The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1920-05-27
PRICE CUTTING
EAST And WEST
Tight Money, Freight Congestion,
Outlaw Strike and Lack of
Buyers Assigned as Causes.
MOVEMENT is WIDESPREAD.
'Snieaso, Baltimore, Louisville, Wash
'ngton and Twenty-four Cities in
West Make From 20 Per Cent
to "No Profit" Reductions.

Chicago.-A wave OF price cutting in
retail clothing costs reaching from the
Mississippi Valley to the Pacific Coast
Is reported
Dispatches from twenty-four cities
In that territory told of promised re-
auctions, ranging from 10 per cent to
minus profit.
Financial authorities here said in
-dications were that the price decline
would be limited to ready-to-wear
clothing, principally women's garments
and silks. Shoes were affected.
Tight money and inadequate trans
portation facilities were cited among
the prime reasons for the movement.
A financial authority here said that
If reports of price cutting were de-
pendable, they Indicated tendency
toward reduction in inventories.
In Topeka, Kan, a mems clothing
hrm announced a mo profit" sale.
Department stores in st. Louis adj
vertised "underselling campaigns"
Twenty per cent cuts were the most
popular. On the Pacific Coast, Tacoma
dealers announced cuts from 20 per
cent flat to ''profitless sales"
Three Seattle retailers cut clothing
20 per cent. In San Francisco one re-
taller has announced a 20 per cent cut ::
another 20 to 90 per cent. At Everett.
Wash, two stores announced 20 per
cent clothing cuts.
Three large Omaha stores several
days ago announced a fiat reduction
of 20 per cent. Several said their silk
cuts were so per cent.
In York, Neb., a 20 per cent cut in
ladies' silk and woolen garments was
made. In Wichita, Kan, silk shirts
have been reduced
In Minneapolis a large department
store has announced a general cut of
20 per cent. At Knoxville, Tenn, one
of the city's largest department stores
made general discount of 20 per
cent on its entire stock.
At Oklahoma City sales were made
at 20 TO 30 per cent reductions. At
Ardmore, Okla, one retailer announc-
ed 20 per cent reduction. One mems s
store at Muskogee, Okla, cut every
thing 10 to 20 per cent. Other houses
advertised a reduction on spring and
summer apparel of 20 per cent.
AT San Antonio, Tex, two stores
announced reductions of 20 per cent,
another a 25 per cent reduction A
Waco department store knocked a fifth
off its prices. An El Paso store cut
~.shoes and clothing.
At Fort Smith, Ark, reduction of 20
per cent was made. At Pine Bluff, two
stores are making the same cut. Re-
In rin
parel were noted at Texarkana.
AT Little Rock retailers made cuts
of a fifth to a quarter. At Spring
field. Mo, merchants have announced
the same reduction. Atchison, Kan,
announced 20 per cent reductions.
An officer of leading department
store OF Chicago declared that the
price reduction now being reported
meant also that merchants were try
ing to satisfy what he called "a hyster-
ical demand from the public for lower
prices" These current reductions, he
said, might be only temporary.
Bargain hunters are thronging the
big stores at Boston to take advantage
of greatly reduced prices. Many of
the department stores are announcing
reductions Of from 20 to so per cent.
All the local newspapers are printing
huge display advertisements of special
sales. One large firm in announcing
their sale states that it is something
we have never done before and prob
ably never will do again"
The high cost OF wearing clothes.
shoes, hats and other sartOrial neces-
stiles has received a severe jolt I'm
Philadelphia in the last two weeks.
The tumbling Of prices began when
John Wanamaker announced his cut
IN prices. Wanamaker has been fol
lowed by other department stores, and
some Of his competitors have announc-
ed cuts as deep as 30 per cent under
market prices.