Weekly journal-miner., 1920-01-21
MORE LIGHT ON WOOL PRICES
 PROBLEM
From Friday $ Daily)

tional Wool Growers association, in
 which he states that the maximum value of the wool in a $75 suit of
 -lothcs is s. has caused no little comment locally among those who are compelled to wear the clothes and there are those who wonder why clothes are selling at the price they command. This question is explained partly at least, in the following from the clothing manufacturer:
 Pocket makers are getting $70; cutters, $56; bushelmen, $50; basters, $55; and women fnishers, $45 for
 week of A hours.
 "In 1914 pocket makers received $25; cutters, from SIS to $23; bushel- men, SIP to $2O; basters, SIS, and women fnishers about SIP for a week # 60 hours.
 Rents for factories in New York, Rochester, Chicago, Baltimore and Boston have increased in some cases 100 per cent Retailers costs have
 ,ept pace.
 These reasons for the tripled price of ready-made suits and overcoats were given by A. F. Hurowitz, super intendent of the Paul c. Noetzel factory.
 "1urowitz said that within month he manufacturers will be compelled to "see" new raise to all hands of $ per cent and a simultaneous re- iuction of the working week to 40 hours.
 T know manufacturers who had accepted orders just before the armis- tice to deliver mems suits at $25," said Hurowitz, but in four months the price of labor, cloth and rent had advanced to much that the cost of producing the suits amounted to $35 Some manufacturers took loss and made good their contract. Others forced their workmen to strike be- cause the strike clause in the contract was the only legal way out of what otherwise might have been very costly bargains"
 Retailer Gets It."
 Since the retail clothier is the point of contact between the consumer and the manufacturer, he, therefore, is the subject of most of the criticism, whether just or unjust In most cases, however, the fault with the retailer is not in the fact that he charges too much, but if he is at fault, it is be- cause he has not taken advantage of the means at his command to defend ] himself.
 The fact is that most reliable goods nowadays are branded, and branded . goods usually are sold at approxim- ately the same retail price all over the country. In some cases the man ufacturer fixes the retail prce that his goods must be sold at, which allows { the retailer the minimum profit on he article h such cases the retailer $ compelled to so conduct his busi- lcss, that this fixed profit mush cover
 is overhead expense and leave some thing to add to his private fortune Most of these fixed price articles are nationally advertised and the public is fairly familiar with them. When the retailer fails to connect up locally with this national publicity, by every means available, he is neglecting his patrons besides inviting a certain amount of criticism, because his pat -ons have not the knowledge of his business that they are entitled to, namely; the brands of goods he of- iers, the quality, the comparative price with those that the customer is ess familiar with due to lack of ad- 7ertising, and dozens of other selling points at his command.
 Business men recognize newspaper 1 advertising as the cheapest means for leeping their customers informed. The place that is sufficiently adver- . .sed IS not criticized as much as the one that is not we'll known to the public. Certain brands of clothes are I io thoroughly advertised that the 1 vearers, when asked to pay the price . or them, arc satisfied. They know { hat the manufacturer is backing the garment as well as the local store ( hat sells it. They know that they 1 re getting that garment at the min ( mum price, allowing for d fair profit ( O the hands through which it passes. i Millions of lines of advertising are { ,cing used nationally by manufac- | urers to explain the reason for high 1 riccS. It takes fewer lines to con- | ect local business with national pub $ lcity. Some retailers are prohting !