Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-01-25
HOW TO BUY WHITE GOODS
gSTUDY OF TEXTILES is AID
TO WOMEN SHOPPERS NOW
Good Cotton Materials Far Wore
Economical Than Poor Linen.
Methods of Testing.
By MRS. CHRISTINE FREDERICK.


By MRS. CHRISTINE FREDERICK.
At this time or year almost every
large dry goods and speciality shop ad-
rcrtiscs special sales OF white goods"
1t is then that the thrifty housewife
Is given special indictments for the
> purchase O: towels. table napcry and
q white wearing apparc! Al a consider
This year IT is more important than
ever FOR the woman shopper 10 know
moro about the textiles she is buying.
and how 10 select the best quality. For
today tho price OF al! cotton and, linen
is soaring. Even simple dishtowe'
mer dress could be bought Tor before
the wa.
Cotton prices Arc High.
Cotton prices ar" high today for eeyo
South has found out that he can set =
higher price for MS product. He used
to think that - cents or 20 cents was
today he is getting IS cents. or there
abouts. Naturally the price OF the
nniShed III, matSr ds IS propoFtionatr!X
in the shortage OF the crop. due to rains.
and the fact that there is such tre-
mcndous demand for the export trade
that the growers have had easy for
ciSn market, and. therefore. VIC 81
hG I,it, have TO pa hiEher prices
ing now produced a~c OF very poor
quality today. Tho, wcavinG is poo,
l.
second rate IN most materials
Linen production entirely stoppcd
durns, the va. eTcepr possibly in
destroyed during the German invasion.
NATURALLY this has made linen costly.
good quality. Most Of the stocks; now
being ocercd have been in storage, and
are now being brought ont from ware
houses. The goods arc not The product
OF the past four years
Must study Quality.
In view OF these conditions. it he
hooveS the woman purchaser 10 look
she must entirely rcorsanizc her former
scale OF values and prices. Ii is safe
10 say tina; 100 per cent increase
linen goods. For this reason she must
not look Tor tho same quality al the
for abo,t ,bc &c nSnp snn, 70 ,Sha aS
formerly expended. She mus, be ready
to double her irSncy. Unless she iE.
all. Indeed. unless the necessity is
urgent OF tho quality enthusiastically
good, II will be the better part Of sense
not to buy this season. when stocks are
so mixed and when values are so high.
Book Help TO buyers.
And before purcnasinG At ali. Won
TO read a most excellent book on ten
Iiis buying refer 10 bsNtilsx' S%
every textile and now to purchase it,
Although most women pride themselves
on being good bNyciS" OF an ward ma
terials, l think every woman would be
helped by first reading. TINS excellent
its price would be mare than saved in
The greater skin /; gives as a buying
expert
only linen cloths and napkins on the
dining table. Bat there are now man
ufac;urcd cotton materials. which. TAX
~ h,.tfl % te.N
than poor napery OF linen. Even
though the PRICE OF good cotton nap
ones, naturally the cotton will give bet
ter and longer service T7y the tongue
,sb..- me eo,linse ,sSt ana The various
isriaiS before buying them
In selecting cloth and napkins,
whieh VII eoGn ~n.f Win Is s nsHr ana
OF napkins. since one tablecloth usually
outwsaTs Two sets OF napkins
Very large dinner napkins used 10 br
the correct style but owing TO thrift,
and shortage all napkins are now be-
ing made smaller and most sensihly,
TOO. Also. the very long cloth, which
hangs over the table eighteen inches or
more, Is not considered good tastc-it
need now only cover the table with a
Colorcd Cloth. Favored.
personally am greatly in favor o.
me me, srowimE custom Of using colo-ed
n.
should be saved exclusively for eXccp-
tional use. Tho pretty coloreu runners
OF Japanese towclinc OF various coio-ad
crepcs. and Of crttonne, deserve 10 be
more fashionable. Where children are
present the washable oilcloth in a fancy
pattern is the hest table cover nos
siolc. as then i Sigh; wash-up with a
damp cloth makes all fresh ana clean
and saves laundry.
The point is--and ! must make women
Try and sec it-that now when we hay,
sncn a serious servant shortage W..
cannot continue to kc~.D our tholncs On
the same scale and withH!cc same clan
orateness which was possible onl,. In
the race OF cheap and plentiful laoo-
Must Change Standnrds
For example. often como across I'm
a big trunk of mine u bundle Of ny
own baby clothes. beautiful. yes. Long
nand-tucked garments, with inserts Of
race, and Jaoois and frilis.
But where could we get a laundreks
TO-DAY TO iron those creations. and what
would II cost? | think that about =:
cents da! was the regular WAGE paid
10 the colored woman who spcnt two
or three days laundering my bthv 10
parcl. But today whon No have n
pay $50 and Up (gcnc-aIv up) Tor
All similar work. when fuei : a, it,
present price; when soap Is as dear as