released or transferred two
thirds of this wool back to the British
government. The one-third the govern
ment held they offered only in limited
quantities. the keen competition for
which carried it to tremendously high
prices Recently the government sold
some of this wool in Boston at S2.Io q
pound.
Government Makes Report.
II am not criticizing government Of
ficials. They undoubtedly feel justified.
They are selling these woods at prices
higher than they paid and therefore are
making a profit for the government,
which l assume they think highly credit
able to themselves. But when You put
the question why our people have to
pay such high prices for fine clothing
which they insist on having, you must
not forget that one of the reasons for
it is that the government is holding the
wool which it bought war prices for
nraf;t