The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1920-01-05
| n VES 7 |C Alto n
# Al R PRICES"
SHOWS BUS|NE ESS
DEAL BET WEE n
LARGER STORES

Chicago, Jan. Investigation Of
tic fair price" list for clothing, is
sued by the Illinois fair price com
mittec, and which outof.town mer.
chants declare is lower than the whole.
sale price, has revealed a business deal
whereby leading Chicago department
stores have done rushing business
in cheaper grades Of clothing.
The clothing fair price committee.
composed Of five officials Of the big
down town department stores. and one
representative Of the SUBURBAN deal.
ers, frankly admit that clothing can
not be bought in the wholesale mark
ct today at the "ralr price" set for
retailers.
The committc" fixed the fair price
for men = suits and ovcrcoats at $24.
30; women's suits ut $25; mems and
womcn's hose at % cents a pair and
other articles on % corresponding
scale
The big down town stores have com
pleto lines OF clothing on sale in their
subway" sections at the prices fixed
and have ben doing a rushing busi.
ness Merchants from many sections
complained that the 'fair price" list
was unfair that 1t made them ap-
pear 10 be profiteers. and that they
could not buy clothing at wholesale
for the committees retail price, the
Chicago dealers explained. the cloth
lnS on sale here was all purchased
many months ago none being bought
within the past six months. The
mems suits, Tor example are. OF two
classes, cotton and wool mixtures and
all wool shoddy
When the merchants agreed on the
fair price each placed u complete
line OF this class of clothing on sale.
regardless OF the wholesale cost Al
ter the present supplies arc exhausted
no more will be available, Il, is said
The big buying power Of stores
here, combined with the fact that they
carry very large stocks and take nd.
vantage of special bargains in the
wholesale market, made this price Hist
possible according To -. +. Kelley,
manager of one Of the biggest Chica.
go department stores, ani actins chair
man of the fair price committee.
The merchants in smaller cities are
right when they say they cannot buy
at wholesale at prices as low as our
fair price list We couldn't either.
We fixed this list ana made special
drive for the man and woman who
want lowpriccd clothing
Our store, and the other big down.
town stores, have bargain subway
Easements where they sell this class
of clothing. The prices in the sub.
ways for mems suits range from our
fair price minimum Of S24.50 to $40.
The cheapest wool suit. moderately
we'll tailored on sale in the regular
at $50. The average well dressed bust
ness man cannot be outfitted for less
than SIS to SS5 for q suit.
prices for the class of goods cover.
ed by the fair price list have increas.
ed less than for any other line. The
suits we are selling at $2i.50. would
have retaied at SIG in 1914, showing
an increase of about fifty percent,
since the war. The suit that CELLS
today for $50, would have sold at s25
before the war, giving n clear 100 per
cent increase"
Members OF the fair price commit
tee besides Mr.. Kelley, are John r.
plrie, George Lytton, John O'Connor
and Dudley Palmer. representing Chi
cago business district stores. and Irv
ing Slcin rpprcsentatiyc of the s,i