The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-02-19
PRICE OF SHOES
TO co SKY HIGH?
Mems Kicks May Cost SIS by
Next Winter.
WOmen's Footwear Even High
er Than the Mems.
AS EXPENSIVE AS HATS NOW
Day of SD, 81 and S. Shoe Is
No More.
War Causes Cost of Leather to
Take Jump.
AS EXPENSIVE AS HATS NOW
BY ROBERT f. WILSON.

Washington, Feb. 19.-Men's ordi-
nary shoes at $40 a pair. with better
.grades up to SIS, would not be a sur
.prising fact next winter. The 1915
domestic commerce, soon TO be pub
ilished, contains more than a vague
threat of this possibility.
Entirely due to the advancing price
of leather, the shoemakers discovered
a great trade secret this winter, and
1t is bringing cheer to them. The
ishoe trade journals are blazoning this
newly discovered axiom, and the shoe
makers are chanting the refrain:
Women will pay as much for their
shoes as for their hats
. Last fall, when leather prices
Seemed to spell doom for the shoe
trade, some of the more daring MAX
sers of women's shoes, instead of adj
.Vancing the prices of the usual styles,
went the limit in style, built shoes Of
the most expensive feathers, and
spriced the shoes at retail up to $25 a
pair.
sbut it worked. Only give the women
striking styles, the makers discovered,
and they care not what the prices be.
sThese new tall boots in delicate shades
,ef color sold feverishly at hitherto IN
fheard-of prices, while the cheaper,
less conspicuous shoes drugged the
market.
- other makers followed this lead. A
shew shade another inch in height,
.created a new style, and the retailers
We're in despair trying to keep up,
swhiIc our feminine shoe bill was the
greatest in our history.
Poor Father VIII Groan.
Z. Here is one result of the European
war that will be permanent: Amer
lean women will pay as much for
their shoes as for their hats" Fare
well, good old days of SO, "a and IS
womens shoes. Poor father!
Perhaps you think this is wide
Ciirression from the commerce bu-
Teau's report. but it isn't. The re-
port shows why leather is high and
the shoemakers happened to mako
their great discovery.
'Fhe report shows that in 1914, five
months of wartime included, we ex-
ported 4.554,039 pairs of shoes. In
1915 we exported 10,S96,S82 pairs
over twice as many. The increased
expectation was practically all In
mons shoes, as the export figures
show. In 1914 we exported 2,151 $3.50
pairs of women's shoes and S.22o,16
pairs of childTen's shoes; and in 191 i
2.446. 661- pairs of women's and B.
637,1S1 pairs Of children's shoes, only
the normal annual increase.
Moreover, practically all this in
creased expectation in mems shoe:
went to Europe. France took nearly
four times as many of our mems
. shoes as she imported in 1914; Eng
land took twice as many; while the
rest of Europe. which means Russia
and Italy principally, took ten time:
as many. Our exports of shoes Il
Germany dropped to nothing, Oul
Canadian shoe trade decreased, while
the South American trade showed
less than a normal annual increase.
Soldiers Get the Extra Shoes.
In other words, all these extra
shoes. six million pairs, went to sol
diers.
Then our other expectations o
manufactured leather vastly increas
ed Our harness expectation in
creased nearly six times; while thu
expectation of bags, caps of leather
saddles. leggings, and other leathe
goods jumped to nine times the nor
NAL. Our total expectation of leath
er in 1914 was worth $22,2S1,263
in 1915 it was $75,26s. $50.
Now to explain high leather price
It is necessary to look at the importa
ton of hides In 1918 we importer