THE CLOTHING TRADE.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 January 1920, Page 5

THE CLOTHING TRADE.

WHY DRAPERY IS SO DEAR. POOR PROSPECTS OF LOWER PRICES. The wholesale drapery business has felt and continues to feel the effects of war probably more than any other. In his cost of living tables the Government Statistician deals with three groups—groceries, dairy produce, and meat. He also takes rent, fuel, and light as two groups. But he does not in his tables show the effect of the extreme prices current for drapery goods and clothing generally upon the high cost of living. All the Statistician's groups for 1919 show advances over those of 1918 and very substantial advances over those ol 1914; but the housewife wanting more flannel, more sheeting, more cotton goods generally, can tell a tale that makes the pound look something like 12s or less when she comes out of the draper's shop. How is it, now that the war is over, prices rise instead of fall? There are several 'answers to the question. Manufacturers tof cottoni piece goods and Woollens point to increased prices of raw material and higher Srages with shorter hours arid lessened production. To wholesale houses.in' New Zealand they furnish additional information, either directly or through tlicir London representatives. Here is a specimen received hv a Wellington house :-^-

"European and Continental buyers stripped the market here." And another: "Useless to cable hosiery, haberdasberv. Output restricted." A third: "Priees in all departments advancing. Limited choice left fancy dress cottons." Other cable advices, all received since 6th December, go' to show that manufacturer- are booked up with orders that will take them a frill year to execute. New Zealand's is a mere fraction of the trade that Manchester and Bradford do with the world. Orders are onlv accepted to be executed in rotation/and if at any price at all then at heavy advances on rates ruling only a few weeks ago. Importers here acknowledge that they are quite in the dark as to the future. In on« instance an order was sent for sheeting, npking that the price be confirmed by cable. A price was confirmed. It' was 7o' per cent above that the sender of the cable had in mind when it was despatched. lii these cvreumstaricpfi it does not seem at all likely that lower' prices for cotton and woollen clothing will rule for some time to come. Looms have been idle while men have been fighting; and the cost of production from the cot-ton-pod to the' finished piece has advanced, and there are no indications of a fall. . '

In one way tile New Zealand Customs tariff has added its turn on the screw of the cost of living. Concrete instances were given by a New Zealand import r! The Customs, charge , duty on, say, tea or cigars at so nfuch per .pound, irrespective Of fir.st cost.. ~ Not so with what are called ad valorem duty. They.are.taxed on their'present, war. or extreme prices, and their vajne. Hero are some of the duties paid in 1914 and paid now on identical goods:— ' Men's socks, per don—Duty 1914, 2n 2}d; duty lillß, 9s. 3d, . ■Women's Women's cashmere hose, 5s 2%d and Ms fid. Women's gloves,.Os-TOgd and 435. 2%d. Men's Balbriggan shirts, 2s 6Sd and Ts OJd. t These were but a few of hundreds of instances in which the ad valorem duty on necessities that cost long prices in their countries of origin intensified their cost when they went, into New Zealand consumption. To whatever heights the prices mav go the duties go up with them. This, the importer conceded, was "good for the.revenue, but a heavy burden on the cost of living.

The prospects of any reduction of prices of dranery. according to advices received here from 'manufacturing centres, are not at all rosy. Foreignmade goods are advanced in sympathy with British, so that no relief is to he pvpeoted from that quarter, even were it desirable. People mnv go shabbier and economise more, but trading returns, so far go to sb'.w that they will pav the price to get the goods, no matter what it may be. So long as they do that so long will the retailer and wholesaler he justified in supplying the goods; hut both are showing signs of uneasiness as to the future, and buying ahead was never more difficult than it is to-day.—Post.