The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-08-20

Expected Hides and Skins Will Be More
Plentiful by That Time-varna Has
Hides to Sell - Summer Stocks of
Shoes Are Well Sold.
Shoes Are Well Sold.

: BOSTON, Aug. 2O.-Much publicity is
being given to the shoe trade at this time
since the searchlight Of investigation is be-
ing pointed in that direction 1t is GER
prices will be noticed. Dealers have their
autumn stocks in hand; they were bought |
at the prices current at the time the goods |
were to be manufactured; bought in good
faith according to existing conditions, sol
lit would be unreasonable to expect the |
retailers to mark down their stocks toi
meet a demand of stampeded public.
1t is probable that the autumn lines will
be offered at the prices the dealers have
announced; that they will shave THEN
profits to the advantage of the customers
is possible, but the future conditions are
not announced at this time.
While the retail prices of shoes may not
| reach the heights threatened some weeks
ago, on account of the publicity given to
conditions surrounding the hides, leather
and shoe industries, the prices may be ex-
pected to be reasonably commensurate
with the material value of the melehan-
disc, and it may be year before retail
prices of shoes drop back near to the
before the-war levels. The trade has been
saying such may Re the case. and the
declaration is based on the expectation
that by a year from now, or perhaps
earlier, raw materials, particularly hides
and skins, will be more plentiful. Hide
and Leather says this:
Narna is the principal port of Bulgaria,
and previous to 1911 was comparatively
busy center. Since that year it has been
| practically idle, owing to the close of the
Dardanelles through the Italian-Turkish
war of l9ll-l3, and the European war OF
| l9H-lS. Now that peace is in sight the
people are looking forward to a resump-
ton of and a large increase in due time
of their former export and import trade.
In normal times the chief export from
this district is grain, but owing to the war
the harvests Of the past few years have
been practically Nothing" NJ present "the
following articles. are available for ship
ment, and permission to export has been
granted by the government: Raw COW
hides, 43 tons; dried cowhides, 81 tons:
bull hides, 30 tons; raw sheepskins, 6S
tons; raw lambskins, $40 tons: raw goat
skins, l52 tons, and 256 tons OF raw kid
skins
This represents two years accumua
tions, when it was impossible to export
Shippers are now withholding shipments
to America, as they have no definite in
formation concerning markets in Ameri
ca. 1t is estimated that 75o,G00 pairs OF
| shoes and the same number OF suits ane
overcoats could he sold in the market i'm
nediately ON arrival
As the commercial summer is drawing
to close, the shoe retailer is ehangin.
his stock of low-cuts for the boots FOL
autumn and winter. but in the present
season the amount of changing To be don,
is reported as small, as the dealers havj
sold out their summer stocks with unusu
al success. The clearance sales that enc
season have not been large. for custom
ers have been buying more than one pai
OF shoes, aud this has been sufficient t,
reduce stocks of summer lines more tha,
ever before. Dealers are congratulatin
themselves on being able to free thei
stores of a quantity of carry-over shoes
Manufacturers are reported well sup
piled with orders for immediate delivery
and as the export business is affected he
cause of the unsettled leather market an,
the present prices of materials, the dc
nestle market should receive some adyar
tdge.