Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-09-26
DEALERS SEE NO CHANCE
{. FOR LOWER SHOE PRICES
BAame Scarcity OF Leather and Dc.
mands Of Buying Public
Ses for style"
WONT USE LAST YEARS MODELS
Each Inch Added tn Height of Wom-
~ ems Shoes Adds ST to Cost of Ma
.tcrial--Army Demand for LcEgins
% Makes Leather Scarce.


No reduction in the prevailing high
prices for shoes in Richmond is anti
cfpated by local dealers until the end
OF the war because of tho scarcity of
leather, and Of the unusual demands
made by the buying public on tho re-
tail dealers. In addition to the in
creased production costs, the dealers
declare that tho public is responsible
to large degree for the high prices be-
Cause of tho fact that il will not buy
shoes unless n high price is charged
for them.
Investigation yesterday among the
dealers brought to light the fact that
women will not buy cheap shoes. I'm
less they pay from $40 to s12 for shoes
they believe they arc not getting the
best, and the styles are also contribute
ing to the higher costs. The height
OF shoes has increased several inches
during the past three years making
the production costs greater. while wo-
men are buying lighter and thinner
shoes. with the result that the life is
shorter and complaints greater.
WILL NOT BUY SHOES
So THAT ARE NOT "JN STYLE
ssMuch tho same condition exists in
the childrcn's shoe business One dealer
yesterday offered in comparison two
pairs Of shoes. One sold last year for
S2.5o. and the other this year for SIS.
The former he said. contained much
better material, but the tops were not
quite as high and the color was lighter.
The public, however. would not buy
the former shoe because they believed
them not to be Gin style"
-Four years ago the normal price for
white kid skin was Is cents per foot"
said II. Carl Boschen. president of the
Retail Merchants Associations "Prac-
tically all of the tanning chemicals
were obtained from Europe. and tho
entire art of tanning was developed
mostly in Germany and France. Four
years ago the tops of ladies' shoes were
six and six and one half inches high,
while to-day they are eight. nine and
ten inches, or women are not Sin style"
White top boots. with their ninc-inch
tops, that were so stylish last fall
cost the manufacturer s1.25 per square
foot, as compared with IS cents two
years ago. In this type of shoe every
inch in top costs the dealer 81 extra
EVERY ITEM of SUPPLY
HAS DOUBLED IN COST
y"Sole leather has increased 1870 per
cent in the past three years: shoe laces
200 per cent, and nails and other items
100 per cent. The white top shoes are
an illustration of the general market
conditions. We have shoes that last
year sold for Sc and 81. and can be
purchased for the same price this year.
but the public will not buy them. Peo-
pie are paying AZ per cent more for
their foodstuffs this year, and women
are paying $40 for suits, for which they
formerly paid SIS. but are complaining
or paying 10 per cent more for shoes
There are many reasons for the adj
vanccd price of Leather. Among them
lis the fact that no leather can be eX-
ported from France: Mexico has raised
no stock for the past five years, and
because of shipping conditions il has
been impossible to import supplies from
other countries. with which we form
eriy did business. The demand has
also Increased many fold. One illnstra-
ton OF this ~ tho fact that 10000
pairs of leather legsinGs are now being
manufactured in this country for the
army and this leather diverted from
the shoe business"