The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1920-11-26
time TO BUY IS
NOW-NOT LATER
Too Much Waiting Will Surely
Result In Still Higher
Prices

Inc consumer may De
overplaying the game in waiting for
prices to go lower than now. before
supplying his needs.
Regardless of price conditions, peo-
pie must eat and wear clothes.
When production decreases as it
must when people stop buying - and
consumption goes on, something is
bound to happen; and inevitably it
means higher, instead of lower, prices!
In the matter of wearing apparel
for example there is not a factory il
the whole country that is to-day run
ming on full time, and many of them are
shut down in the effort to meet recent
ly developed conditions.
With the gradual depletion 'of the
supply on hand, and with the consum
ers requiring the same necessities q
before, it is inevitable that the point
of exhaustion of the present available
supply will be reached.
Then it will follow that when every
body goes into the market for new sup
plies, all wanting the same goods at the
same time, the result will mean only
one thing, whether its effect be, good,
bad or Indifferent. Under such condi-
| ton higher prices would be unacceptable.
The New York Times correctly ex-
| presses the situation in the statement
'aThat the present seasons fall In
prices will go on uninterruptedly, how
ever no one imagines. Labor costs are
still disproportionately high, and the
present years forced closing out OF
| speculative holdings means relaxation,
when the active business season ends,
| in the strain on credit which has been
| primarily responsible for this month S
violent fall in prices But that prices
and cost of living will rise again to the
high point of 1919 or last spring is
| wholly improbable"
The consumer has, to a large extent.
been out of the market for his necessi-
| ties during the last few months.
He has delayed the purchase Of ne
essities in the hope that the decline II
prices had not reached the bottom.
There never has been such marked
| slump in prices in so short q time as
that which has taken place recently
There have been greater variations IN
price, but not so short time.
Reports from all parts of the coun-
| try indicate that the consumer is now
going again into the market for his nee
essities. This conclusion is undoubtedly
| wise, for the probability is that longer
delay would mean that when he does
! 60 into the market it would be under
higher price conditions.
Retail business all over the country
| is evidently acting upon decision that
the wise thing to do now is to make IT
| turnover" get what it can for It's
stocks that were bought at the pre-,
| yailing high prices during the last year,
accept its loss and enter the new year
under readjusted conditions.
! There is not retailer in Elizabeth
citv who is not offering consumers o;
wearing apparel of every kind an op-
uortunity to buy at retail at lower prIe-
| es than some of these goods cost
wholesale!
They will not carry over igh-pr'cet
stocks. which will be shelf-Wor1 anc
out of date, to come into competition
with goods to be made available under
lower price iobbing conditions next year
| So they are now unloading much OF
this stock at sacrifice prices actualiS
lower than the prices that will prevat
next year.
| The wise consumer will take advan-
tage of the opportunity offered in these
| sacrifice sale offerings being made o!
practically every retail establishment II
Elizabeth City.
! The danger in delay lies in the tac'
that it probably means higher prlce'
for the same merchandise later on.