Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-26
WHAT WE WEAR.
BY Frederic J. Haskin.
VI-LEATHER.

No material is more essential to the
comfortable clothing of humanity than
leather, since no other substance mas
been found quite so satisfactory for foot
covering. Shoes of some form or an
other have been worn almost from the
beginning of civilization, and from the
sandal of the ancient Israelite to the
high boot of today is marked a gradual
development in manufacturing While
shoes having the upper part of cloth, vel
vet or silk have been shown at various
times, there have been few made in which
leather did not enter largely. The ma
jority are practically all leather, conse-
quently the leather industry is one Of the
most important in the world and one
that is constantly calling for new and
improved machinery and equipment.
Since leather is the principal material
used in the manufacture of shoes. the
supply Of this product is an important
matter to the trade. The leather bust
ness now ranks third in Importance in
the commercial industries and importa-
tons of the United States. great deal
of the leather for American shoes has to
be imported, because the domestic sup
ply is insufficient.
The supply of goatskin is especially
small, fewer of these animals being rails
ed in the United States than in any
other large country. Lately Mexico has
been developing it's American trade in
this article to large degree. The quail
ity of goat skins produced in Mexico is
excellent. and during the past two years
goat culture for the purpose of supplying
the American leather market has become
a thriving Mexican industry Goat skins
for American shoes are also brought from
China, India. Russia and Morocco. The
goat skins imported last year for Amer
~ al
ued at about that number of dollars.
nearly one-haif of this amount coming
from Mexico.
South America furnishes large per-
centage of the other leather used in the
United States.
Much Leather Comes Argentine
From South America. skin are es-
pecially good and their trade is increas-
ing. Last year Argentina exported over
1O,C00,OO0 skins, valued at S2o,NO,UOo. and
the United States was its heaviest GUS
toner. Other South American republics
are developing this industry. "A repre-
sentative of the Department of Commerce
and Labor of the United States has re-
Gently made a trip through these coun-
tries with view to increasing their
leather trade with the United States.
Raw leather is known to the trade gem
orally as hides. kips and skins. Hides
are the skins of oxen and large animals,
producing the stiff heavy leather suitable
for the soles of shoes, heavy betting in
machine shops and other purposes re-
curing great strength Hips are the
skins produced from the understood or
young animals. 1t is soft, durable leath-
er. suitable for the upper parts of shoes.
The hides of small animals such as
calves, sheep and alligators, are gener-
ally known as skins.
The tanning and finishing processes for
leather have been developed to a higher
degree i'm the United States than in any
other country. The chrome process OF
tanning leather has made its wearing
qualities two or three times greater than
the methods formerly most in vogue.
This is especially true of the finer grades
of wOmen'S shoes. A generation ago
woman looked upon a pair of fine KID
shoes as being practically ruined if they
stand unlimited wettings and still hold
their shape. Leather is being made more
waterproof each year. and its finish or
polish is more durable.
New methods of finishing leather are de-
veloped each year. The old patent leath-
er was bulky and uncertain. 1t was a
split leather, treated with specially pre-
pared varnish. The formula of the var
n1Sn' ana the HeInOU OI lfe ledtu-
err have been wonderfully improved dur
ing the past ten years. The newer high
polished leather, which may be known as
enamel or japanned kid. holds its luster
indefinitely These feathers can also be
positively guaranteed against cracking
or breaking something that ten years
ago was not considered possible.
There is an increasing demand for
lea Their in different colors, so that shoes
will be pur-
Increased Demand chased to
match I n e
for Colored Leather cloths This