PRICE OF TEKTILES

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 10616, 15 June 1920, Page 4

PRICE OF TEKTILES

COTTON GOODS TO GOST EWIORE SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE PREDICTED BY MANUFACTURER. A correspondent, "H.R.," who writes with some authority, has forwarded the following letter to the editor of the "New Zealand Times": —■ "A considerable quantity of manufactured goods come into this country from Canada. The. enclosed extract is from a letter from a large factory, whose goods before the war and during the war, were always able to compote successfully in the matter of price with similar goods, quality for quality, from any country :-—'l must first tell you that there is no such thing as counting on deliveries just now. The dullest mill, as the mos-t important, has beco-me so busy that one really cannot count on anything. Cotton and steel are still the worst offenders. We have had four bad cottot crops in succession until cotton, such as we use, is not to be bought. Some people have paid as high as 1.50 dol. (6s 3d) a pound for very small quantities of 1-3,16 cotton. Staple cotton mills have a fair stock of it, but you. can sec how they are averaging their purchases every day -and constantly putting up the prices of their goods taking advantage of the great scarcity of same. The- United States mills have had troubles, including labour, of all sorts, with the result that not a single house has anything to sell. Conditions, in a general way, are far t from being improved. I/atest reports go to show that high prices have only now started; and it is quote on the bo-a-rds that present prices will be per ceijt. higher before this time ne?:t year. The cause of ■ all this is . - the industrial unrest, the extreme demands both in wages and working hours, and scarcity of both materials and labour. We are not, however, pessimistic as regards -the future, these extremely hard conditions make it impossible for any other but wellorganised factories to carry on.' "There is on 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 recession.

"In the matter pf 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 he hoped the public will not be led to believe it is the retail draper profiteering, for he will be forced to accept less than a fair profit to market such goods, as in not a few cases he is already doing to-day, and has been doing before any anti-profiteering; machinery was set up "'