Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-08-20
The LEATHER TRADE.
A Splendid Outlook for Business
with EurOpe-NearIv Fifty Per Cent.
Increase in the Exports over Last
Year.
New York Mail and Express.

New York Mail and Express.
''How is the export trade in leath>
! err" asked the reporter of Mr.. Palen,
Of Palen, Nelson & Co., in "the
Swamp"
1T has increased nearly so per cent.
over last year." answered MIR. Palen.
Since [ commenced keeping record
of the trade, which was in 1872,
never saw such a demand for Ameri-
can leather from abroad"
''What kind of leather gees from
this market?"
principally hemlock sole leather,
which appears now to be a great
favorite among all who use it. By the
way, Sweden is about TO put on a tariff
of q cents per pound on the Ameri-
can leather to protect the Swedish
tannerles. The Yankee hemlock, as
they call it, is becoming so popular
that the Swedish tanners are losing
their trade entirely. In anticipation
of the proposed duty large quantities
of leather are now going to Sweden,
and before the year is out you will
find still larger quantities ordered to
be shipped to Copenhagen and parts
of Norway and Sweden."
''But was not Sweden a great i'm
porting country for American leather
before this?'
mot exactly. The European con
tinental trade was generally done
through Hamburg. But the Swedes
thought they could save profits and
commissions by dealing direct, and so
we nave since been carrying on a
Swedish export trade. But the bulk
of the European continental trade has
not increased. It has only changed
the ports through which it landed"
''Can you cite an instance of this?"
Yes. In 1881 the quantity of leath-
er shipped from New York by way of
Hamburg during the first six months
was 164, 900 sides, or about /, ,78S, 900
pounds. This year TIE exports TO
Hamburg for the first six months has
only been $4,000 sides, or 1 ,08O, 600
pounds. So you see the trade with
Hamburg has fallen off. But with
other European ports the trade has in
creased from 141, 900 sides in 1881 to
1876, ,000 IN 1885, being an increase of
$4,000 sides, or $4,000 pounds. So
what Hamburg has lost other Euro
pean ports have gained, without any
increase in the aggregate Of European
continental trade"
Where does the bulk of American
leather go?n
To Europe, but largely to Liver
pool and ports of England. In fact,
the majority of the shipments from
this port go TO Europe. The ship~
ments to the West Indies and other
ports would not be Cne-seventieth of
the whole"
Glow was the American export
trade in leather begun?'
We'll, the story is somewhat Gu
riOus. In 1871 and 1872 by overpro>
duction, the leather dealers here found
themselves with large stocks of leath~
er on hand and no market in which
to sell il. Someone suggested sending
the leather abroad and letting it be
disposed of for what it would bring.
Anything to raise ready money. The
leather was exported, and to the sur
prise of the shippers brought good
prices and demand for more. Since
that time there has been great de-
mand abroad for American hemiock
sole leather, which IS always shipped
from this port. Uppers and splits are
sent from Boston, but to what extent
I do not know. Thus you see what
seemed to be a misfortune proves in
the end to be blessing"
Can you give me some figures to
show that the leather export trade has
increased?"
1.-THE total exports from New York
for the first six months of 1885 have
been 703, sol sides, which, at an aver
age Of eighty pounds TO the side,
would aggregate 13, 66S, ,41S poands
weight Of leather. Last year the total
exports for the corresponding six
months were only 462, ,0O3 sides, or
about 10, 600, 900 of pounds. The IN
crease, as I said before, is nearly so
per cent.
''But how does the total compare
with other years."
st shows large increase over any
OF the preceding 5 years. The total
leather exports for 1881 were 609, 9O9
sides, from January to July, as against
703, ,S04 for this year-an increase of
nearly 100, 600 sides. In 1882 the ex-
ports for the first six months aggre-
gated COS, 165 sides, or less by nearly
1900 sides when compared with the
preceding year. In 1883 the exports
from January 1 to July 80 made a
total of 629,28 sides; but last year
these fell off to 562, O93 sides. There
fore you will perceive that the leather
exports of the first six months of the
year 1885 far exceed any year of the
present decade, and are far in excess
over any shipments for the cores
pondlng period IN any year since Am
erlcan leather became an article of ex-
port"
''Do you think that American leath-
er can hold its own when brought into
competition with other feathers in for
eign markets."
7'There is 40 doubt of it in my mind.
The hemlock sole leather has stood
the test now for over dozen years,
and instead of decreasing in favor it