New-York tribune., 1921-07-20
Moderate Optimism Is Ex-
pressed at Meeting Here;
Want Naming of Prices OH
WoolDressC Goods DELAYED

0ptinliSm tempered WIN conSerya-
t;sm and caution was apparent in
NE discussion yesterday at the mid
vssr m meeting Of the Jobbers Asso-
ss;ation of Dress Fabric Buyers, held
= the Waldorf Astoria. From state
Aents made by various dry goods
,.holesalers present there is a strong
reluetance on the part of the jobbing
.yade 20 get away from the hand-to-
mouth policy of buying goods. Also,
Jespite the fact that opinions were
S,nressed to the effect that fabric
krices appear to be stabilized, there
nssre Indications that the jobhers are
rot completely convinced that further
seduction. although slight, may come
ster in the year.
Resolutions passed at the close of
tbe meeting yesterday outlining the
organizations policy included the
s~Tn view Of the fact that spring
business on wool dress fabrics il
relatively light, we, as buyers, can
pnsrate more intelligently If the
baming Of prices for spring, 1922, is
deferred until October Is.
"WhereaS, we, es wholesalers, and
IN cooperation with our retail trade,
have successfully established private
.ickets on certain brands of ginghams
and other fabrics, we believe we are
entitled to continue the use of these
tickets. and should net be deprived of
the value Of the good will thereby
created.
"Iu order to put all wholesalers on
= competitive basis we request the
mills and selling agents to sell their
product {. o. b. New York and not
l. o. b. mill, under terms established
as a war measure.
Whereas, we appreciate the CO.
operation of the manufacturer in
naming list prices on ginghams, we
believe he is entitled to have those
schedules Immediately reflected in all
branches of the industry, as a basis of
true value.
"Whereas, the sale of ginghams on
a list basis has been mutually salts
factory to wholesaler and retailer, we
believe that the next prices on per-
Gales should carry discounts, and we
take this occasion to thank the mills
for their assurance of cooperation
to this end.
"Whereas, only certain factors in
the market have complied with our
former request to restore spring and
fall dating on seasonable merchandise,
We do hereby reamphasize the impor-
tance of this matter to the wholesaler,
and renew our request that all mills
make provision for granting seasons
dating when naming prices"
Retail stocks of dress goods in gem
eral, according to Frank x. Walsh, Of
the Rice-Stix Dry Goods Company,
St. Louis, are low, the mills have no
surplus, the wholesaler is carrying the
smallest stocks in years, distress mer-
chandise is almost thing of the past
and the crops throughout the country
are promising. Based on this, together
with the fact that retailers are buying
more literally, Mr.. Walsh concluded
that the trades outlook is more prom
ising. In his opening address he at
lacked the high railroad and hotel
rates, asserting that they were still
hndering business and suggested that
the association help defeat the truth
in-fabric bill now before Congress and
the farmer and cotton grower.
NJ. g. Cooper, of the Cooper, Coate
{ Casey Dry Goods Co, Los Angeles,
and president of the National Whole
sale Dry Goods Association, of which
the fabric jobbers' organization is
subsidiary, made plea for greater
efficiency in management, production
and distribution as applied to dry
goods.
"We are all doctors and dry goods
is our patient" he said, "but few Of
US know what to prescribe, as he
has been dosed up on all sorts of
follies by many dry goods jobbers,
and here in the primary market we
find some suggesting sure cure ty
dose Of blanket orders-othera by
the apparent allotment of their mills
production, but more and more it mus.
be borne in upon US that we need
pretty complete reconstruction and get
back to pre-war ideas of buying and
selling.
q wish TO go on record before this
company by making the statement that
no cure can be effected by period Of
rising prices, but only by concerted ef-
fort by the mill man and the whole
saler and the retailer to get back 20
level of prices where the ordinary
consumer with the ordinary income IS
willing to buy will the patient begin
to mend
A message of cheer to the sellers of
piece goods, whose outlet is largely
the retail trade of the country, was
brought to the meeting by 0. P. Ricgel.
sales manager of the Mccall Company,
who described in detail the improve
ment made in patterns in better styles
and simplifcation of the mechanical
features Of the patterns designed 70
make home sewing easier. Mr.. Riegel's
sentention is that the increase in the
Volume of home sewing caused by tha
high prices If ready to wear garments
can be held by the pattern and piece
goods people if the use of patterns can
gs made easier and simpler.
Present conditions in the silk trade
we're outlined by E. H. Schniewind,
VICE president of the Susquehanna Silk
NILS, who advised closer cooperation
between the jobbers and manufacturers
Y silk in producing new designs and
seaves of salable quality. He stressed
Inc washable nature of some silks as
one Of the best features in adding
service to the consumer.
Commercial Credit
frozen credits still play an important