Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-26
CAUSE OF RISE IN
PRICE OF LEATHER
Special Correspondence of The Star.


LONDON, February II, 1906
That yegetarianism has anything to do
with the price of leather seems absurd on
the face of 1t. Yet this is the reason
and one of the principal ones-advanced for
the sudden rise In the price of shoe-leather
all over the world. London is somewhat
alarmed at the boom In the prices of boots
and shoes and there has been a general
turning to American firms-who have now
puilt up big trade in these lines-to ac-
count for this remarkable advance within
tho last month or two
Every one Is asking US II We are going to
put up our prices said the London man
ager of big shoe company when asked to
explain why the price Of leather had adj
yanced almost twenty-five per cent within
the last month. 1.-THE advance In price
seems to be general all over the world-not
only England. but in the United States,
Australia and Canada. Naturally, we shall
nave to advance with the rest, unless we
are willing to lose our margin of profit"
What do you think Is the cause of the
increased price? Is 1t an American cor
ner?" I asked.
No. 1t does not seem to be a corner"
said the manager. for In that case the
price would go UP even more, and with
greater suddenness. Seriously I have
heard 1t stated that vegetarianism had a
lot to do with 1t. You see, people all over
the world are beginning to eat more cereal
products. Vegetarian restaurants are
springing up on all sides-peopIe are going
In for Ientn chops oatmeal beefsteaks'
bean sausages.' and other things What is
the resultf Less consumption of real meat
Tho consequence is that leather-mak king an
fmals are not killed for their hides alone;
and hence the scarcity of hides. We do
not deal in hides direct ourselves; but pur-
chase them from Jobbers. and they report
a scarcity. If animals were to be killed
for the hides alone and no use were made
of the meat, of course, 1t would materially
oIyrntl ftf, too 80 AaE -, T..
simple, isn't 1t, when you look at it this
way?
.But that scarcely accounts for the rise
vegetarianism is only one of the factors"
he continued. Just at this time I should
say that the great demand for leather dur
ing the recent Russo-Japanese war had
caused an advance in price. OF course,
this Is q reason Numerically opposite TO
the vegetarian one but the war is only a
momentary cause which will pass away;
while yegetarfanism is growing and the
condition is becoming serious everY
year. After while, as fewer animals will
be killed and these only of the older stock,
there may be a complete revolution, not
only in the prices of footwear, but In the
quality Of leather itself. As It is now. we
have almost an Infinite variety of leather
goods to select from, and can create our
own styles and products. But this condi-
ton will probably not last
What prices do you get for good Amer
lean shoes in the English market?' / asked.
up to recently our average for a good
shoe-or boot, as they call them here-was
$3.50. We have recently introduced an
other stock at an advance of p cents more
and there seems TO be just as great a de-
mand for these new goods as there was for
the lower priced ones. great many Lon
doners prefer American boots and shoes to
their own makes. This is because more at
tenton Is paid In America to shaping the
footwear to the foot. We have a large
number Of customers in all our shops at
S5.25 and some pay even more for Amer
lean Shoes
Another manager of large boot and shoe
concern when asked why prices of leather
had gone up accounted for 1t in the fol-
lowing way:
'In recent years The demand for leather
goods has increased enormously mainly be-
cause leather has been used more extern
siyely. Motor car seats. motor coats and
other motor accessories have increased the
demand. the stationery business has called
heavily on leather goods for binding diaries,
le6gers. &C.. and the publishing trade has
used a lot of leather. Naturally, this In
creased demand-whiie the supply has been
restricted by various causes-has made
prices go up. An immense amount or
leather is also used in the furniture busi-
ness-in covering chairs and SO FORTH
~
HAS trade In American shoes increased
In London?''
''Yes. there has been steady Increase
but only after American manufacturers of
shoes began to realize that London would
not stand for dumping methods. When
American footwear first tried to get stand
Ing, so to speak. In the English market
Yankee makers imagined they could send
60. The English soon realized that Amer
lean goods were shoddy-that they did not
last any time: and then Americans were
forced to send over better goods. A NUM-
her or agents reureaeutfn1 shoddy firms