The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-06-13
THOSE WHO'LL PAY .
CAN GET LEATHER.
No shortage in the Supply
Under Those Con-
ditionA.
DENIAL FROM j. B. REILLY

From James p BELLY, secretary ~
the Patent and Enamellcd LSsohsr
Manufacturers Association, mn 70 TIE
o q letter IN Comment on an srtfuoa
recently published on this page relating
TO cloth upholstery for automobiles. Re
says IN pert:
The impression has been cast and
sent broadcast that there is a scarcity Of
coed auto leather The actual and un-
disputable fact Is that there Is absolutely
no scarcity OF e!ther good. bad or In
different leather, never was any and thsre
IL not likely TO he any either. Any one
stating otherwise Is either badly in
formed or deliberately makes a misstnte-
ment of truth. This from those who
manufacture auto leather and know the
facts.
THE statement hat there IL n scarcity
OF good leather Is "A distorted one. IN
a certain sense the statement "a true,
but only 80 IN the sense that the scarcity
is due 10 the fact that no leather can
be had to-day at 1910 to 1914 prices.
other than This the markets. are we'll
supplied nj 1918 prices ard IN fac, the
supply exceeds the demand. since tho
tarneries catering 90 tho wants Of the
auto trade are ~avcrHsinE only 10 per
cent. capacity. Demand for leather ~
ono price n supply OF same at "A higher
price Is the cause OF the so-called
scarcity. Any auto manufactures 30
desiring can readily obtain his require
ments with little or no dinculty. This
state OF facts can be readily ascertainod
by any one desiring TO reach them.
at Is also true that some auto manu-
faoturers cannot actually Obtain leather.
but this is due TO their own faults. be
cause they will not place orders far
enough IN advance to warrant delivery
as wanted Up to a year or So ago u
was the general practice mons the auto
trade To place orders every siN months
for The next six months supply. This
practice is still in vogue among tho
manufacturers 81 medium and higher
Grade cars who must have leather and
assurance Of supply. The reason for
this IL because Il requires from two to
three months tine to produce a hide OF
leather from the raw hi1c state 20 that
Of the finished state ready FOR the up-
holsterer. and orders must bc placed
ahead TO assure delivery as required.
Manufnc~irers who want leather ana ex-
poet delivery upon sao~ motto" % course
cannot get IL, because j, = not IN exist
ence TO be had. This Of course does not
Indicate any scarcity, hIt so1 o short
sighted automobile manufacturers chUse
to call such n peculiar state % affairs.
simply because they d. not want leather
at present market prices and prefer TO
use cloth upholstery ~ a wer cost, Civ
ing a plausible reason for so dp'rr
Let this fact hc known: That auto
mobile upholstery l"qther IS never made
up for stock and IS always manufactured
upOn speCifga'i rs from tho purchaser
only and ample time must he granted
for the Ming OF orders. otherwise there
will be no leather 70 ne had Tor IN re-
d.ate delivery and hence q ton Uurtry
scarcity. As for such n state ~ affairs
as a real scarcity OF automobile leather
there 10 none"
The average man. knowing that auto
mobiles are being turned ont by Increase
ing thousands annually without pro-
%portionato increase IN leather animals.
might think, however. the chances favor
a shortage in leather.