The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1913-03-06
ARR SHOES MADE OF LEATHER?
MAKERS TESS UP BEFORE
THE LEGISLATURE.
THE TEXT BOOK BILL WILL BE A
SCRAP MAKER SURE.
Features of Legislative Work and
Phases of Legislation as Develop
ed Day by Day at the Capitol.
10y Gurd M. Hayes.]

1t came as a severe shock to the
members of the senate committee on
state affairs to learn that 80 per cent
of all shoes which retail for less than
50 and So contain substitutes for
leather and would be affected by a
measure requiring the labelling Of all
footwear in which substitutes for
leather are used. And yet this informa-
lion was brought out when u number
of shoe, manufacturers appeared be-
tore the committee in opposition to
Senator Woodworths bill.
The shoe manufacturers insist that
the so-called horn fiber" counters are
superior to leather and fiber boxes in
the toes of the cheaper grades will
outwear cheap leather and are not
susceptible to water. They claim
substitute inner soles are just as good
and by their use better grade leather
may be used in the outer so;e. They
claim it is better TO use fiber substi-
Iute in building up heels in cheap
shoes.
They argue that although a leather
shoe can be made cheap, it will not
compare with the article containing
scientific substitutes and that any
thing marked as containing limitations
OF substitutes would be ignored by the
buying public in spite of the fact that
r. hnt 81,
shoe than a cheap design complying
with the pure leather provision.
The house committee on education
reported out uniform text book bill
known as the Dunn-Young bill, which
provides for establishing the uniform
text book system in Michigan and
making it compulsory on every dis
1rict, except that districts may pur-
chase the books prescribed and furn-
ish them free to pupils. This action is
in direct contravention to the wishes
Of q majority Of the school boards of
The state, their request being that
cities having or establishing the free
text book system, be exempted from
the provisions of the bill.
A majority ofthe committee was not
IN favor OF this exemption, however,
q bitter fight will be made on the floor
over this question and will be renewed
in the senate if necessary Rumors of
scandal in connection with the school
book question have been current since
1he first day or the session, but no
definite hint of what is being done
along this line has developed Rep
resentatives OF book companies are
here and mass of literature has been
distributed among members at the ex-
pense Of some one.
The substitute bill provides for a
cext book commission consisting Of the
governor superintendent Of public in
StIuction, president Of he agricultural
rollege and two members to be APP
pointed by the governor. This commits
sion will select the so-called basil
books" which must be sold at 20 per
cent Of the price charged in the state
at present for those books. The sys-
gem covers all grades Of the schools.
school boards of districts or cities
may furnish school books free, but
must purchase the basil books al
though supplemental books not APP
proved by the commission may be
added. If passed the bill will take eff
feet Sept. /, 1914.