New-York tribune., 1920-05-21
Non-Buying by Merchants
Forces Reduction Of
Costs All Along Line as
Cutting ngCampaignCrows
Customers ThrOng
New York Stores
Wool Prices Drop 20 to
3O%o at Boston Sale;
Food Prices Unchanged

Reports from all parts Of the
country regarding price reductions
IN wearing apparel, furnishings and
many grades Of luXuries found New
York right in line yesterday. Very
little cutting of food prices was re-
corded here or elsewhere, but chop
ping Of retail prices on other neces-
saries seemed general.
Merchants have inaugurated
non-buying campaign against whole
saicrs, who IN turn seem to have re
acted quickly to the situation ana
are offering quantities Of goods al
lower rates. Retailers. however, as,
sert they will await lover levels or
everything but highly salable goods
Some of rAesc goods are ALREADY
on the depar.,aant store counters.
and are being snapped up by the
public.
4 drop of from 10 to 20 per cent
III the price Of wool resulted yeste-
day at the auction sales conducted il
Boston under the spices Of t.le
British government. O..lv 80 per
cent of the wool waa disposed Of.
Seven mills took part ~ .he biddinc.
The slump reflected rancel,ations o.
orders for goods, delays n trans
portation and declinea - tho iiveg-
pool and London markets FOR raw
wool. The WOO was brought here
from Australia, but differs in no
grade from that os .he [ ,ted States.
Cutting &, N.arby c,ivs
New York rcta lsrs ~poi,ed yos,e~.
day thai out of town choppers arc
taking advantage o. lower prices hcrc
Probably III opposition 10 this move
cow"id the metropolis dealers IN cities
near N9~ u j. are reported as meet
lne the ."cai price cuts.
From Pe.cA Anboy, \. -. comes
report that $50 wearing apparel for
ooto men and somen Is being o:iored
at So while one store :ea .-ses won
en- 5 "ats at 19 csuts. ~ ,las. ten
stores in Newark nave .rnouncs5 n.
reduction of their @ai.re socks from
~ 10 20 per cen: uv1c. -r.ces asaeu
TWO days a2o
Department a'ers e -}4e e:.y. e.-
pecially those " "a .oadwa vpifth
Avenac-ThirtyfouYA Street area, were
thronged yesterday w'.a bargain hun
te's tang s-tanlpse or from 90 to
- ter ';eDo setuctions.
he he'Did square Traffic Squad
was auGnoIfty for the statement that
such croN..~-most!y womea--hAd not
3een seen T. thas district ior weeks.
raj Ic pohcems, heSt pesuianr au-
ionopiIe drivers az aay many times
ac' lng the day While :en!.1.:4e crowds
eoS;ght safety on oppoa... eurhs.
me uncertainty as :" whether .oyer
rEl~es Tor clothing, 4ou-s furnishings
s"d general m srcas.disc wouii cor
slnue seemed cspons!be .sr much
oaying' Al se'e'e. dep.rsme,c sores,
Wnefe cut-rate barsa!s.s we're .a,6 out
on tables and marked ".4e-hais otE,'
women crowded about tho cou1,ors and
>cfutln!zed the wares - 5id-t,,ne
fashion. Every store se.m.o fjl;nd
rom top to bottom. eond....l which
StoSo managers attes.cd. vas aul., cou-
frAry from that Ah.sn existed = rau
days ago
y different kind Of orade ,.llsd do.
partment stores Yesterday from TIA.
of the last few weeks, accvrd,ne -
merchants For weeks renla
been wandering through the sIorss
and leaving either with go.
Quenlial purchases or not h,,ton
al! Now they are hockjnp in ga
buying '''"
See. t.rr, p.,
" " ,-;.l. ~ 'euae''ohs
,,,.''' hiIA' slstant mercha adlse
"!ndicaljors an. ''oie' SAT-
h->e reached the pcaa an. t,nrot e,.
d-fe look FOR ,,,f,uao.nt lsd.,o
.."ns Of iom 45 20 20 u., cor, ~.
.nediatel. na.i rurth.. .eductions lstai
three reasoA- appear 20 indicate ~
Filst. t., merchants will decline H.
ouy goods from tn, wholesaler ~ "a.
prices demanded ,st a. the outI,
has declined for some weeks to paw tDe
prices who t.e lr,aile. has b,on
forced TO asn his attitude 1n the