Evening journal., 1908-10-28
Yours
Dover. October q.

z. B.
Dover. October 27
In one or more OF the popular low
priced monthly magazines appears
page advertisement headed who Gets
the Prosperity?' II emanates from the
headquarters Of the National Demo-
cratic Committee at Chicago. and has
upon the corner a coupon 10 be cut of
and sent with FIVE dollars for the Demo
cratic Campaign Fund The advertise
nent is. OF course intended 70 influence
voters and secure contributors. and II is
a part Of the political game now Icing
played in this country Therefore the
ST. be biased,
and possibly misleading.
II is moi the policy OF the Boot and
Shoe Recorder 10 discuss politics as
such, but II seems fitting at this time
TO point out some OF the niisstatements
made in the advertisement under con-
sideration, such Of them as apply 10
business generally and the shoe and
leather industry in particular The
statements arc those of the Democratic
party. but our readers know that the
Recorder has in the past pointed out
misstatements. and punctured argu-
ments OF the Republican party II Is
not matter OF party but Of principle
This advertisement starts out with
the statement that during the past
twelve years the average cost o. living
has increased As per cent" II goes
on 10 say that Your house costs YOU
40 per cent more 10 build todav tnan
IL did twelve years ago because tariff
allows this eXtortion" \ careful in
quiry among prominent builders
squarely contradicts the statement.
Building has increased about % per
cent in the last twelve years. and nearly
all Of this Is in the wages OF workmen
leinployed directly in building or in the
manufacture Of material entering into
building construction.
Another statement IN the advertise
nent is that suits Of clothes that COST
I venty-hvs dollars in 1896 cost thiltv-
i've dollars today Clothing rlanufac-
turers deny this On the contrary they
state that there has been no material
Increase in price, Of clothing. although
In the twelve years mentioned wages
have advanced Is per cent.
But these are outside the shoes in
dustry. The leading statement in this
misleading advertisement Is this. Since
that cost SO a pair IN 1896 now cost
s4oo and $500, because materials have
gone up SO per cent Trust controlled.
tariff protected. sole leather has gone
up over 10 per cent
In 1895 the popular priced. shoc was
one which retailed for $500 This IS
the shoe mentioned in the advertise.
ment Careful figures secured from j
manufacturers books az that date show
that the itemizsd cost Of such shoe
WAS 81 S. Statistics gathered by the
Boot and Shoe Recorder in the spring
Of 1908 showed that two years previ
GUS such a shoe cost the manufactur-
ers S2lT 81, and that the same shoe
increased 70 S255 "a I'm 1907. and
s27S in 1908 Practically every item,
has increased during the ten wear per-
iod. and still further during the last
two years. all bearing greater OF
smaller share in the increased cost
But II Is unjust 10 state. II is posi-
tively untrue. that SO shoe Of 1886
sells for IS TODAY II sells for 81 oo
an increase Of 25 per cent
And now what about that sol. leath
er increase Of 10 per cent? we are
AZ a loss 10 find any basis for such !
lpreposterous statement The kind OF
sole leather Is not mentioned so We
will give figures on the various kinds
and let the reader decide how far on
the advertiser Is IN his arithmetic In
1896 henilook middle weight Buenos
Avres and Monteyideo leather sold
for from 10 70 - cents--no higher
and no lower during the year Today
The price Is 2s and % cents Is that
ITO per cent increasee In 1896 prices
for No. / Union sole ransed from Is
cents (the lowest) to 30 eentsl fthe