Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-09-24
HERE START
ON T0b0GGAN,.
DROP VERY SLOWLY
Food Shows Greatest De-
cIine-CIothing Is Down
Very Little.

Gradual decline in prices. which
has been noted in other cities is
being reflected in Washington retail
establishments, according to a survey
made of local conditions today, the
greatest changes being in foods. with
clothing showing a gradual but less
marked change over prices last spring
and in the fall Of 1919.
Sugar and potatoes are the only
commodities that have had sensational
| declines. according to the manager of
| number of grocery stores in this
city. but all fresh vegetables are
cheaper than for three years, and the
decline has been very general Mark
ed exceptions are butter and eggs,
| which have continued at high levels.
Meats are somewhat lower. but flour
is about the same.
Comparisons of clothing prices are
more difficult, because of the wide
range of quality and style. but a
suit of clothes which sold for $50
last fall or early in the spring would
now go for several dollars less, and
the same is true of haberdashery, as
well as of the cheaper grades OF
clothing The merchants say the re-
auctions in many cases represent
curtailment of profit, for rents. ad-
vertising. labor and interest charges
all of which enter into the business
of retailing. have not come down at
all, but, on the contrary, have been
increased in many instances
Bought Six Months Ago.
'Prices went up gradually during
the war perid and they are coming
Il In nYn HH
larger clothing merchants today. at
must not be forgotten that the goods
placed on our shelves and in our
windows today were contracted for
six or eight months ago. and the
price paid the wholesaler was the
price that prevailed at that time. Any
reduction since that time must be
borne by the retailer alone"
This is the principal reason why the
most marked change in prices has been
in foodstuffs and commodities that per-
init of quick turnover and need not
be contracted for so far in advance
Whatever differences there are be-
tween prices this fall and prices six
months ago, and in many cases there is
a noticeable difference. are due mainly
to the retailer shaving his margin OF
profit and cutting down the cost OF his
business in every possible way" said
another merchant When fall stocks
of goods were contracted for no reduc-
ton Of prices had set in and the re-
taller had no choice but to pay the
price that governed at that time
Howard Figg, price expert of the De-
partment of Justice, said today that
lower retail prices were the rule all
over the country, but that while very
general the decline was not sensational.
Peak Is Reached.
Hardly any one expects return to
pre-war prices. principally because of
the higher wages and higher rents
being generally paid, but merchants
and government officials are agreed
that the cost of living has reached
and passed it's peak.
1t will be several years, according
to Secretary Houston of the Treas
ury Department. before the markets
ton. Recent cuts in retail prices, he
said, were significant, and showed
the tendency Of the times, adding that
he looked for the recession to cover a
long period before a new level is
f---'r ct ablished. The Secretary does
not believe that pre-war figures will
vs.r -eacheo.
prediction chiefly on studies made of
conditions that followed previous
wars. The most sensational varia-
lions might be looked for in luxuries,
he said, when asked why silk shirts
had shown much larger reduction
than foods.
High taxation must continue for
several years if the war debt Is to
be liquidated, said the Secretary. and
he would not attemp: to say whether
next years tax schedule should show
any reduction over that of the cur
rent year.