River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1919-01-16
Styles VIII Change
But Prices Will Not
G.. M. Stewart Cites Observations
from Buying Trip to New
York--Labor Wage Scale
Must Be Kept Up--Big
Crowds in City

george NJ. Stewart, viCe-preS. of
the Stewart Mercantile Co., return
ed home Thursday from New York
City, where he had been since Dec.
Is buying goods tor the Northern
Jobbing Co., of which the Stewart
Mercantile Co., is a member, and
arranging for lines to be shown at
the buying convention at the Palmer
| House in Chicago Jan. POPS. Mr..
Stewart gives the following interest
ing account of his trip:
Never saw such crowds in New
York. Don't know why there were
so many more than usual, but
streets, stores and hotels were
crowded.
Found market conditions rather
unsettled when first arrived, especi-
ally among ready.to-wear manufact-
urers, but they are a peculiar lot
anyway, mostly Jews. No one of
them wants to make move until he
sees what the other fellow is going
to do-and then they all go in like a
flock of sheep. However, before we
left we noticed quite change, and
it is remarkable to note the orderly
manner in which the merchandise
situation is resuming it's natural
before. the-war" conditions.
Had hoped for some reduction
in prices, but SO far there are very
few items which are any lower than
the past season, and some goods
are even higher. When we stop to
think it over, though, there is no
reason why we should expect lower
prices at this time, as raw cotton is
higher than it was month or two
ago. The government owns all the
wool and doesn't t. seem inclined to
take loss on what they have. They
are auctioning off about two weeks
supply at time so as to keep the
manufacturers hungry for what is
offered. The government places a
minimum price on the wool at these
auctions and it has all been sold
above that price so far.
Labor does not seem inclined to
take any less for it's services, and
the many strikes throughout the
country show that they even want
more than they are getting. So
with labor and raw material both
high, don't see now we can get a
lowering of prices on wool and cot
ton articles.
The largest employers seem to
think that it would be folly to try to
cut labor prices at this time as it
might cause serious trouble through
out the country if this were attempt
ed. 1t would appear from present
evidence that Spring and Summer
prices will be much the same as last
season, or even somewhat higher, as
the retail stores are getting pretty
we'll sold out of the goods that were
purchased long ago at lower prices
and they will have to base their re-
tail prices on present costs instead
OF averaging the new high costs
with the old lower costs and max
ing retail prices accordingly as has
been the custom. 1t is too early to
predict what prices will be for Fall.
There will be some quite notice
able style changes for Spring in
women's wear. Dresses with long
narrow skirts and Dolman sleeve
coats; we also expect to see many
capes worn this season.
The style-makers seem to think
that the women are rather filled up
on the sameness of styles that pre-
vailed during the war, and now that
the war is over and the boys are
coming back, the ladies will want
something decidedly new, and we
can't blame them for that"