Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1919-01-18
LEATHER GETTING
BACK TO NORMAL
Local Industry Was Under {
Severe Strain During the
Period of the War.

The morocco and leather business is ono
Of Wilmington traditions and its trials or
its successes matter OF interest TO great
many. The chief branch Of the leather IN
dustry handled here, rs the tanning and re-
timing OF goat skins. Tho heavier grades OF
leather are worked IN Phladclphia. none
Of the l3 leather concerns u this city hav-
ing handled that end of the business.
True, during the war two ot the largo
Wilmington concerns were forced INTO
treating side leather which Is tough, ana
comes from old cows and calf leather r
from very Young calves hccauso the
supply Of goat skins was cat of Tor u time
Goat skin tannerics have been importing
their goat skins chiefly from China and
India. and some from Nlrica and South
America. rs we'll as Russla Due to lln-
certain conditions in Ruaela, the supply
from that country has been prachcail,.
cut Oft since the revolution Ia lItnr. The
government placed m embargo or m
portation oi raW goat SKINS from INDIA
and China, ~ order Ia have the Shipping
spacc for more necessary atttcics ms
Int the goat SKIN tanncrcs pretty hord
During tile past wear. IN accordance with
government agreement with the tanner
council Ill the tauncncs have been work
Irr-war force The government wanted
labor released and the tanncrlcs were Just
as we'll satisfied to have u So his they could
not rct enough skins to Keep their entire
force busy In fact. two " Wilmington tan
ncrics arr practically shut down now he
cause of lack Of skins " hen the govern
mont put an embargo ON ihc importation
of goat SKINS FROM India and China, aud
Russia was ont Of the reckoning, tanncrlcs
hcrc stall got Some SKINS from south
america Ihat not hcinr enough, how
over, Wilmington manufacturers tncd tn
POOL All The leather hoy had on baud. to
allow for Il more cquql division and enable
those that had no leather to buN from
those WHO had some The plan dldu
work. however. as II aroused A@plrl"n
ia tbe u.ind. ot the ha,er- that thc sellers
were trying 10 unload stun that they dld
not vaut, and thaf MAS not much goad
OUlv one ID tyD sale were madc from tins
rool
Wilmington tanrcrirs rot 80 govern
mont trloe at ali daTlue he war. IS
thr, ,,rr. uaH handling thr luttirl grade
rathrr used ia army ~'oc
t,buaD 1917, tic eo<rnmcut ~
save mor shipping ~pecc, put 4 imthtr
kInk HI the leather husncS~ hy iotliddnR
the export n aul~h,d leather, Innncres
here bad hcen doing qute yalgmc u
~, ort frade III glazed Rid tioat skin
leather i hn .ud ~utt and Whcn refined
~ vcrs ratIc Wilmington tanncros
scll their products tn nsc HI wanuiactlr
Inr women S shoes, and sanc finer rradcs
81 mon ~hocs They had hccn hillng tho
manufacturer demands for all colors m
leather "a W used for making fancy shoes.
The government, however dc lrnus 0i r.
-turtfuc hc use of capital III uncs~cntfal
Industries. forbade tho further manu-
facture oi colalld shoes ordering that
onv black and brown shoes hc turned ont
Those arc universally ~civIcoahle, and If
mllqdy couldn't get tancv colarcd shoes,
She did with the hllok aad brown Ai
these restrictions, ut course kept filing
down the work ol tarncTc~, here, and il
tito armietlcc hsd not been declared
further olimlnatia@~ would have gone IN
force TN January l ot tins Ntar. " Women )
shoes would uuv ne Matie anlN clpht nrh-
Is high, according II agreement With the |
manufacturers
j; Is mculiar that although Whining
ion is Sd largely leather tanning center,
there is no shoe manufacturing 1T all III |
tho state III 'clauara Presumably, when |
the tanning industry wa founded herc
eomc ~har manufacturing WAS done d
Philadelphia. ptcrc @aue ot Il Is slill !
done. A class ot Eaaor Skilled ia tanning
grew up with tie industry, and for thl-
mason, and partly because q traditional
ASSOCIATION. tanning has continued to be
one of the principal industries in the city
Sales "a the fms ed leather were formerly
made chiefly 10 thr New England states
which formed u great shoe manufacturing |
center. and still do hst the industry j. |
spreading 20 greater New } oTk City and |
west to hcago, Cincinnati and 1t Louis |
Since tine cessation ot the war, all re
stuction> on the tanning industry have |
been removed, bu' importation las not |
vet rezlsmrd rs normal swing as shipping
,nace Is stlll icing used Tor more yit.d |
However, tanners expect that |
within several months, shipping may b !
near enough normal again 10 permit the |
renewal OF importation of goat skins from
Iudla and China Shoes can be nade all |
color~ and all heights which IS pleasant
for the lady with pcnchant for colored =!
styl.Stly high boots
The New Castle Leather Company Of
this CITY, one Of the big establishments, IS
an up-to.datc looking place, with neat
ufico Eoor and equipment Occasionally