Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-05-19
TUMBL|NG
OUT IN THE WEST AS
MONEY T|GHTENS
Wave of Reduction in Clothing
Sweeps Part of the Country;
Cost Selling Reported.
SHOES ALSO JOIN IN
THE BIG PRICE DROP

Chicago, May ia wavc of price
cutting in retail clothing costs. reaching
from the Mississippi Valley to the Pacific
coast, was reported yesterday. Dispatches.
from "a cities in that territory told of
promised reductions in these necessities
ranging from IS per cent to minus profit.
Financial authorities here said that
the indications were that the price decline
would be limited to ready-to-wear cloth
ing, principally women's garments and
silks Shoes were in the list affected.
Tight money and inadequate trans
portatlon facilities were cited among the
prime reasons for the mercantile move
mcnt. Delays in delivery of goods in
which much money had been tied up,
together with inability Of farmers to get
grain and live stock to market, were said
II many Instances To have worked a
hardship on merchants
An officer of one of the leading depart
ment stores of Chicago declared that the
price reduction now being reported meant
also that merchants were irving to satisfy
what he called "a hysterical demand
from the public for lower prices" These
current reductions, he said, might be
only temporary.
\ financial authority here said that if
reports of price cutting were dependable.
they indicated a tendency toward
reduction IN inventories Though this
might be temporary, he said, it was lm-
doubtedly good in that it suggested that
merchants were going ahead more eau
tlousy. Sales are being held under
various names
Ia Topeka, Kan. a mems clothing
firm announced no profit sale. de-
rlo = L.. =.
rhe end of the sale by letting the fair
price commissioner or a committcenamed
by him take possession of its books and
accounts Department stores in St Louis
advertised "underselling campaigns.
Twenty per cent cuts were the most
popular on the Pacific coast. Tacoma
dealers announced cuts from 20 per cent
flat to ''proftlcss sales, declaring that
on some women's garments prices were
cut virtually in half
Three Seattle retailers cut clothing %
per cent. In San Francisco one retailer
has announced 20 per cent cut in all lines.
another 20 TO 80 per cent in certain COM
modities. At Everett, Wash. two mems
stores announced 20 per cent clothing
cuts
In Nebraska, three large Omaha stores
several days ago announced fat reduc-
tlon of 20 per cent and other Omaha
stores have followed Several Omaha
stores said their silk cuts were so per
cent. In York \cb a 20 per cent cut
in ladies silk and wooden garments was
made. In Wichita. Kan, silk shirts have
been reduced. Coffeyville, Kan, re-
ported many cut-price sales
In Minneapolis large department
store has announced a general cut Of
20 per cent At knoxville. Tenn. one
Of the citvs largest department stores
today made a general discount Of 20
per cent on its entire stock. except
few contract-prlce articles Shoe reduc-
tions also were announced
Al Oklahoma City sales offers Of 20
To 80 per cent reductions were reported
At Ardmore one retailer announced a 20
per cent reduction One mems store at
Muskegee cut everything 10 10 20 per
cent and other houses advertised sales OF
spring and summer apparel with reductions
Of 20 per cent
Al San Antonio. Tex. two department
stores announced sales with reductions
Of 20 per cent. another q 25 per cent reduc-
tl0n sale. At Waco another department
store announced il had knocked d fifth
of it's prices An II Pas9 store cut shoes
and clothing.
At Fort Smith. Ark. special sales
said reduction vas 20 per cent. At
PineBluff one men 5 store and one women :
store are making the same cut. Slight
reductions in shoes and wearing apparel
were noted al Texarkana and at Little
Rock retailers last week made cuts from
2 fifth to q quarter Al Springfield, Mo.
merchants have announced the same
reduction Atchison, Kan, announced
20 per cent reductions