The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1899-11-16
ADVANCE IN PRICE OF LEATHER.
Shoe Manufacturers Cannot Sell Az Figures
Heretofore Prevailing.
Address before the Shoe Manufaotul
ara Oonfefanca

address before the Shoe Manufaoiur
ers Conference.
The buyers Of shoes in all parts Of
the country arc so well Informed OF
the advance Of leather and other ma
terials which enter into the making
OF shoe that none Of them expect to
get the same value for the came
money in the future rs they received
in the past. A number OF those buy.
ors wonder why there had not been
an advance in the prices OF shoes
long ago.
Tus is really not surprising If we
consider the following facts Sole
leather has advanced during the last
five years from IS TO 30 per cent The
price Of union backs In 1894 was y
cents. now it is - cents to 33 cents
Bellies have advanced from So to
80 per cent. The price Of bellies was
10 1894. 10 cents 10 IL cents; now it
Is Is cents to ~ cents.
KID stock has. If We consider seloc.
ton and price, advanced from 3
cents to i'cents foot. which is equal
to about 9 cents to - cents pair.
Sheepsklns have lately advanced
from cents TO 81 cents and 81 cent
foot, which Is equal to about 30 to
- per cent.
1t is only few years sgo when We
used for all grades OF shoes a regulsr
eyelet Of which the price was 500 b
million. Now we use in the cheaper
grades an eyelet which costs 500 -
million, which is an advance OF 665
per cent. Ia the medium price shoes,
the so-c4lled perfection eyelet Is
used, which costs $500 million,
which is an advance OF 1873 per cent
la the finest grade shoes cellulold
evelets are used which cost IN black
5000 and in colors 500 million.
Tue average OF both Is 500 million,
which is equal ty an sdyInce OF ,OOG
per cent.
Tacks and nails have lately ad.
vanced about 80 per cent, aud most
of all the other materials which en-
ter into the making of r shoe have
advanced more or less.
There not a single item know
of which has decreased in price. On
the other hand, the manufacturers
give substantially about the same
value for the same money that they
gave before any Of these advances
took place. This being, as all shoe
buyers know, not mere assertion,
but fact, one would quite naturally
conclude that manufacturers must
nave made immense profits at the
time when leather and other mate
rails were low. This is, however, as
we all know, not the case.
The real facts are that the manu-.
facturers bsye accomplished this
most marvel us result by prsc,iclul
aud applying the utmost ECONOMY
which genius could invent, and by
cutting their profits down to almost
nothing. There is no dOu Ut that load
Of shoes have been manufactured anc
sold with an actual loss. But now ia,
time has come when manufacturer
have to admit they are at the end OF
theirsiring. while on the other hand the
prices of leather are still creeping up
The advance OF sole leather alone Is
about cents 10 5 cents pound over
the price paid year ago, while the
advance in kid stock is considerably
more. In short, things have reached
y stage where the shoe manufactui'
ers have become unanimous IN then
conclusion that they cannot give the
same value in the future as they have
| given heretofore.