TEXTILE GOODS

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 10546, 24 March 1920, Page 5

TEXTILE GOODS

PRICES COMPARED BEFORE AND AFTER THE WAR. . PROFITEERING DENIED. The alarming and rapid increases ia the price of the class of cotton and woollen textile goods commonly known a s "bread and butter" lines has for some time been a subject of comment; the unfortunate housewife knows only too well the huge rise in prices since pre-war days. Many people, while criticising the striking contrast presented by tho enormously advanced prices of these cotton goods, base charges of profiteering; but from the statements made by the manager of a well-known firm (if warehousemen on Saturday, it ia not the wholesaler, at any rate, who is responsible for the climbing effect of. prices. This gentleman quoted figure* to show that his firm was not making tbxt same percentage of profit on .the most saleable lines as before the war. ■ soaring "prjcM; ■. "Yes, you're right, " said our infornV ; unt, "the majority of people seem «v think .that we ourselves are pushing tip the prices, and so accuse us of profiteering. Now, I'm going to quota you actual figures from our files, ureg which will show you just how things, stand as far as we are concerned. Yes; it is true that in some cases prices hax'e increased since 1013-14 by as much as 500 and 600 per cent./ but I say the fault doeß not lie with' tts. We are simply passing the prices on, and from what I -will show you' you will sec thai we are doing so a,' less profit to ourselves than previout ly. ■ ! THE CHANGING FASHIONS. "Now we'place our orders anything from 12 to 18 ■ months ahead; at pre T sent we are ordering for the 1932 season. Supposing, for argument's sake,' 'wo now opened up £SOO worth of fancy! goods. The women .only like certain; qualities and designs; and many lines would out of fashion since; the order was placed; out of that £SOO worth of goods there might be only! £IOO worth of fashionable stuff. WThat are we to do with the balance of tho materials on our hands P It would not matter whether it cost us ss, 10s, or £l, per article; it would be a inaitte* of selling it at reduced prices, and at a dead loss to ourselves. _ Consequent- 1 ly we have to attach a higher price to the saleable goods in order to make; good. That is how it ,is you cannot have any regulated or fixed pric« on bne fashionable' lines. ■ STARTLING FIGURES.

"I am going to show you some ot: the best-known materials—those that : aoro in greatest demand and knownas 'breadAand-hutter' lines. To com- [ mence with, here we have the ordinary; reel of cotton. The public say some 1 of the retailers are charging fabulous prices for cotton, and charge them as, vagabonds, thieves and robbers. This; tafornlation will hit some of them in the eye. In 1914 this reel of cotton was costing-us 29s per gross, less 15 j per cent., to cover expenses, . etc.; in; 1915 it wasr up to 335, in 1916 355, thcni 39s in 1917, and 45s in 4918; from 52s in 1919 there has been a rise till at: •present it is running at 78s. Tliis : price has been ruling since February; 10th, and the previous rise took place: -in -November la«t.' Now w© come to! hosiery. Those are men'a black cash-; mere all-wool-half-hose; in 1914 it cost us•' 10s a dozen to land such goods, butj nowadays we have to pay.SOsi Now we; come to ladies' black cashmere hose j • in 1914 it ran at 14s landed pried now: it is up to 425. Men's natural cotton; unders before the war cost us 24* to land, now they, cost Us 66*. These ' ladies' knitted woollen veits faav* in- . creased »imilariy," COLLAES AND BRiACES.

Entering another department, tie "Times" representative and his escort rwere first confronted with, such everyday articles as collars, and tho wellknown Shirley brace. The Home cost of linen collars, our reported learned, was in 1913-14 3s 2d per doz* en,, whereas it now stands at 10b 6d, the rise having been effected in the period of five or. six years. - Braces were before the war 16s 3d per dozen,' buf now they are catalogued at 41b 7a. SOME COMPARISONS.

The following details in connection : with tho best-known -textiles again . give 'evidence of the gradual increase ; in prices. Only the best-known mater- ' ials have been selected. _ln April, 1915, : Horrook's Al 30-in calico cost ~on tie : English .market 4d per yard; it ; is now 23Jtt per yard, and the wholesaler sella it. to tho retailer at is 23d. In April, 1913, Horrook's shirting cost the wholesaler 5Jd per yard; it has since risen : •to Orewdson's No. 2 36-in calico has increased ■in price from 4id per yard in April. 1915, to 26id~at the pre- : Bent day, while the wholesaler charges \ Qm Pd per yard. One of the best-known lines of Fiiilay's sheeting is that known as F.T. 80; in April, 1913, it I cost the wliolesaler on the Home market 18jd -per yard; two yeaxs later it dropped to 16Jd, but by March, 1920, it has'reached the price of" 6s lsd .per \ yard. At the beginning of 1918 it was : sold at 3s Id, ty March it was, up to 4s lid, in May os 3d, at which figure it remained till November, when it rose to 5s 9d. By January, 1920, it had advanced to 6s 3d. Another line of the same sheeting had increased in price fr0m..133d per yard in April, 1913, to Ss 9Jd per yard at the present day '.English cost price). AH the above i figures are quoted from the actual invoiced prices. • '...., CLOCKS AND WATCHES. -In another department - tho "Times" repre»biitative was shown a consignment' of clocks and watches—these apart from textile goods. The wellknown Big Ben clock cost the retailer in 1914 8s 6d each less cash discount, and was sold to the public at 12s 6d; ht the present day the retailer pays 18s 9d, and the public 255. This, it was urged, was a Rood instance of. the diminished wont to the retailer. The above quoted figures, it was stat- • ed had all been checked by documentary evidence, and should give conclusive proof that if anyone is trading upon tho public he is not to be foun< in tho wholesale line.