The National tribune., 1908-12-24
FREE HIDES AND SHOES.

4 FREE HIDES AND SHOES
The folloSinr Is the kind of a isttsr
we like to reseivsg; It i, temperate, rea-
soning. ands full of accurate informa-
tion.< from Which to study the knotty
problem of TariraRevision.
Editor National Tribune: In your ed
itorial in Last weeks issue of The Ma
Iionai Tribune you speak of the Shoe
trust as the chief beneficiary OF the
proposed reduction of the duty on
This is evidently slip up on your
part, as shoe manufacturing In this
country is one of the few big industries
that has not been corralled by q cor
poration or trust. The machinery used
in manufacturing is controlled by the
United Shoe Machinery Company.
They levy tribute on the shoe manu-
facturers. who are forced to pay royal
ties on each machine In use, which of
itself is no small item in the cost of
production. Aside from this. the shoe
manufacturers run their business on
strictly independent basis, and were it
not for the excessively high price the
tanner is obliged to pay the packers for
domestic hides, leather could be pro-
duced much cheaper. which in turn
would materially lessen the cost OF
shoes. The packers pay an average
price OF S28 for q prime animal, and
sell the hide for an average price of
$40, or more than One-third the cost
of the animal. The hide Is classed as
offal. but 1t sells for more than Sirloin
steak, netting the packer an enormous
profit, If he did not make a cent on the
beef
While It is an open question whether
remitting the present duty of Is per
cent would lessen the price of hides,
owing to control of the hide market by
the packers, both here and in South
American countries, 1t will make no diff
ference to the farmer or stock raiser, as
they do not Skare the enhanced price
the packer exacts from the tanner. who.
with the shoe manufacturer. Is obliged
to cut the corners on quality to get out
even, and in the final analysis the tan
ner, the shoe manufacturer and the
consumer shake the tree and the pack
er picks up the app1es.--R. P. North
rop. Tannery, Md.
There are several highly important
points raised in this communication,
each of which deserves especial study.
The first is that the inventors and
manufacturers OF shoemaking machin-
cry take a pretty heavy toll on the
shoemakers- This is not so important
as it seems at first reading, however
No shoemaker buys or uses a machine
except because it is much more econom-
'c:.. than hard labor. and he really has
not much canse OF c0HiDiaint IL the in
ven.ors and makers of machinery in
s:st Or having share of his savings.
Next, rs all are treated alike, his COM
petiters have no advantage over him,
and as the machines will do the work
rar cheaper even than the "pauper Ia
Dor" Of Eurepe, the markets of the
world are open to. him as far as that
is concerned zseH
Next. in spite of the fact that our
correspondent asserts that large
part Of the gshoemaking is still on an
independent basis. outside OF any COM
binatien, yet 1t is still true that the
greater eoo1omies OF manufacturing on
a large scale are rapidly concentrating |
tablishments. This is shown by the |
census. In 1880 there were about 1000
factories Of considerable size in the |
United States engaged In making boots |
and shoes. Twenty years later, in spite |
of the great tfincrease in population and
consequently in the market, the number
of factories had decreased to 1000,
while the capital invested had approxi-
mately trebled. In 1880 1t was s42.ss4.-
02S. while it was $1o1.7s5.23s in 1900.
The Canadians discovered to their
loss the superior advantages of the
great American factories. The Cana
dians, ambitious of making themselves
and keeping their money
at home. have made strenuous efforts
to build up Canadian shoe factories.
They have bought tho best American
hides than in the United States. but yet
find that competing with American
shoes is hard and losing struggle.
The most important point raised by
our correspondent, and which seems
most difficult of solution, is the absolute
control of the hide market by the pack
ers. lie thinks that In some way that
he does not explain. the slaughterers
and packers have gotten full control
not only OF the hide supply Of this coun-
try, but of the other chief source
South America. They decide arbitrarily
how much they will pay the farmers
for cattle. and how much they will
charge the tanners for leather. This
Is difficult to believe. but may be so. If
true. then free hides will benefit neither
tanners. nor shoemakers. 1t
will only add the Is per cent duty we
are now collecting on imported hides to
the already swollen gains of the hide
trust.
This is a point on which the WaysI
and Means Committee should take ex-
pert testimony, and push the probe to
The heart of ths matter.
A GRATEFUL WIDOW.