Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-11-05

they going to have then,' declares the board.
Shoe manufacturers agreeing to turn out
shoes at Twelve dollars less that will equal
shoes sold at higher prices because they will be
shorn of needless refnements and trimmings.
ornamentatiOn, such extra straps and buckles,
and perforations forming designs is omitted from
the styles. Button Shoes high heels, and
other whims of fashion which can be dispensed
with are to be conspicuous by their scarcity.
For some months yet, possibly until next June
there will be scattered lots of fancy and highpric
ed shoes on the market. These represent the
manufacturers last fling at novelty and were cut
before the new ruling adopted. The public is
not urged to ignore this old stock because to leave
IL on the dealers hands would involve waste rath-
er than saving All shoes now being built con-
form to the new regulations
Need of war measure to adapt the shoe in
dustry to war conditions has been felt for some
time both by the government and by the industry.
No leather shortage is imminent, but with our i'm
portations cut off and with labor steadily going
into the army, it was impossible to supply the
country with shoes on the usual scale.
The civilian shoe supply is depleted by the
heavy demands of the army soldiers shoes re-
quire the best materials and workmanship to
stand the hard wear to which they subjected.
The present army shoe, which is the most substan-
tial piece of footwear that can be made. lasts
about four months if kept in repair. Some idea
of the leather requirements of our army can be
gained from the fact that 1000 900 pairs of the7e
structures have been sent to the overseas forces
alone.
The announcement United States army to to-
tai 100000 men" the bomb shell that start
ed definite planning to put the shoe industry on a
new war basis An army of 1000 900 men means
1,000,0 600 men taken from our industries, and the
shoe industry expects to give its full share of the
million
The war industry board did not arbitrarily fix
retail prices on shoes according to it's own con-
illusions. 1t conferred long and amicaby with
shoe industry representatives, and terms agreed
upon are pronounced fair by all concerned. When
staple designs only built, the manufacturers
work is less complex For instance, no highly
paid designers need be employed to evolve new
kinds of fashion. The proposition is the same as
that in building standardized submarines or auto
mobiles-higher efficiency in manufacture and
lower price for the finished product
The retail shoe merchant profits by the edict
Of fewer styles and fixed prices. He no longer
needs to worry shelves of shiny patent leath-
er pumps which the tickle public refuse~ in favor
Of oxeford ties His stock is reduced about forty
per cent and there is small danger of goods going
out of fashion so long conditions prevail.
The only person who will not find government
fixed shoe prices satisfactory is the bargain
ter fend. When shoe styles do not change, bar
gain counter riots will be practically extinct form
of amusement so far as shoes are concerned. How
ever, this phase of the shoe question has not yet
assumed sufficient Importance to claim the atten-
ton of the war industries board.