The St. Johns herald., 1895-09-12
SCARCITY OF LEATHER.
French Government Cannot Sup.
 ply Its Army with Shoes
Principal Causes of the Great Failing on In the supoiy-Eo Practical Soia- fion Of the Distressing IkE
 Problem.

Leather is so scanty and high Of price just now in France that the min ister Of war is greatly perplexed over the question of how to secure the nec- assary footwear for the great num- Der of men which that nation keeps continually in readiness for its defense. Not only this, says the New York World, bat sufficient supply Of leather for the saddles, harness and ether fur nishings Of the cavalry and artillery is lacking.
 Wh the government invited bids recently for the equipment of the troops with shoes and horse furniture the only contractors who dared make an offer demanded So high . figure that their propositions were rejected, and those who have yet contracts to fill for these articles are seeking every means possible to break them, fearing that ruin will be tlie result if they are com pelled to carry out their agreements.
 Hides have doubled in price since the beginning of the present year. This unusual state of affairs in the leather trade was thought at first to be the re- suit of a corner in the market, but it has since become evident that the re- markablc scarcity in that commodity is produced by a variety of simple and natural causes.
 Three of the principal reasons for this deartb of leather are: The recent war between China and Japan, the many revolutions and bloody conflicts in the South American republics and the scarcity of fodder and pasturagc owing to the unfavorable weather of last year and the year before in the countries of the world from which the principal supply Of hides comes. The catastrophes Of the climate and of war in South America, although 1 serious enough in themselves, would not alone have been sufficient to bring about the present state of affairs. 1t is the war between China and Japan which is more directly responsible for the dearth which now prevails. When war was declared Japan placed large contracts in the United States for the equipment of its infantry and cavalry with footwear and other furniahings. To i'll these promptly the contractors in this country bought up nearly all the visible supply of leather suitable for that purpose.
 Since the war closed Japan has sent new orders of equal importance to the merchants here for fresh supplies Of shoes and military trappinGi, aud the markets have been swept bare to i'll them. The price of green" hides has therefore risen 50 high that tue tanners are buying as little os they can, and . large percentage of the tanneries throughout the world arc closed.
 h Trance especially the wholesale manufacture Of shoes is in 8 dcplora- ble state. Generally the product Of one season is made up to sell the next, but owing to the high prices prevailing this year for tho necessary raw material 9 great number Of the shoe factories are closing ard throwing out of employ nent q large number of worlzlnen. An immediate and practical solution of the question seems impossible. The crisis has not yet been reached, and the ultimate outcome will be interest ing to notice.