New-York tribune., 1919-09-04

utIc HAS not DcCn IOUnu any IN
dlcat'on of deliberate profteering; on
the contrary, these surveys show that
Doth manufacturers and retailers are
working on n closer margin of profit
than ever before. and this despite the
extreme uncertainty of the present
/ business conditions
"2. 1t is inevitable that with the
and of labor at their present high
point retail prices should have in
creased accordingly
Shoe Costs Explained
80. With respect to shoes, in which
industry the preliminary surveys have
to date gone further than in other
lines the following excerpts from the
reports of Mcssrs. Emil We'll and John
Slater confirm the statement made as
to the increase in production costs:
Previous to the war France, Eng
land and Germany made the shoes for
the entire world with the exception of
this country. Beginning the early
part of 1918, the European shoe fac
tories were only permitted to produce
% per cent Of their output for civilian
purposes and Is per cent for army pur-
poses.
"'The style of the civilian product,
termed Liberty shoe, in these coun-
tries consisted of black boot and a
low shoe. Four years Of this naturally
/ produced vacuum of shoes through out
the world except in this country. From
the day That the armistice was signed
and the shoe regulations of the Euro
pean countries lifted an immediate
rush was made to the United States for
all the finished leather that was avail
able. This Immediately caused great
shortage of leather in this country,
which, naturally, forced the prices to
where they arc al the present time"
"'Owing to the lack of shipping since
the arm stce was signed,' their report
continues. we have not been able to
get enough raw skins into this country
anu Europe owning most of the ship
ping. naturally gets larger quantity
Of raw materials. Paris to day
is retailing shoes at $40 pair which
can be purchased on Fifth Avenue for
$5 a par. The price in London for
the same shoes is $50. If more
sanity was displayed in the buying of
shoes by the consumer instead of
vanity a noticeable depreciation in
price would imm mediately be fcit.'
Colonel Fricdsam's report closes
with an injunction to the public to pur
chase the less costly goods, advocating
the temporary sacrifice OF style for
service and lower prices.
A lower price for bu ter and eggs
because of the failure of the long
awaited export demand to mAteriali2e
was predicted yesterday by William
Cuttrcll, maNager of the New York
Butter and Egg Exchange. The re-
ports Of foreign representatives Of
local firms are discouraging from the
exporters viewpoint, Mr.. Cuttrell de-
clared. He denied reports of butter
and egg boarding hero, declaring that
each month in storage meant added
expenses TO the dealer and lower
prices for his products. A few "shoe-
makers and tailors." the trade term
for outsiders, have taken ilicrs into
the butter and cgg business and are
going to land with a disastrous smash,
from present indications, Mr. Cuttrel
said. Legitimate dealers, he declared,
are always prepared to release their
holdings when the market is ready to
absorb them.
Prices Due 10 Drop
CAS- for the recent lower price agi-
tation,' Mr.. Cuttyel said, at has
ter and egg market That market is
governed entirely by the law of sup
ply and demand. With limited ex-
ports the supply VII naturally be
greater and the price therefore, lower"
The Wholesale meat dealers wore en-
/ listed yesterday to help the local far
price committee combat the high cost
of living. The packers representa-
tives tod Food Administrators VIII
&ns at conference yesterday that
the wholesale margin Of meats in this
city at no time exceeded ! cent a
pound. They emphasized the fact that
consumers are concentrating on the
mora expensive cuts OF meat. By di-
Vertlng their purchases 10 soMc Of
the less expensive bat equally sub
stantial cuts they would matcriallv
lower their living cost. the dealers
pointed out. \ permanent committee
viii be formed, Mr.. Williams an
nounced. 10 advise the lair price com
mlttee on the conditions in the whole
sale market.
Those present at the conference yes
terday, and who viii comprise the ad-
visory committee, included GEORGE J.
Edwards and W. II. Noycs, OF Swift e.
Co.; !. Steifel and NJ c. Good. Of VII
son e. Co.; II. G. Mil, Of Armour e.
Co.; Leo S. Joscphs. Of the Now York
Butchers Dressed Meat Company; Irv-
ing Blumcnthal, OF the Jnilcd Dressed
Beef Company; l.. NJ. Christian, of
West Washington Market: Frederick
Blsbee, of Joseph Sterns & Co., and
A: +. GLASGOW, of the Indianapolis
Meat Prices Decline
The decline in the wholesale meat
prices was registered yesterday in Writ
u2lly every section of the citv. At
Washington Market dealers were quot
ing prices from two TO four cents lower
than those asked on Friday last. In
many instances the prices quoted wero
below those named by the fair price
committee on its list published yes
terday
Officials of the Sugar Equalization
Board announced yesterday that the
shortage is being rapidly met, but that
the present season is too short to per
init of the actual catching up with the |
demand. !
An official of the Equalization BOARD
IN discussing the shortage Of sugar in
rural DISTRICTS. declared that boarding
by housewives is chiefly responsible for
this inadequate supply. "As a matter
Of fact he said, the shortage is not
being felt in the city. The refneries
are now working at full capacity, turn
ing out from 100000 to 10000 tons q
week. The beet sugar crop is being
harvested and the sugar made avail
able for domestic consumption. The
ships from Cuba are bringing in thou
sands OF tons weekly. But the shortage,
due to the failure of consumers and
nf