Show FINICAL TASTE ME OF PUBLIC BOOSTS PRICES VIEW William M. M Wood Gives Views on Clothing and H. H C. C L. L BOSTON Dec 29 The The insistence of ot the public upon cloth made from fine wools is a large factor in the present high prices of ot clothing ac according according according ac- ac cording to William M. M Wood president president president dent of the American Woolen com com- pany Mr 11 Wood who recently charged that some of the merchants in Lawrence were demanding excessive excessive excessive sive prices for necessaries and were in the habit of ot raising prices with every increase in wages in the company's company's company's com com- pany's mills here gave out a statement statement statement state state- ment in response to a request for his views upon the high cost of ot clothing If It our people would consent was his conclusion to wear good substantial substantial substantial sub sub- durable clothes made of the coarser wools clothing could be purchased purchased purchased pur pur- chased at considerably lower prices than those which now prevail His statement in part follows It is generally thought that the cost of or of the cloth is the controlling factor in the cost of clothing but the I II fact is that the cloth cost is less than j i half the cost of a completed suit and other factors contribute quite as I much to the price of clothing INCREASE GRADUAL I In the last five years ears the price of cloth in the ordinary suit of I clothes has advanced no more indeed in indeed In- In deed has advanced a little less than I the Ithe cost of labor and other materials I that go into the making of the suit The following figures show this which I have from a manufacturer and merchant of the highest promInence prominence prominence prom prom- in Boston The cost in 1919 of or the cloth for fora a suit of ot clothes of a particular grade is 1367 The corresponding cost in 1911 was vas showing an increase in the cost of or cloth of The 1919 cost of ot making this suit sUlt is 1447 The rhe corresponding cost in 1914 was Un U.n. showing an increase in the cost of making of LABOR IS FACTOR I These figures show that cloth conI contributes contributes con con- con con- tributes slightly less than labor and I other materials to the increased cost of clothing Therefore Therefore- to the question I why prices of clothing continue so o high through the country the reply is because the costs costs- of labor and cloth and oth other r materials that go into clothing continue so so high high- h. h After Arter pointing out SpRat out at there is a shortage of cloth and clouting clothing 1 in the I markets of or the world which always i means hi high h prices and that almost ever every material and every err process InI Involved involved in- in I in the f of c cloth th- th ing has to pay a heavy 1 tax both state and federal Mr Wood continued continued continued con con- In a measure during the war and andI Ito I to a greater extent since there has hasI I developed a curiously insistent de deI demand demand de- de mand for cloth made from the finer I and more expensive wools People I f will no longer buy cloth made of ot the coarser and consequently cheaper grades although clothing made from these wools is both serviceable and sound Before the war the demand for these fine lne grades of cloth was chiefly indeed chiefly indeed almost exclusively exclusively- I from the more fastidious in taste but now everybody demands the finer clothes and nobody will take anything else COARSE WOOL USED rte We recently made up a sample of cloth cioth in which coarse wool was used I in the warp only The appearance of I the sample was but slightly different from that made of finer wools It had In a marked degree the smooth I soft texture of fine wool Its cost was considerably less than the fabric made of ot the finer grades As a cloth it was good strong and serviceable Before the war it would have sold readily but we we- were absolutely unable un- un unable unable un un- able to put it on the market Our selling agencies told us that there was no demand for it people I would not buy it that customers in inI insisted insisted in- in on fine inc soft clothes and that I accordingly the manufacturers of clothing clouting would not buy this cloth if it I we made it up in quantity because they could not sell clothes made madeI I f from it To our suggestion that when people peo peo- I pie were complaining so of high I prices this cloth that would make a ai difference of 5 or more in the cost i of a suit ought to sell readily the 1 reply was that 5 in the cost of ot the cloth for Ifor a suit suit of ot clothes did not count at all these days that the people demand the best and would put up with no other While during the war the supply of t coarse wools has remained about stationary there is now a shortage in the worlds world's supply of finer wools of ot about pounds The rhe action of our own government has still further contributed to keep the prices up BRITISH GET WOOL During the war agents of our government government government gov gov- purchased from the British government some pounds pounds- of or Australian wool When hen the armistice armistice armistice armi armi- stice came they released or transI transferred transferred trans trans- I two-thirds two of this wool back to the British government The one- one third which our government held they offered only in limited quantities s the 1 keen ten competition for which carried it to tremendously high prices Recently the government sold some of this I wool In Boston at a pound I j I r am not criticising government go officials They doubtless felt feU Justified i I both in returning this fine wool to toI I England and in getting the highest I I price possible for the wool they have e i ion on hand j I I They rhey are are selling these wools at i i prices far In excess of ot what they paid i iI I and therefore making a profit for the government which government which t r assume they I think highly creditable to themselves But when you OU put the question why I f 1 our people have to pay such high prices for fine clothing which they I J insist on having you rou must not forget that one of the reasons for it is that the SO government i is holding the wool I I I which it bought at war prices price for a aj j profit war I |