The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1920-05-08
Continued From First Page)

but his assumption that cloth sold at
the American Woolen mill at so a
yard costs the tailor only SO yard
is erroneous. Tailors cannot buy d.
rect from mills. They must buy
through jObbers.
After the jobber has added his
labor costs and other expenses and
his profit to the $40 cloth, it will cost
the Fifth Avenue tailor SIS a yard,
and the cloth value in the suit actu-
ally represents at least $50. Fifth
Avenue tailors pay the highest prices
for labor. It will cost this particu-
lar tailor $40 for the trimmings, at
least S26 for the labor on the coat, IS
for the labor on the vest and IS for
the labor on the trousers, and there
will be an additional labor charge of
at least 81 for busheling--the final
fitting alterations in the shop.
When the tailor hands the suit
! TO the customer 1t will have cost him
S114. His profit is S51. Out of that
he pays his enormous Fifth Avenue
taxes and takes care OF his bad lebts.
Believe me, he hasn't much left for
| himself"
CLOTH PRICES GO SkY-HIoH,
AND WAGES. TOO.
MIR. Murray, by reason Of long, har-
monlous association with his work.
men, is more fortunately situated
than most tailors as to labor. He
also had on hand big stock OF cloth
when prices began to mount. Hif
figures showing the increase of ex-
penses associated with the tailoring
business are rock bottom figures.
'Tn the old, normal times" said Mr.
Murray, 'the cloth l used cost me
from $3.50 to $3.50 a yard, except serge
which could get for $50 yard. The
increases have been staggering.
Unfinished worsted which used e
cost me $2,75 now costs H.3. TIT
serge I used 10 get for $3.50 nov
costs 50. The average increase l!
about $50 per cent. and we don't ge
the quality nowadays. 1 think thu
woollen manufacturers might do som'
explaining ON that.
"In the old days paid my bos'
coatmaler s. or 50 for making a Goa
and he paid a helper Sl6 a week. Nov
| pay the boss coatmaker from $zC U
!; $24 for making coat and he pays nj
) helper S44 week.
/. 81 used to pay my vestmaker $lT
for O finished vest. Now he charge
me from 1915 up. The increase to tn
pantamaker IS about the same.
,; pants pressers got $50 to So n wee
X four years ago. Now they get $50
"a week. My coat presser--the man VIII
e. puts the coat into its shape for tn
?; wearer-used to charge me 80 cent
\ for his work on a coat. NOW q
- charges from 81 to $2.S5.
n trimmings have gone up out
- sight. We don't mention silk or sat-
y, | Iirinqa anV mora. A silk lining WOul
llnn nost more than the cloth In a goo
q, WooIlen suit. Rents in the downtow
j. district have gone up 200 to 300 p'
- cent. Rents are SO high now thi
two or three or four merchant tailol
II, are combining for the joint use OF
m shop. The merchant tailor hasr
w. had such an easy time"
N, Mr.. Murray's books show that
". the abnormal rate rise in clothing
te' prices began In November, 1918,
.; and the increase has been steady.
VI Il was in November, 1918, that the
S' labor costs began to pile up. Had
nj: Congress put the country on a
~ peace basis as soon az the Job
Ss could have been done after the
NO war the mounting costs would
ia have stopped. With the war still
~ on as far as Washington Is con-
No oerned, u has become necessary
!, for people 20 tackle the high liV.
s@ ina cost problem themselves.
h. The profits OF the manufacturers
py. ready-made clothing have been
greatest in the past two years in I
history OF the trade. While tn
ant labor costs have increased, they ha
80 Lbgramidsd their profits by passi
ing everything along to the consumer q
then adding some more 70 take q