Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-06-29
SHOES MAN GO UP.
The Rise I'm Hides May Cause an ADD
vance i'm Prices.

The Rise I'm Hides May Cause an Ado
vance i'm Prices.
The big rise IN the price of hides, which
has been brought about, it is charged,
through the Vaccinations of the beef
trust, will soon be felt in its effect upon the
pockets of the masses. For months past
the people all over the country have been
groanirg and complaining under the ne
cessity of paying unprecedented prices for
beef, but, as II that was not enough, they
will now have to "step up to the Office
and pay for another commodity. Leading
shoe merchants of this city are the au-
thority for the statement that the manu-
facturers cannot continue to make shoes
at present prices. and that by fall the aver
age will be fifty cents pair higher at re-
tail than was the case last fall. This Is
anything but a pleasant outlook for heads
of families who all the time being
called upon to pay shoe bills.
AS often happens in matters of this
sort. 1t is the poor and those in moderate
circumstances who will be the chief suffer-
ers. A prominent local dealer said to a
Star reporter today that the ''shoe would
pinch" along the cheaper grades of goods.
The man who buys footwear for himself
and his family ranging In the neighbour
hood Of $3.50 to 81 a pair is the one who
will probably be called upon to pay the
extra half dollar. The increase will not
apply to the man who can afford to go to
expensive shoemaker and pay from 81
to SIS pair. Makers of that sort of goods
have such large leeway in the matter Of
profits that their products do not so quick
ly show the effects of rise in the price Of
the raw material.
AS the agent for one of the big New Eng
land shoe factories expressed IL, I'VE run
so close to the wind in our prices that ii is
out of the question for us to keep on much
longer selling our goods at present figures.
1 am pretty certain that We shall be COM
PEELED to shove them up by fall, If not
sooner. 1 presume We shall have to keep
about the same line of prices, also, but
am afraid the quality will not be the same
We shall probably keep 81 shoes, We have
always done. but you will not be able 10 get
good shoe for that price as you could
last year. 1t is not our fault. The re-
sponsiblity rests with those who have put
up the price of hides"
A Tendency to Higher Prices.
Shoe and Leather Facts. a journal de-
voted to the trade, says that the position
of the market is a very strong one, with
the tendency all toward still higher prices.
Manufacturers have reached the point
where they are no longer looking for any
immediate break in sprices on leather. but
are satisfied that the advance has come to
stay for this season at least, and the BUSH
ness they are taking is consequently on
that basis. The finer grades of goods have
not felt the advance as much as the
cheaper grades, owing to the fact that the
largest advance in leather has been on the
cheaper qualities. Still. the better grades
Of footwear were not sold as close TO the
cost of production as the cheaper grades.
which gave manufacturers some leeway to
even up the advance for the cost of produc-
ton.
1.-The business in shoes has not been ac-
tive, both jobbers and retailers holding
back their orders as much as possible. One
feature of the situation is the discontinue
ance of the making of low-priced shoes on
the part Of the manufacturers, owing to
the great rise in the price for low-grade
les fnnoSSjhilffv nf raff
proportonate advance for the finished
product. Another noticeable feature is the
willingness of most manufacturers to give
a better quality of material and better
grade of workmanship in their goods in
order to offer this extra inducement to
their customers to pay an advance.
The extremely cheap and low-quality
shoes which came in a part Of the evils
of the great depression have already be-
gun to disappear. and manufacturers, job
bers and retailers alike recognize that the
demand which existed for them will, to a
considerable extent vanish with the added
purchasing power of the Masses