The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-09-28
TAXES CAUSE OF
II. g. L. is VIEW
OF WANAMAKER
Price Cuts Impossible
Till Burden Is
Lifted.

New York. Sept 2S.-United
Press-)-John wanamaker charged
today that excessive government
taxation is largely responsible for
the continued high cost OF Irving.
In an interview with the Omitted
Press, the famous merchant de-
clared that retailers could not make
any further general reductions in
commodity prices until the taxation
burden is lightened and manufac-
turers and wholesalers set the
price.
Government Boosted Costs.
"It must not be lost sight of that
the prices of everything were large
ly advanced by the government in
Washington, through various taxes
placed on sales, which could only
/ be met by placing stamps on ar
ucles for which customers had TO
pay" he said.
The government still holds down
| the retail business by taxes on
sales, taxes on excessive sales,
taxes on incomes And all these
things have brought about a dull
time for business, because the
people of the United States are
waiting for the government to re-
duce the cost of living by taking
off the heavy charges put on as
war measures"
Defends Retailers.
Wanamaker's attention was call
ed to the fact that bankers, econo-
mists, manufacturers and whole
salers are uniting in placing upon
retailers the onus for continued
economic instability.
The white-haired merchant, who
is now in his eighty-fourth year, al
lowed the shadow of smile 20
cross his firm and virile features.
Then, emphasizing each phrase
with an emphatic shake of his fore
finger, he declared:
so far as my knowledge and ex-
pcrience goes, all reductions by
the makers of goods are gladly
passed on by the retailer. Why, that
! is one of the principles of good
busine ess-low prices make for in
creased sales"
No Reductions Now.
Wanamaker said that he did not
contemplate any revolutionary, hor-
izontal cut in prices, such as he
startled the mercantile world with
last summer, pointing out that con-
| ditions would not permit such a
| thing now. While wholesale prices
are not wholly liquidated, he said.
/ they have reached a temporary
stabilization owing to the fact that
many manufacturers are insufficf
emily financed.
! While perhaps half the commod-
tiles we sell have been reduced
I three or four times since the arm
| istice, there are certain commod-
| tiles of which there is a scarcity, "
he added, "and scarcity always
plays hob with prices"
According to Wanamaker, "the
only man who knows anything
about the retail business is the man
| on the inside"
50 Years in Game.
| ct have been a retailer almost
ever since l was born" he said.
"I certainly have been in the cen
| ter of retail life for 26 years l
have been located in New York for
| that length of time and in addition
! have been in business in Phila-
delphia for so years
THE worst thing which could
happen to business, and that was
well proven at the beginning of the
| war when we were compelled TO
raise prices, is losing your custom
ers
! 1T was a great disappointment
| to us that our customers had to
| find that prices were sent up every
day until they were doubled, rehled
and even quadrupled- A large per
! centage of our customers, not ua-
derstanding that the manufactur
ers were charging for their goods
and that we merely advanced be-
cause we had to, turned away dis
gruntled, and never came back
THE public charged the retailers
with raising prices, when the in
crease always originated with the
manufacturers to whom every ad-
vance had to be paid