The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-08-25
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
INFORM ALTON
BUREAU
FREDERIC J. HAGKnI. parsStsg.
wAshtzgsaa. y. q
WHY THEY RISE.

1.-ClOlhInR Pricca.

high cost Of clothing are now being
widely circulated turnout the clothing
trade here. AS yet. the public is pleas
antly unaware of what 1t will have to
pay for clothes this fall, but you may
know that the price situation Is pretty
bad when buyers are talking about
government interference, and even
manufacturers admit that the trade is
completely in the hands OF profiteers-
Just which end of the trad is max
ing the exorbitant profits Is hard to
discover The retailers accuse the
| manufa cturers, and the manufac-
| turers. in turn. blame the jobbers and
| the wholesalers. But so much Is
known: That there is no shortage of
| material or labor; that this country
has a larger surplus OF wool and cot
ton on hand this year than it had last
year when prices were lower; that
| this material Is not being exported. be-
cause the European buyers are stand
ing off, waiting for a fall in prices,
and that the higher cost of labor and
| higher overhead charges do not ex-
cuse the present exorbitant prices of
ready made clothes.
1t is further known that. with plenty
| OF material on hand, production is be-
ing curtailed in order to create a
scarcity in the market and thus keep
| prices up. Many mills are now refus-
| ing to supply fall orders. and are hold
ing their materials until spring, when
prices will be even higher. These con-
| ditions are no secret. They are freely
discussed turnout the clothing indus
try, and several well-known manufac-
turers and merchants have been the
first to bring them before the public
in an effort to stop the mad riot OF
profiteering.
II look for a thoro probe of the
prices Of both food and clothing by q
congressional committee chosen to in
vestigate the high cost of living" de-
clared New England clothing dealer.
| who owns chain of stores, the other
day. when fall clothing prices are
/ marked up there will be a howl of
protest from the consumer. II the in
/ vestigation does not come, then 1t will
surely follow the marking of next
| springs goods. I almost revolt. my
self. when prices for spring delivery
| goods are quoted to me. 1 hate to or
der goods at the prices asked"
While the comparison may not be
flattering. the clothing industry may
| be lkened to a band of highwaymen,
about half of whom are unwilling vic
| Tins of the more brazen desperadoes
In other words, a large number of
manufacturers and dealers having
studied economics, realize that eventu-
/ ally prices must reach their highest
point, and that then the movement
fs apt to be rapid in the other direc-
ton.
The public will stand Just so
| much, said a cloak and suit manu-
| facturer in discussing this phase of
the situation. "and then it will rebel.
| First thing you know. the bottom will
fall out of the market and where will
| honest dealers be then-bankrupt
perhaps?" 1t is this contingency
which is causing the greatest uneasi-
ness turnout the clothing trade.
|
An example of the public's sudden
capacity for independence was re-
Gently evidenced in the attitude of Eu-
| ropean buyers. AS soon as the armi-
sttce was signed, there was much talk
| OF profitable fields for American
| goods to be opened up in Europe. But
as purchaser, Europe has proved
tremendous disappointment She
! mas Dough in moderate quantities, 1t is
true, but for the most part the Eu-
ropean buyers are biding their time
| flated prices
This is an example which the Amer
| lean public apparently refuses to fol-
low. While people grumbie, thew do
not rebel, but continue buying any
| thing that strikes their fancy. with
much more carelessness than was ex-
hibited last year. The man who
makes two dollars where he formerly
| made one dollar seems perfectly will
ing to pay three times as much for
his clothes. A trip thru several New
! York department stores discIoees the
| usual frenzied crowd Of purchasers
swelling the governments luxury tax
revenue, and admiring the new fall
models, most of which are marked in
| three figures before you. come to a
decimal. A glance in one shop showed
| a young woman to be purchasing a
! grey wooden sweater at the price of
ninety dollars; a stenographer order
ing her new fall coat at SIPS. and a
school teacher buying a pair of plain
high shoes for twenty-five dollars a
pair which used to be considered ex-
pensive at five dollars.
This year, moreover. the prices of
mems wear are nearly overtaking
those OF women's apparel. Everything
| from oVerallS to overcoats have taken
a sudden rise skyward. The same
trend Is also noticeable in chiidren's
clothes. How any man out of the
| usand-dollar-a-year class can
afford to have a family these days
remains mystery. and 1t is hereby
suggested that anyone who manages
to do so without getting into debt be
made secretary of public expenditures.
Only a couple OF decades ago, retail
stores were offering baseball outfits
with boys ready made clothes as an
inducement to trade At that time a
women could enter a clothing store
and buy her son a fairly good suit for
$3.50. The family whose boys wore
suits costing much as IS belonged
to the aristocracy. The mother who
went down town with a ten-spot could
buy three complete outfits for her
child. and still have enough left over
to buy a bag Of peanuts and a game
Of dominoes. Today, she Is fortunate
II she Is able to obtain one lone outfit
, for ten dollars. Anything with real
wool in It is certain to cost from fif-
teen dollars up.
While buying is now normal. and
even above normal for this season of
the year when 80 many people are
; away on vacations. some dealers have
/ predicted the beginning of a tremen-
| dous buying movement in the fall
AS soon as the public gets adjusted
to the new prices" remarked one
dealer few days ago. america IS
going to experience a demand that will