he Colton Goods
By JAMES D. WHITE
WASHINGTON — The govem
nt is mapping a campaign to
Did the rationing of clothing—
rticularly the low-priced cotton
rments which are scarcest,
rdest-to-find clothes for both
?n and women, work gloves,
ildren’s clothes, women’s house
?sses, men’s shirts, underwear
d night clothes, and handker
iefs.
To avoid rationing — as it is
mmitted to do—the government
ay have ot raise ceiling prices
such items.
But this might not make much
fference to the consumer, who
Say often has to buy a more ex
pensive “substitute” article any
way because he can’t find what
he wants.
25 Per Cent Shortage Now
There are several reasons why
low-priced cotton clothing is
scarce, in fact, that the govern
ment estimates there’ll be a 25
per cent shortage for all civilian
cotton goods this year and perhaps
a 50 per cent shortage in the more
inexpensive items unless some
thing is done soon.
A shortage of raw cotton itself
is not one of these reasons. There
is plenty of raw cotton, the gov
i
ernment says.
But the millions of yards of
many kinds of cotton goods—uni-1
forms are just one item—used by I
the armed forces takes a big bite
out of the available total.
Next, manufacurers of cotton
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cloth and garments have just as
much trouble with the manpower
problem as any industry in the
country, authorities say.
Price ceilings have had a defin
ie effect on the supply of the so
called “low-end” lines of clothing
—or the low-priced lines where
profits are small anyway. The
tendency of manufacturers has
been to add a frill here, a color
there, and make a different “clas
sier” garment which could be sold
at a higher price.
For example, women’s house
dresses are hard to find. That’s
because the addition of a “thing
amajig” made it a street dress
which would command a higher
price. (
And witness men’s shorts. Plain
ungarnished shorts used to sell
for as low as 35 cents. Today, you
may have to pay $1.25 for the
nearest approach—and today the
darned things are likely to be
made of wild-colored prints.
Baiter Late Than Never
Now the OPA and the WPB are
getting together to fix this. Pri
vately officials admit they’re late
getting started but they think they
have the answers to the prob
e
lem.
Here’s what they’re thinking of
doing: First, they’re going to al
locate a definite amount of un
finished cotton cloth to civilian
consumption. As the situation has
been, civilians in effect got what
was left over after miliary, indus
trial and Lend-Lease requirements
were met. The new plan would
put civilian allocations ahead of
export claims and on much the
same basis as military and indus
trial demands.
Next, the present practice of
“freezing” looms on the produc
tion of certainly urgently needed
types of cloth would be extended.
OPA would raise ceiling prices to
make up losses.
Special production programs for
the scarcest items are suggested,
with OPA fixing dollars-and-cents
ceilings on each item as the pro
gram gets under way. Authority
for this—and for subsidies if they
are necessary — was provided *
months ago by Economic Stabil
izer Director Fred M. Vinson.
War Will Taka Mora and Mora
These steps are necessary it's
figured, because war reuiremnts
are expected to be heavier rather
than lighter toward the end of
the year. Even with the end of the
European war, the demands for
t
relief preclude increased domestic
supplies.
However, the whole program—
particularly in relation to subsid
ies and higher prices—will be
regulated most carefully, govern
ment men say because a steady in
crease in clothing prices could
menace the whole price and infla
tion control structure.
Sign on a slot machine—'"In
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<
COLLISIONS WITH
* OBSTACLES-27. ’
(Count of fatal Occident*,
by percentages, of Army
air plant in Unitnd States)
MISCELLANEOUS-15.9 •
■
\n LANDINGS AND
(p SPINS AND . TAKEOFFS—19.3
»| STALLS—17.1
V
COLLISIONS WITH
OTHER CRAFT-8.5 i
UNDETERMINED-12.1
«
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