LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 227, 19 June 1920, Page 7

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

PRICE OF COTTON GOODS

Sir,—A considerable quantity of manufactured goods came onto this country from Canada. The enclosed extract is from a letter from a large factory whoso goods before the war mid during the war were always able to compete successfully in tho matter of price with similar goods, quality for quality, from any country :— "I must first tell you that there is no such thing as counting on deliveries just now. The dullest mil), as tho most important, has become, so busy that one really cannot count on anything. Cotton and steel are still the worst offenders. Wo have had four bad cotton crops in succession, until cotton, such as we use, is not to r De bought. The United States mills have had IroubCes, including labour, of all sorts, with the result that not a single house has anything to sell. Conditions, in a general way, are far from being improved. Latest reports go to show that high prices hnvo only now started; and it is quite on the boards that present prices will be 100 per edit, higher before this time next year. The .cause of afJ tins is the industrial unrest, the extreme demands' both in wages and working hours, and scarcity of loth materials and labour. M r e are not, however, pessimistic as regards the future, these extremely hard conditions make it impossible for any other but well organised factories to carry on."

J. hero is an impression abroad that prices are about to.come down. The wish is_ father to the thought in all our minds, but the facts do not indicate such rocessKMi. In the matter of cotton goods ■the very opposite seems more likely in the face of such a statement from "such a source.' If and when such 100 per cent, increase occurs, it is to be honed the puWic wilt not bo led to believe that it is the retail draper profiteering, for ho will be forced to accept less than a fair profit to market such goods, as in not a few cases he is already doing today, and has been doing before any nnti-, profiteering machinery was set "up.— I am, etc.,. ■■ H.R.