The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-06
BY JOHN $. STEELE

blanket graft. Fortunately when the war
began the weather was warm, and ne
took advantage of this to break up a
ring which had practically cornered the
blanket supply of Great Britain. Amer
leans will remember how bitterly the war
office was criticized here for appealing
to the public to contribute blankets for
the new troops. The public flocked in
with the blankets and In q couple II
weeks Kitchener was able to announce
that he had secured all he wanted. lie
hadn't secured them all from the pub
lie, however, but he had brought the
spectators who were demanding double
prices for blankets to a more reasonable
frame of mind, and had made arrange
ments for a supply from Philadelphia and
other manufacturing centers in America.
Now he can get all the blankets he wants
at home at a reasonable price,
Similar strategy was used in dealing
with the body belt graft, although it
partly came off. A man in the city OF
London, foreseeing that as soon as the
nights began to grow cold in France
our soldiers there would have to be
equipped with cholera belts, quietly
bought up the whole visible supply NJ
these articles at the ordinary commercial
prices. The supply wasn't large, but
when the time came that the government
needed them badly he had million or
them and while the ordinary price Is
something like $1.25 dozen, he demanded
$3.50 and he got 1t. In the meantime he
had secured options from several of the
mills, but Kitchener having secured his
first million could afford to walt bit,
and he appealed to the public for body
belts. The public responded and the war
office was soon able to place orders at
the ordinary commercial price for any
quantity of the belts.
Saddlery manufacturers are also making
fortunes out of war contracts, and this
is also probably perfectly we'll known
to the war office authorities, but they
simply can't help themselves. The army
requires immense quantities of saddles,
harness. boots, belts, cartridge pouches
and other articles of leather. and II de-
mands high standard of quality. Every
article must come up to certain stand
ard of weight, but there isn't enough
leather of the proper quality In England
to turn out the goods required. The re-
suit is that many of the manufacturers
are using inferior leather and weight
irg 1t with sugar for which leather has
a great affinity. The stuff will wear out
sooner than 1t ought to, but 1t is better
than nothing and will serve its turn un-
til supplies of better quality can be OBJ
tanned. 1t is only fair to say that this
does not apply to boots. England was
fortunate in having good supply of shoe
leather before the war, and she has OBJ
tanned immense quantities cince from
America. An army marches both literally
and figuratively on It's boots and nothing
will knock a soldier up quicker tnai'
inferior footgear. The British soldier Il
Getting the best boots made anywhere
and plenty of them. Practically every
factory in England Is working night and
cay and England is making army poots
not only for her own men, but TOT rance
and Russia. Fortunes are being made BY
the boot manufacturers, but they ars
being made quite honestly.
The same situation obtains In the motor
trade where great orders have been place.
by all the allied governments. Gooo
prices are being paid and additional prom
is being made out of the fact that finish
which Is so essential and SO costly {
part OF the pleasure vehicle, is not wante,
In the car or cycle for use in war. Dull
grey paint, in fact. is preferred, am
II Is a lot cheaper than bright nicke
and enamel and carriage varnish. Their
was an amusing instance of the changed
condition of affairs In the purchasing dc
rartments of the governments a fey
weeks ago when commission of Rus
fian officers was sent over to 1zondol
to place orders for 5000 motor cycles TO
the Russian troops. Russia has AWAY
been notorious for graft and some of tn
British manufacturers were evidently no
aware that in this war at least Russia /
determined to have full value for ever,
penny of her money. One British manu-
facturer. after his machines had bee
tried out was told that he could hav
an order for 1000 IL the price was right
He quoted price and mentioned casuall
to the purchasing officer: 'Of course W
will credit you with the usual Is per cen
commission "Ah, see," said the Of
ficer: I'm that case, Of course, you ca