Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-03-02
The Rise of the Shoe
BY FREDERIC ]. HASKIN

that they were washable is likely to
prove a boomerang. AS a matter OF
fact, they ware washable with the
proper preparation, but retailers have
received many complaints from Gus.
toners who had failed to produce re-
suits with soap and water.
The rumor that skirts are to be
longer this season is causing some
uneasiness among manufacturers with
hundreds of fifteen inch boots on their
shelves. While the fashion magazines
are still showing the short skirt, which
brought in the fad for high boots, In
New York the longer skirt is begin
ming to make it's appearance, the skirts
of some of tie latest stage costumes
being only about three inches from the
floor. This will probably kill the de-
mand for the high boot, which soon
will be a drug on the market.
Another difficulty presented in the
manufacture of shoes is the excessive
demand for wooden heels. The manu-
facturers of this article cannot keep
up with their orders and the shoe
plants are in turn held up on theirs.
Shoe men are emphatic in their asser-
tons that they would certainly go into
the wooden heel business if they
were sure the demand would last.
1t is consistent with the inconsist.
ency of woman that she should sud
denly evince desire for styles in
shoes just as a war broke in Europe,
complicating the leather situation in
this country and creating tremend-
Gus demand for army shoes Every
large war order for shoes filled in the
United States causes a rise in the
price OF leather here, the supply OF
which is becoming so scarce that the
shoe manufacturers are panic-stricken.
Oblivious to any commercial string.
ency except in it's effect upon her own
pocketbook, the American woman OF
fashion has gone serenely on demand
ing more and more styles in shoes and
even leather coats and trimmings on
her hats and skirts. The shoe plot
thickens.
The sources of the leather supply,
which were formerly considered mex
haustible, are beginning to show signs
of depletion. Most of the European
countries have placed embargoes on
the expectation of leather, hides,
skins and even tanning materials, as
all their resources are being drawn
upon to keep the armies equipped.
While the war has created an I'M
precedented demand for leather, it is
at the same time destroying the
source of supply. Thousands of horses
and cattle are butchered daily under
circumstances which prevent the pre-
servation of their hides, thus entailing
immense waste.
This situation has it's worst effect
upon the American manufacturer. The
European belligerents have turned to
him for army shoes and at the same
time cut off his supplies of hides and
tanning materials The United States
is now shipping leather to Europe.
In the year between August, 1914,
and August, 1915, the expectation Of
American leather goods to Europe in.
creased from $2,047,106 to $13,932,256
of which the increase in shoes alone
was from $3S,376, to $2,745,196. Over
fifteen million shoes have been sup.
piled the armies of Europe by Ameri.
can manufacturers.
Another large order for three million
shoes for the Italian army is recently
reported to have been placed with 4
New England concern. This will
cause the price of leather again to
soar, which the American public will
find annoying when it goes to buy its
new spring pumps.