Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-09

X
The factories of Massachusetts, ac-
oDrding to the last report furnished to
the D p art
Shoe Output ment of Com
of Leading States. Ishor ar, p
quarter of a billion dollars worth Of
shoes in a year. Massachusetts leads in
this industry, Missouri coming next pro-
ducing almost fifty million dollars
worth of shoes and employing about
$4,000 persons. The total value of boot
and shoe products was considerably
over half a billion dollars last year.
There are nearly twenty thousand shoe
factories scattered over the entire coun-
try. although quite a number of states
have only one or two.
The leather used in the manufa cture OF
all these shoes is an important factor in
commerce. While most of 1t is finished
here. it is made from hides and skins i'm
ported from different countries, chiefly
from India. Turkey, Africa, Italy and
Central and South America These hides
and skins are sent in usually either green
or salt dried, and are tanned and finished
in the thousand or more tanneries which
are scattered over the country.
Last year 144.OOO.OOO hides and skins
were treated and curried in American
leather was exported, and small guam
tity of finished leather is imported, but
the great bulk Of the leather used in the
shoes manufactured in this country is
the product of the American tanning and
leather dressing factories.
While the Department of Agriculture
through the bureau of animal industry is
endeavoring to in
Care OF Hides crease the produc-
H.: aLL ton Of animals In
for their unitarian and food value rather
than for their hides. Nevertheless, in
care of hides in order that their value
may be as great as possible.
The bureau of chemistry has ascer-
tanned that the quality of the hides is at
fected by the food and location Of the
animal quite as much as is its flesh. and
while no especial effort is made to feed
them with reference to the production of
a finer quality of leather. this is a mat
ter which is likely to receive considera-
ton later 1t is known. for example. that
the macs OF cdItlc grown III Tie SOulueTu
states, where they are annoyed by insect
pests. do not yield as good a quality of
leather as those of cattle raised in the
northern part of the country, where the
insects are less vicious.
The finest hides produced in this coun-
try are the packers hides. which come
from the great packing houses. Here
cattle are slaughtered by the thousands.
and a large force of men and boys is
kept at work removing the skins. and
they are more skillful than the farmer or
ordinary butcher, making fewer cuts. and
removing the flesh more evenly. Usually
country hides. which are collected either
singly or in small quantities, have much
waste because they are not properly cut
before being removed from the animal A
diagram has recently been published
showing the regulation packers hide
which. if used as a model, would lessen
the waste made by unskilled workmen
To the leather dealers the skins of large
animals like cattle and horses are known
as "hides,' while those of all smaller
animals, like goats, sheep and calves, are
known as skins" The larger number of
hides utilized last year were Of home rails
ing. but the bulk of the goat and other
small skins were imported