The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-10-22
PRICE FIXING OF SHOES.
The National Shoe Retailers Associa
ton Makes a Statement about Shoe
Regulations.

A Washington news report stated
1.-The American people soon VIII De
able to purchase shoes at fixed maxi
mum and minimum retail prices lower
than those now prevailing, and obtain
at the same time shoes of better quail
ity."
This statement is misleading and in
correct and the National Shoe Retail
ers association desires to officially de-
nv that under the new recommended
tions for war conservation in the shoe
industry, which have just been an
nounced by the War Industries board,
better quality shoes at lower prices
than at present existing will be avail
able for retail distribution.
The National Shoe Retailers :. associ-
alton of the United States is what the
name implies, entirely representatives
of the retail end of the shoe industry
of the country, and as its officers have
worked in close cooperation with the
| War Industries Board in framing the
conservation program which will affect
| the retailing of shoes during the pc
Rod of the war we are qualified to
make an authoritative statement of the
real facts. 1t is true that the shoe
retailers have periodically agreed with
the War Industries Board, and manu-
facturers and wholesalers of shoes have
also agreed that as soon as is praeti-
calv possible shoes for retail are to
fall in three general classes, as follows:
Glass A Men 5 and Women S high
shoes of the finer materials and superb
or shoemaking are to be sold at retail
at prices ranging from 5000 to $1,000
Glass B: Men 5 and Women's shoes
of a type suitable for business and
dress from $500 to $3.50.
Glass {: Men 5 and Women S serv.
ice shoes and semi-dress shoes from
$500 to $3.50, with children S shoes il
proportionate prices, according t.
grades.
The War Industries Board has fixed
October 3 as the date after which the
manufacturers are not permitted to cut
: feathers and fabrics for the manufac
ture of shoes which will not fall within
these new classes and prices.
The statement that shoes now retail
, ing for as high as $4,000 will retail fol
the maximum price of $1,000, and tina
these shoes will be of at least equa
quality is as foolish as it is untrue.
Hundreds of thousands of dollars
worth of shoe stocks bought by retail
ers in good faith and larger part o
which were purchased to retail at prize
! es higher than the $1,000 maximum
T fixed by the new regulations are on TIL
shelves of the retailers stores. TIL
Q War Industries Board has specifcall,
requested shoe retailers to iquidat
present stocks as promptly as possibl
e at a normal profit, and has given re
: tailers until June l, 1919, to dispos
d of all shoes for which the retailer mus
|. get more than newly fixed maximum
d prices.
It After October 81 retailers of shoe
II will not be able to purchase merchan
. disc for resale at prices exceeding tn
prices fixed in the schedule for tn
= reason that the manufacturers afte
:. that date are not permitted to max
- shoes. However. the shoes which wi
- be made and sold TO the retailer afte
!. October 81 will be the best quality POI
N sble consistent with the market col
IA ditions entering into the fabrication {
20 shoes, and also labor. The public wi
\, find available shoes of the very be:
,e quality and style which can be mac
L. to fall within the price limits, but "
to repeat that it is both absurd an
I'd untrue that a purchaser of shoes aft
June !, 1919, can expect to obtain fl
$1,000 the identical quality of me
ch chapdise for which the retailer me-
v now be asking prices higher thu
ng $1,000.