The Washington herald., 1919-08-19
EXPLAINS WHY
HIGH. RO6LEN
PRICES PREVAIL
Morns May Says ,''Non-Produc.
ton of Civilian Goodsteft
Huge Vacuhm-$5, MatefiaL
for Good Quality SUITS

J High prces OF woolens and why
1hey prevail were explained by Nor
fis May. vice president OF the A. B
N<irshbaum Co. Philadelphia, at ;the
trst retail salesmanship course In
session at the. Hotel Astor, n. Y. He
So!nted out that the tremendous vac
lum left by non-pFoduction OF civi-
tan goods during the war has
brought prices up TO where Woolens
hight be sold by the carat
After describing the different
STadings Of wool and the process II
Toes Though before It becomes cloth
le outlined. what has happened 70
'ring prices 20 the present high lev
el and why an increase in these
prices is certain. Five years ago.
he said. "DngIand. put all OF its ma
Ch'ncry into the manufacturing OF
military gods and there has been
no civilian goods made for the last
FIVE years and America has made
little or none for the last two years
The production OF cloth. which was
figured at about four billions OF
yards annually. was almost stopped.
The vacuum that has been made
by. the stoppage Of production for
fBhat averages three and a half
years. or about thirteen and a, halt
billions Of yards which have not
been made for regular consumption.
You have all suffered IN your busi-
hess for the lack q goods. ThiS@J
the first reason why goods are
scarce and how long Will l. take
US 70 fill this space?
"Reason number two is the tre-
mendOuS increase in the COS. OF la
Dor. The suit Of clothing that is
being relli.ed for $50 today has be.
1 . Rv-a Fg ~
raw material in IL, The balance Is
all labor. overhead and profit. La.
Dor has gone up tremendously anc
we believe that It will not come
down for many years"
By raw material, It was explained
the speaker meant raw wool and
raw cotton, etc.
I'VE believe that this thing vii
last at leasFthree years. You arr
going TO H4 the highest prices tol
clothing the coming spring that hal
ever been known IN the market
Goods that We RoqNt for sl.37 i,
q. Higher Than Civil War.
Terrific advances IN labor auy
overhead wiIl~make the prices 70
the coming spring higher than thos
Of the Civil War. While wool ma,
yecede some after the vac1rm i
filed, about two years from now
the price " Of labor will not com
down and you will not see much re
vision in the prices Of. ready mad
garments.
500 overcostt.
"A man went to a tailor shol
yesterday and wanted to place hi
order for faI suits. This happened
in one OF the high priced tailo
shops. He was told We do not lik
to take your order for fall suit
but my price will be $l75. for suit
for this fam This tafTor charge
$40 this spring. You will pay, prob
ably, for high priced clothing. doubi
what has ever been paid d%before- W
used to hear about Civil War price
where an overcoat brought as big
as 500. A. half a dozen men 4
New York are likely to charge aboU
$500 rather than 500 for an over
coat
~ Sincs~the war started theres hay
been no. spindles made and -no. lQoyn
These things are much more ,6im
cult to make than show eases, ye
show cases cannot be obtained un
!til January. II takes onec year Z
get spiod.es and all that are IN rs
! today are practically worn out. The,
4 were "OIH ONl ny NuS lGahI NlN,
they performed by being driven ii
4 getting khaki goods out Il will tak
two years to get this industry lsael
to where II started. AS 10 price:
Ithey will never get back. AS Il
i1niform production. IL will.take frou
hhree. to five years The world !
'cude OF goods and you vnE'see then
hpming TO this country wHh the gol,
their. hands to buy cloth but thl
- as well save their-trlp
yrcr3 3t-csrurrs-- -t5no-r-ser-t<25
'the1EMsrnment Sln,ar
kef~hHd- out OF s1
Sx " intn thes market