Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-08-22
WHY THEY RISE
|. CLOTHING PRECISELY Frederic J. Haskiu

5;,ir of plain high shoes for $25 a pair which
used to be considered expensive at So.
This year. moreover, the prices of mems
wear are nearly overlooking those OF women
apparel. Everything from oVerals TO over
coats have taken a sudden rise SkyWard. The
same trend is also noticeable in chlldren's
clothes. How any man out OF the ten thoU-
sand-dollar-a~year class can AFFORD to nave
family these days remains a mystery, ana
it IS hereby suggested that any one who man
agos to do so without getting into debt be
made secretary of public expenditures. Only
couple of decades ago retail stores were
offering baseball outfits with boys ready
made clothes as an lnduc9ment TO trade Az
that time woman could enter clothing
store and buy her sen a fairly good suit 10r
$3.50. Tie family whose boys wore suits
co.Ling IS much as SIS belonged TO the
arist0crac The mother who went down
town with a ten-sp0t could buy three COM
Dlete outfits for her child, and still have
enough lett to buy bag of peanuts and a
game OF doninoes. Today she is fortunate
ii she is able to obtain one lone outfit for
SO. Anything with real wool in 1t is certain
to cost from SID vi.
While buying is now normal and even
above normal for this season O. the year
when so many people are away on vacations,
some dealers have predicted the beginning
of tremendous buying movement in the
fall LAS soon as the public gets adjusted
to the new prices" remarked one dealer a
!
ence a demand that will make present &C
! tiyity look like dull season.
In many cities campaigns have been ar
, ranged to educate the public TO the neces-
sty for high prices. You c&nt spring any
thing like these fall prices on the people all
at once" declared a retailer who recently
accompanied his buying staff to New York.
why it makes me sick to have to pay the
prices myself, and next spring it will be
worse, unless the government interteres and
sends a few gentlemen to jail
Another retailer from the west who re-
Gently visited New York denounced the rise
in prices and explained that his house was
not making anything like the profits it could
easily make if it cared to take advantage Of
the situation. I'VE haven't the nerve" he
declared. His house had bought great deal
of merchandise months ago, when the price
was much lower that it is now possible to
sell this goods at profit for the same price
which it would now cost at wholesale. This
man feels that his store is creating a de-
sirable impression by keeping its prices down.
Another dealer who had bought lat the lower
prices thought it would be safer to raise
mem now, and thus prepare his customers
Tor the cost of the new merchandise TO be-
offered in the fall.
lt is not SO much the public's attitude
; toward the fall prices which so alarms the
honest majority OF the clothing trade, how
ever, as it's reaction to the prices OF spring
clothing. The fanl that they can count upon
people 'Duylnh g I2ll-1C is SO soon AFTER
the that certain period Of extravaganza
can be safely counted upon. But the spring
season is apt to prove troublesome. One man
ufactuTer quotes the example Of a New Eng
land street railway company an indica-
ton of what may be expected of the public
when pushed too far. When this company
raised its fares to six cents the people were
mildly resentful, they were visibly indignant
when the price of ride rode to seven cents,
they registered a furious protest when it
went to eight cents and when the fare was
raised to a dime they revolted. In other
words, they simply ceased riding, and to-
day the revenues of this street railway COM
pany are approximately $4,000 a day less
than under the old rate.
Thus, the public can bring the price of
clothing down dangerously fast anytime it
wants to by merely refraining from buying
goods. If it does this, however, the balance
OF the trade will be upset, firms will be
driven out Of business and huge numbers Of
people will be thrown out of work In short.
panic, which is so often the result of undue
profteering, will result 1t is for this reason
that many members OF the clothing in
dustry urging the safe course OF a con-
gressional probe.