The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-12-05
CLOTHES PRICES --..-.
STILL ADVANCING
~ WILLIAM r. sANeoRN

Ou0 Oh tho Str1k1u8 Changes uOloU
In the attitude Of eastern manufac-
turers and jobbers toward merchants
who go east to buy, has depressing
effect upon the visitor in quest Of sup
plies. Nobody seems to care two
whoops about his patronage; not
single concern seems to be seeking
new accounts; not one in hundred
will consider It worth while to quote
you q price, II you are not already on
their books.
This IL bad enough when trying to
do business with strangers, but when
houses with whom you have traded
for years, and on whose lines you
have an established trade in clothing,
women's ready-to-wear, shirts. shoes,
or what not, seem sorry that you have
burned time and money in travel
when they profess to have so little
they can spare you, the situation be-
comes exasperating.
This may seem to be an overdrawn
picture, but in the main it is simply
the concrete truth. After you have
padded" your order in the hope Of
getting enough stuff to pull through
the season on, you are most likely to
be told, then and there, that your allot-
ment will be 20 to 30 percent of what
you have selected, and that complete
delivery can not be guaranteed for any
certain date, within a range of 60
days from March I. All conditions be.
ing favorable your spring goods may
reach you early in March. say, II not
a rart Of them will and the balance
may follow along up to June.
Prices Tending Upward.
The same conditions also apply to
L. o.. n. 81 A>IS-
and thousands of orders have already
been placed by early buyers. All fu'
ture orders have been placed, broadly
. speaking, on an advancing scale. In
| fact we do not learn Of single ex
suits Of all the hue and cry as to re-
ducing the cost Of foods.
What saith the Ancient Mariner
Water, water, everywhere, and never
a drop to drink" Largely 80, too. az
to officials everywhere, supposedly at
tempting to bring down the H. G. L.
and many doubtless trying honestly
to do something for the millions paid
in salaries and expenses to officials
and committees, without end. Never.
theless, our thirst for value received
is unquenched.
Well. the textile industry, the cloth
ing and ready-to-wear trades, the boot
and shoe manufacturers, each have
been or are still being investigated
and warned. Indeed this has been
going on for some months. There now
seems to be plenty Of wool in this
country, nor is the price exorbitant
for the raw material. But when one
is charged Sc for an Atwood sweater
for 6-months old baby. said sweater
weighing so little that it can be
mailed once around the world for
about cents-then it is that language
fails.
Knit Goods Sold Out.
1t is fact, however, that knit goods
manufacturers, the country over, are
overloaded with orders and that pro-
duction is only ranging at from 60 to
SO per cent Of capacity. Knitting mills
are not localized, they are found In
many states, and are mostly sold up
for spring delivery. Many are not
even accepting orders for next fall
because Of uncertainty as to the supply
Of silks and yarns. This condition will
be reflected in the retail prices to be
paid for all classes of hosiery. knit
underwear and sweaters, later on.
Richmond merchants were notified
from Chicago on Monday of an ad
vance of 10 cents per yard In sheetings
because Of strike in the cotton mills
This strike was quickly settled ant
The wages of thousands Of operatives
have been advanced 1914 per cent
which will be added to the cost Of
goods for spring and fall delivery. Boil
cotton and WOODEN spinners pay this
wage advance, about 100000 worker:
sharing in the raise. Look where We
may the strike fever still persists ane
seems very contagious.
Scarcity Of TaiIors.
One Richmond clOthier states tina
he is still short on some deliveries
and that he is advised by his New
York connection that they have 5000
overcoats cut awaiting workmen t.
finish them. This firm is not com
planning so much of the shortage II
piece goods. as in labor to make vi
the garments.
An exasperating feature OF curren
merchandising is the unexpected can
cellations, after orders have beer
placed for weeks or months. For eS
ample, one local buyer reports notic'