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Show SAYS WAR RAISES FURNITURE PRICES Lester D. Freed, Home From East, Comments on Business; Busi-ness; Carpets Going Up. Lester D. Freed, of the Freed Furniture Furni-ture & Carpet company, returned yesterday yes-terday from a mouth's furniture buying buy-ing visit to Chicago and Grand Rapids. Two things impressed Mr. Freed on the trip, the invariable reports of good business and prosperity brought in by furniture dealers and their buyers from every part of the country and the high prices of furniture and carpets. "Furniture prices, " said Mr. Freed, 'have advanced fifteen per cent, and carpets out of sight, almost. A. shortage short-age of labor in the furniture factories is one of the reasons for the increase in the first instance. "The furniture factories have found it hard to keep men, who can get higher high-er wages in the munitions lactones. Thus, indirectly, the war is causing the increase in prices. Another factor is that the automobile manufacturers arc using so much glass that there is a shortage short-age of this commodity, which' is extensively exten-sively used in the making of furniture. Such as dressers, buffets, cabinets and the like. ' Upholstered goods are higher because be-cause dyestuffs are used, and, as everyone every-one knows, the European war has caused a distressing stringency of dyes. That is the reason for an increase of one-third one-third old prices in carpets. Fortunately Fortunate-ly we had a large stock of carpets on hand and were not obliged to pay such exorbitant prices. "In spite of the high prices dealers were obliged to pay this year for their goods, everyone at the meetings in Chicago Chica-go and Grand Rapids and in the factories was exceedingly well pleased with conditions con-ditions and business prospects. It is better to pay high prices and have the country prosperous and doing business, than to have prices down, with nobody doing any business. And the f eelinc seems to be that good business will keep up. no matter whether the war ends or not. ' ' Mr. Freed was engaged all the time during his absence with business for the Freed store in the two furniture centers. |