Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-06-15
Little Effect on Price
OF Clothing Seen As
ops Sets New Ceiling

Clothing manufacturers today
had "a new method of figuring
their ceiling prices, but the move
probably will have little effect
on the family pocketbook.
The new regulation issued by
the Office of Price Sterilization
controls the price OF nearly every
thing men, women and csildrer
wear, except leather shoes, which
|are covered by separate order.
Affected by the order are about
SO, 900 manufacturing firms al
over the country that produce
clothing. accessories and furnish.
|ings for which people spend about
SIS billion a year In retail stores
Effective date Of the order il
August is. although OPS official!
said manufacturers may begir
lpricing under it Immediately.
( Changes Seen Both Ways.
OPS said it is impossible to eSti.
mate effect of the order on tn.
general level of clothing prices
They said 1t probably will result
in slightly higher prices at the
manufacturers le'el for wooler
garments and possibly some price
Irollbacks on clothing made from
other materials. such as cotton.
1t will take months for the
price changes to shake down tt
the retail stores, and even Their
the effect on consumer prices /!
not expected to be very great,
A price official said it is, likely
that many articles Of clothing
will sell under the maximum
prices provided in Government
orders for some months to come
because the, market has become
soft" under slackened consumer
demand.
The price Of wooden article.
probably will rise as manufac.
turers are relieved of a pric,
squeeze resulting from the soar.
ing cost of imported wool. Thi.
country brings in from othel
countries about 10 per cent Of tn,
total wool requirements.
Interim Order.
OPS described the new ordel
as an interim regulation, which
will be replaced as soon as pos.
fsible by orders more closely "tai
lored" to match the individual
manufacturers cost and prof
situation.
The order allows the manufac
turers to add only actual In
creases in factory labor and ma
terials costs to base period pre-
Korean prices. The cutoff dat
for adding increased labor cost
is last March Is. For material
costs, the cutoff is June 4.
Before today. clothing manu-
facturerS were under the genera
1price freeze of last January. Thei
ceilings were the highest price
they received between Decembe
10 and January 25-base perio,
OF the general freeze.
/ OPS said the new order vii
| mean a rollback for those clothin
makers who raised their prices il
anticipation Of the January freeze
But for a large part Of the In
1dustry, especially those who us
wool. the order will bring pric
'Irelief.
/ Covered Articles. .ss
+ The regulation covers the manu-
facture of mems hats, coats, suit,
shorts, socks. underwear, pajama
Ineckties. handkerchiefs, glove
Emuffiers, belts and wallets; won
lens hats, coats, dresses, under
wear, night gowns, stocking
Ehandkerchiefs, gloves, pocketbook
land handbags; children's wea
work clothing, sports wear, ath
tietic apparel, vestments, theatrl
tcal and masquerade costumes.
I Such speciality footwear item
as bottles, spats. slipper sock
and beach shoes also are covere,
The order does not include,
addition to leather shoes. the sa,
lof costume jewelry, artifici;
flowers, thread. buttons, pin
hooks and eyes, grippers, upper
canvas bags, hair furnishing
umbrellas and other miscellaneol
items.