The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-02-19
PLENTY OF BARGAINS STILL


 to protect his business"
 PLENTY OF BARGAINS STILL
 Sol Caheen of Caheen Brothers stated;
 We have ladies' suits. coats and dresses at the same prices that the women formerly paid. and these gar ments can be had at any reasonable price, While the material may not be the same, the styles demand different materials. and there are opportunities every day to buy the best things cheap lyk if the shopper will only look for them. Many rich people of Birmingham Till not buy here. hut go to New Or leans. Atlanta, Cincinnati, New York and other eastern points.
 "The reason for the increase in the price of silk hose is due to the advance In the price of silk from $2.65 pound several years ago to $20 now The American people sell cotton for a high price and the Japanese people are doing the same thing with their silk.
 The advance price in gloves is large ly due to the fact that the goats lambs and kids in Europe were practically wiped out during the war, as they were killed so the skins could be used py aviators and soldiers. Now they come to America for their supply and until they raise new herds will continue to do so. That creates a shortage in this country and advances the price of gloves on account of the demand being greater than the output
 The decrease in production Is not due to. the increase in wages of labor which, in my opinion, is an infinitesimal quantity. While prices have advanced and the public demands the latest styles, we are forced to buy them. and a T f<r II. greater than the supply. Our overhead expenses have advanced but our vol ume of business has ii/reaseN People may find real bargains if they go look for them.'
 SILK SUPPLY SHORT
 William H. Walker buyer of silks for the Burger Dry Goods Company, said: Prices in silk have increased from 5y so 100 per cent during the past few days and the demand is very much greater than the supply. The production has been curtailed to great extent and when buyer goes to market in New York ths manufacturer does not have his shelves full of samples as in former years. Now they are all bare and it is very hard to get large amount of any silk On the other hand the new materials in vogue this season require more time to make and the public demands the latest thing i'm the way of silks.
 The Japanese government sent a dele gation to this country last year to visit the silk factories to see the kinds of ma chinery used presumably, but it is be- lieved that they were also looking into the cost of production <here and the profit made by the American manufac- tlrers Since that time the raw silk ma terials have increased and in addition the countries of Europe are buying a large quantity of the supply. As labor is cheaper there and the wageearners are willing to>work full time and even more Europe can manufacture silks cheaper than it can be made in this country.
 There seems to be no possible chance of the price being lowered until the supply is increased to more than supply the demands. This can only be done by working full forces and full time''
 H. c. L. ON SOUTHSIDE
 MT. N s. ~Shahid. Southside merchan mt. says:
 "Do not attribute the fact that we are getting s4.50 to s6 per dozen for hosiery today that. several years ago, used to cost the retailer soc to SIPS per dozen to profiteering."
 Instead, if one. will only trace back to which the sock is made of, cotton, silk fibre and silk, the reason for the present prices can be easily accounted for.
 Cotton, the main ingredient of which hosiery is made of. used to cost the manufacturer 61a cents per pounds, is today quoted at up to 35 cents per pound.
 Laborers, both male and female, at the mills are scarce, according to the state- ments of the mill owners
 During the early part of the war, when skilled labor was exceedingly sarce, it was stated to me that when one hosiery mill had lost a number of its employees due to the draft, the owners would em- ploy agents to scout around various other mills and offer larger wages to the mill hands if they would resign and go over to the other factory. One factory after another would then be forced 70 employ this method to secure help until it enabled the laborer to demand his own price and later his own hours. This is only one of the main reasons for the in creased cost in manufacturing.
 Rent has advanced almost 100 per cent. Wrapping paper. twines. boxes, help and other things have increased, which forces the wholesaler to demand a little more profit on his wares. but considering the present profits. they are not as much