The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-10-03

bought at ~ at some shops, while from "a
to So gets an excellent shirt of that variety.
The white collar men no longer suffer, for
there has been a drop in their favorite
panoply. There are more thirty cent
collars and some dealers in order to attract
trade are even offering such neckgear at
two for quarter. In mems wear there
may be seen some very good silken scarfs
at from 81 to $11.50 each.
Mems clothing of all kinds is practically
as high in price as last year, despite the
determined efforts being made to keep down
the prices. Many dealers are doing business
on very scant margin in view of the
sweeping reductions which have been made.
In this connection, an advertisement by
well known firm of clothing dealers printed
in THE New YORK HERALD is Illuminating.
1t sets forth that material represents APP
proximately 26 per cent. of the cost of
mems clothing and labor 4S per cent Thus
in these two items is absorbed rs per cent
of the cost Other items such as rent and
taxes, are charged, and the assertion is
made that the actual profit to the clothing
merchant nowadays is only 5 per cent
High Wages Felt Heavily.
If we were back in those halcyon days
when the good wife went to the fullers
and brought back her yards of cloth with
breeks clothing might be somewhat
cheaper. The quotations of the wholesale
markets show that woollen cloths are now
to be had at $3.50 the yard, as compared
with the $500 of year since. The high
wages paid to the tailors, especially to the
coatmakers, keep up the prices, however
to the lofty level
There are to be seen, however, suits at
from $40 to $50 placed in front row position
in leading popular priced clothing stores,
although shrinking modestly in the back
ground are suits at $50 to 500 each. Mems
suits with an extra pair of trousers are to
be had made to order at from $110 to $3.50,
according to the neighborhood in which
they are purchased.
The retail garment dealers are holding
forth alluring promises, however, of gen.
eral recession in the prices Of apparel for
men, and probably in the spring the man
tribe will have some reason to recant from
the resolution to buy no more new clothes
and to hold to the simple faith of Gov.
Coolidge.
The prices of mems hats are still holding
their own, and in fact some of the very
high grade makes are more than they were
at this time last year. A we'll known brand
of headgear now sold at retail at $40 could
be had for So in 1919. Some varieties are
81 higher. Hats of excellent quality, al
though not rejoicing in noted trademarks,
can be had for So each. Taken all in ALL
the price of ordinary derbes and fedoras is
about the same as it was twelve months ago.
In many of the large stores and speciality
shops sales of women's wear at pre-war
prices are advertised, which may be taken
as symptomatic OF a general decline.
There are many indications, however,
aside from those which we associate with
the high cost of living problem, which show
that the descent in prices is actually under
way and that it is likely before many
months to accumulate an impetus which will
be felt around the world The high cost
peak certainly seems to have been passed, If
the action of two noted mail order houses
in Chicago which sell all kinds of merchan-
disc from paper of needles to force pump
may be taken an index.
Motor Trade in Line Now.
The bringing down of the Ford automo-
biles TO pre-war prices and the reductions
announced by other automobile makers are
along the same lines The official reports
from the Labor Bureau in Washington and
report on business conditions made by the
banks are all indicative of the general trend
Reductions in eleven lines are announced
as the result of an investigation made by
the Federal Reserve Bank of the Philadel-
gruous items as bituminous coal, shirts
hosiery and staple groceries.
Another ray of sunshine in the brighten
ing situation is the report of the Merchants
Association that production is increasing
throughout the country and that the labor
ing classes are recognizing that more output
is necessary to the welfare of all.
A slight decline in wages is reported by
the Massachusetts State Employment Blu
reau, with the exception of the wages o.
domestic servants. One of the incon-
sistencies of the present situation is the
rising costs of servants, whom the employer
must feed and lodge at the high rates now
prevailing and at the same time increase
wages, just as though they were affected
by the enhanced cost of living.
The wages of servants of all classes are
much more than they were last year, re-
sponsive largely to that unextingushabe
law of supply and demand. The average
householder who is so lucky as to have
domestic assistants" has to pay fully so
per cent. more for that distinction than he
did in the autumn of 1919. With increased
immigration ii may be that cooks. wait
resses and chambermads may be hired at
wages within the reach of persons of mod
crate means.
Taken all in all. there are many signs
which point to the readjustment which is
bound to come, IN the opinion of experts
who lave studied this matter. There will
probably be several other more or less SEN
sational drops just there were when this
nation was recovering from that great
cataclysm of the War of the Rebellion. As
cacratarv of tho Trea ei1,.,, uo,,cto, bae