Bryan daily eagle and pilot. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1909-1918, 1912-01-09
may NOT RAISE
PRICE OF SHOES

: New tOrk, Jan. 5.-FuDllc protest
and threats of government action may
cause the footwear manufacturers to
abandon their plan of raising the
price of shoes 80 cents a pair.
Officials and representatives of all
the leading shoe factories of the coun.
try are in New York today in attend.
ance at the annual meeting of the Ma.
tional Boot and Shoe Manufacturers
= Association and are discussing the
proposed advance, which was orig
inally scheduled to take effect after
the fall samples have been sent out
in March.
Most of the manufacturers from
Lynn, Brockton and other New Eng
land shoe centers, where large pro-
portion of the nations footwear Is
made, insist that a raise in price is
absolutely necessary because of the
increase in the cost of raw material
but they are inclined to be cautious
since the statement recently made by
United States District Attorney Asa
p. French of Massachusetts that he
will Investigate and take action If the
manufacturers violate the Sherman
| act. Attorney French is quoted as say
ing that If manufacturers engaged In
interstate commerce combine to raise
prices they will be violating the law.
John H. Hanan of this city is presi-
dent of the National Boot and Shoe
Manufacturers Association and is pre-
siding at the convention opened today
According to Thomas f. Anderson,
secretary of the New England Shoe
and Leather Association, there is no
fear among the shoemakers of the ap-
plication of the Sherman antitrust
law.
1T is unlikely that the shoe man.
ufacturers will take any formal vote
on the question of raising prices de-
clared Mr.. Anderson. "They will dis
cuss the high cost of raw materials
and findings, and there will be a tacit
understanding on the part of the trade.
a consensus of opinion, that shoes can
no longer be manufactured profitably
at present prices. When they return
home from the convention they will
probably advance the price of shoes
to whatever they may consider neces- |
sary to insure a profit. At any rate. |
the advance will not be on this sea. |
sons run. 1t will go into effect. If at
ALL on next falls output
Announcement of a possible in
crease in the cost of shoes, estimated
to be 90 cents pair, was not author
lied by any of the officials of either
the National nor New England asso-
Citations. 1t must be plain, however,
that any considerable advance in the
cost of raw material must be followed
by corresponding advance in the
price of the finished product. The only
alternative is to use poor materials
and cheap workmanship, and no rep
ntable shoe manufacturer will do that,
any more than they will keep their
factories running at loss. To keep
up the standard it will be necessary
20 make the price accordingly. Any
advance in the wholesale price. II
here is any will be small, and there !
viii be no reason for any such raise ,
n the retail price as so cents a pair" I
New England shoe manufacturers
leny that the advance in shoe prices y
due to excessive advertising, over.
waste and extravagant :
Methods. 1t is asserted that advertis.
ng, by vastly increasing the demand, il
nables the big factories to undersell t
heir non-advertising competitors. v
Government May Take Action. C
@ N OF To-.