The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-09-28
BOOT AND SHOE WORKERS
By Frederic J. Haskin.

Tomorrow the International Boot and Shoe Workers Union will meet in annual session. Many propositions of interest to labor will come before the meeting. More important than anything else that will be considered is the movement to have every union labor man in the United States buy only union label goods. The shoe workers estimate that organized labor in this country draws $4.000,o00 every working day in the year, and believe that if every dollar spent went for union label products and no other. fa- bor would soon come into what 1t con- siders to be it's own. Perhaps no other industry employing a hundred thou sand men. besides women and children. has had as little trouble over labor matters as the boot and shoe industry. Comprehensive arbitration agreements exist between most manufacturers and the unions.
 It Is said that most manufacturers making three and four dollar shoes are forced to employ union workmen, both by the demands of the public and by labor conditions. Customers who most often buy these grades insist on the union label. The purchasers of shoes which retail for five dollars and upward, Is seldom heard to express any preference that the shoe be made by union labor.
 The panic of last year told percep- tibly on the boot and shoe industry It Is estimated by trade authorities that there were a million fewer cases of boots and shoes shipped from Boston during the past fiscal year than dur ing the previous year. Another proof of the effect Of business on the wear CTS of shoe leather is the fact that shoe polish sales increased vastly over last year. Men who heretofore would wear their shoes while and then dis card them are wearing older shoes and polishing them themselves. The sales of shoe polish during the past fiscal year amounted to $S,000,000 wholesale. or $12.000,o0O retail. There are only twelve establishments in the United States which make shoe polish on any extensive scale. The American people of these times use more polish on heir shoes than they did twenty-five years ago. Then, a half million dollars worth of shoe polish answered every purpose of all the people. Today, the factories have to turn out just sixteen times as much polish. which means that each individual gets about twelve shines today where he got one twenty five years ago.
 The slowing up of the wheels of industry also showed on the leath or trade. It is estimated that there were 32,000.000 pounds less of hides in the American market this year than last. The tanners of the country Insist that the worlds visible supply of leather is falling off. and that prices will in- evitably increase. The British gov ernment has been impressed with these views of the tanners, and has therefore appointed a commission to investigate the leather supply of the world. It is thought that the day will come when hog skins will be more widely used. Thirty million hogs are slaughtered in the United States every year. yet the hides of only a few of them are used, despite the fact that 1t makes very excellent leather.
 The United States Is a large exporter of shoes Last year the export busi- ness in boots and shoes amounted to over $i1, ,000,0 900, the number of shoes exported amounting to 100000 pairs. Some American shoes were sold in Eu- rope and Asia. but the bulk of this bus mess abroad Is done with the West Indies and South America. where, if the American shoemaker will push his trade. he can get practically a mon- opoly.
 The shoe lace manufacturers of the country think that Dame Fashion is as tickle as Dame Fortune. For years shoe faces were the thing, and a good many shoe lace factories were built Then Dame Fortune deserted the sh oe lace and went over to the button man ufacturers. Then she left them and went to the ribbon makers, and she has deserted them in turn and gone to the buckle makers. Now the shoe lace men are waiting for her return.
 September Is a series of red letter days for the city shoe dealer. There are some 100000 children who start to school in September. and they must all be supplied with school shoes. Therefore it is a busy and profitable time for the shoe dealer. The value of children's shoes Is placed at ESQ., 000. GOO wholesale. or $100 900 900 retail.
 In perhaps no other industry has machinery taken the place of skilled labor so completely as 1t has in the boot and shoe industry. There Is only one really skilled laborer required now the cutter. Almost every operation, from the time the leather has been selected until the shoe come out f1n- ished product is done by machinery. The shoe machine trust has a mon opoly, both at home and abroad. of making machinery for making shoes and boots. It sdvertises that 1t can