Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-06-14
Clothing Price Order
Won tCut Tags Now.
Increases Seen Later

I1IlC0SC9 JGClI l0ICI
A new clothing price control or
der effective tomorrow is expected
to bring little change in the cost
|of clothing to consumers, Office of
Price Sterilization officials said
today.
They said some increases would
he possible, particularly in wooden
clothes. But, they added. the
clothing market today Is. not a !
tight market. and manufacturers
probably could not boost prices
without hurting sales.
OPS officials emphasized that
the order is designed to stabilize
prices at present levels, but to al
low manufacturers to add costs
which have gone up since the start
of the Korean war.
Labor costs and the price OF
wool are the two major cost in
creases in the wooden clothing
field.
OPS here said there may be roll
backs for some manufacturers who
raised prices in anticipation OF the
general January price freeze. The
exact proportion of manufacturers
affected is not known, OPS off,
Gals pointed out. because they do
not have complete price lists for
all manufacturers at the time of
the freeze.
Market Now Is "Soft."
A spokesman for OPS said that
for a while actual prices may be
below ceilings because of the soft"
condition Of the market.
The order affects nearly all types
|of apparel except shoes. It in.
|cludes mems and women's hats,
leather belts and handbags, and
other accessories.
Spokesman for retailers indi-
Gated, meanwhile. that when the
present clothing stocks are gone,
moderate price increases will come.
Larry Nathan, president of the
retail clothiers' group of the Mer-
chants and Manufacturers Asso-
citation. said the increase probably
will come in the fall and winter.
He said retailers welcome the
new order.
Will Allow Increases.
ut will allow for moderate IN
Icreases," he said, without run
away price increases which might
have come without the order"
Mr.. Nathan pointed out that
wool clothing on sale now was
made with wool at prices far be-
low the present market. particu-
larly on imported woods.
E. I. Cowan. manager of The
Young Mems Shop, said manufac-
Iturers' wage costs have gone up
about 1919 per cent, and piece
goods prices have increased from
about $3.50 yard to $6.75 yard.
He said the cost increases will
be reflected in clothing which will
reach the retail level probably by
fall.
The new price formula was an
nounced by Price Stabilizer
Michael v. Disable in Denver yes
Iterday.
Clothing manufacturers will be
allowed to choose a three-month
period since the outbreak of the
Korean was as a base period"
Mi. Disable said.
They will then be allowed a Ger
tain MAKEUP over that base
period plus whatever amount their
costs have increased since then.
In some cases, that will result in
a price increase.
! Wool. for instance, Of which
we import 10 per cent and over
the price OF which we haven't
much control. has risen sharply
in price.
Actually, 1t all depends on
what the manufacturer has done
about prices, what makeup he has
been allowing himself over in
creased costs"
Mr.. Disable went to Denver to
take part in the Denver Univer-
sity Conference on Government
Management.
| He said the apparel order will
cover all classes of clothing but
not textiles. Most Of our basic
orders are out that cover retail
sales and manufacturing" Mr. Di-
Sale said.
Mr.. Disable said he believes
prices, for the most part. will not
return to pre-Korean levels. al
though few have done so. Most
of them are too difficult to reduce,
he added.
Announcement Of the clothing
price order was made by MIR. Di-
Sale yesterday at Denver, where
he said the order would be issued
Tin day or So"
The original announcement was
clarified by Mr.. Disable in the
press conference called later in
the day, after it had been inter-
49, T. a.