Arizona republican., 1919-07-23
FINDS FURNITURE
 TRADE IN CHAOS IN b|C CEN TIERS
Leigh Ford Returns from Trip to East with Alarm ing Tale No Deliveries Sure-All Prices Soar - Buyers Not Wanted -Ev- erything Jumbled

Leigh Ford of the Ford Levy Furni- ture company. has just returned from a buying expedition in the east. visiting the great furniture centers at Chicago and Grand Rapids. He brings back with him description of trade condi- tions which can hardly be realized here but which are rapidly approaching, and he thinks that the people of the coast and here should be prepared for them when they come.
 MT Ford timed his visit so that he would be in Chicago on July l. the opening of the great furniture exposi- tion for the edification of buyers from all over the country. These annual eKpositions are usually held for the purpose of stimulating buying. Tn this case there was no need of stimulation; there were more buyers than were wanted. They could not be served and when one left empty handed there was a breath of relief by the salesmen. Thank God" said one salesman when he learned that buyer who had been importqning him had gone.
 No pretense was made of serving any but old customers Their orders were taken with no assurance as to the time of delivery, probably next January. Nothing at all could be said about prices. They will be whatever they may be at the time of shipment. Mr Ford met three young men who had come from North Carolina to secure stock for mammoth furniture store The enterprise was backed by a very wealthy citizen who wanted to launch his son in business with the other two who had spent their lives in it. They had come expecting to invest million dollars in stock. They could interest nobody. They were new to the trade: the trade was under no obligations to them; it did not care for a million dol lars. It had enough to think about in supplying its own customers. After the North Carolinians had been there five days they had succeeded in buying nothing except kitchen cabinets and baby buggies.
 Nothing for Sale
 At the opening of the market on July there were 5000 buyers present. Some of them had been there days in ad- vance and had made such purchases as they could. Many of the houses repre- sented in the exposition offered nothing there for sale and refused to accept orders. The men in charge of them had nothing to do but answer questions and stand off importunate buyers. There was one salesman who took a sweet revenge. Now" he said to buyer, I've got you. Do you remember how I used to visit you and beg you for orders? How you used to screw me down on prices and insult me? Now you want to place an order. We can't take it; we're sold out"
 The men who in other years would have been found with their displays seeking the favor of buyers were now otherwise engaged. On one floor of the great building occupying a block they had organized poker game and on the floor above there was an absorbing and noisy crap game which they would not allow the buyers to disturb. The whole thing. said MT. Ford, was chaotic be- wound description and the foremost men in the trade cannot predict when order will be brought out of It is only known that old methods of business have passed away, probably never to return
 An illustration of this was given him at Evansville, Ind, where he had for merly traded. He called on the house and was told as usual that nothing could now be done for him. The sales man told him that he would receive his order and file it with the mountain of orders which were already in wait ing, but, he added, ''Fll tell you what you had better do. I would. of course. receive commission on your order when it is filled, but if I were you would not put in an order. I would go home and write a letter to the firm enclosing your order. In that way it | will be brought to attention sooner"
 Prices Scared Sky High
 Whenever prices were quoted. and that was seldom, it was found that they had almost doubled. At one place he | found dining room chair of a make | he had seen in Los Angeles before starting east. The price at the factory | was twice as high Many of the buy | CTS, especially those from the west | have anticipated the advancing wave by making purchases in the west, of | goods that had been shipped from eastern factories.
 Furniture men offer a partial ex planation of the situation. which is dra l