Evening star., 1923-07-21
PREDICTS HIGHER
0vERCOAT PRICES
Clothing Buyer Also Sees Ad-
vance in Prices of Mems
Fall Suits.
BY j. c. ROYLE.
'recial Dispatch to The Star.

Erecial Dispatch to The Star
NEW YORK, July 21.-The ge
American man will dig deeper into
his pocket when he buys his fall suit
and winter overcoat than he did last
year. Manufacturers, wholesalers
and retailers are agreed as to that.
Consumers, however, will not find
their separation from an additional
s5 to $40 painful, according to Robert
j. Alexander, a resident buyer, who
represents large retailers located in
L dozen different sections of the
country.
THE consumer will pay the prices
asked at retail for clothing this fall" ;"
he said today. "Suiting and overcoat-
ing patterns are so attractive that
he advance over last years prices
will seem small in the eyes of the
buyer"
Designs Are Distinctive.
Designy he added, would play a
more diStinctive part in advertising z
rampa ems and sales appeals than
ever before even in the lower-priced
lines The lines of clothing most in
demand, he predicted. would range in
price from $25 to $45 for suits and
from $50 to $50 for overcoatS
There will not be a scarcity of
either suits or overcoatS in the mar
ket, as many manufacturers have
predicted" he continued, unless
business is phenomenal. which. ac
cording to all present indications can
not be expected. Retailers, especially
the larger ones, hive covered already
fifty to Seventy-five percent of their
suit and overcoat requirements for
fall. Advance sales of practically
very large retailer have been at
least ten per cent heavier than at
this time in 1922.
Small Dealers Holding Back
The smaller retailers, however,
have held back a little. feeling 1t
would be safer for them to wait and
go into the open market when the
season starts, than to buy heavily in
advance. OF course, they have bought
enough for first displays and the fall
opening, but they have left the bulk
of their buying for later in the sea-
SON
Some retailers, especially those
located in agricultural districts where
the prices for agricultural products
determines the kind and volume OF
business the retailer will do, have al
ready made heavy cancellations of fall
orders. These cancellations. however
have not been general. even in the
agricultural states, although they
have been large in Kansas and Ne
braSka."
Wooden Goods Outlook.
In some sections of the south and
southwest jobbers and wholesalers
have refused to accept these can
cellationS. Manufacturers have pur-
chased practically their full require
are now making slow deliveries as
goods are called for. Orders of the
mills were exceedingly heavy, espe-
cially for overcoatings.
hN - h.
woolen goods by the American Woolen
Company, which will take place Mon
day, is expected to have a strength
ening effect on prices for fall cloth
ing as indicating the probable future
replacement value of heavyweight
goods.
Cotton Move Unchecked by Failure.
The marketing of cotton, either spot
or new crop, in Georgia, Alabama and
South Carolina, will not be affected
by the failure of Frank H Barrett of
Augusta. although Barrett was one of
the largest factors of the south, and
his concerns normally handled at
least 100000 bales annually. The
Barrett warehouses. according to re-
liable reports, hold less than 5000
bales of spot cotton. Other factors
will absorb the business done by Bar
rett, and the status of Augusta as the
second largest inland cotton market
will not be affected.
Saturday Closing Now in Effect.
The closing of retail stores. par
ticularly clothing stores. a half or
whole day on Saturday, which has
now been in effect in many cities for
three weeks, has ceased to be an
experiment. The volume of business.
according to reports of local store
owners, has held up without diminu-
tion, and retail business in general
is of larger proportions this month
than in July, 1922.