The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-08-08

ported, against S12,ss2,ss2 in May. Out of an estimated production IT, 1s1S of S3He, e,34e,272 in leather of all kinds, profteers will extort from the vublic-unless some means is speedily found to stop them-the immense sum of 317B. .2s4. These gains they arc not entitled to. They have already mulcted tho public of three-quarters of this sum.
 The figures on which the calcula- fions of profteering are based were furnished by persons high in the councils of the leather trade and who are thoroughly alarmed at what they call the "orgy of excess profits" now goinx on and fear Federal inquiry and legislation will rip the artificial mar ket wide open and cause heavy loss- es to svcn. those who have come hon. estiy by their profits.
 The facts given are all the more worthy of sober consideration for the reason that they como from the pro- ducers of leather and not from the manufacturers. While the manufac- turers arc joint producers, 1t Is the producer who controls the supply of raw leather and who sets the basic price for material, from which the manufacturer works in fixing. say. the price of shoes.
 Moreover, the figures of export and production are those furnished to the leather trade by the Department of Commerce, Washington. They are the figures upon which the trade bases all its business calculations and are periodically set forth in the Statistical Review, issued by the Tanners Council at No. il Park Row. This council Is the organiza- t-t totn l,1yf ha dp dissemination of precise information on all subjects pertaining to leather. It maintains many departments, one of the most important being the For efyn Trade Bureau.
 The profiteering figures submitted were given with the understandins that the source should not be named flor reasons which will appear clear, 'at least, to any ono in the trade. They arc admittedly conservative. A re- porter who has been Investigating the leather situation received much hlgh- CT estimates. but these are used De- causce of their conservatism.
 The informants figure prohteerins at 20 per cent. of the price asked and received for manufactured goods and for raw material. The so per cent re- nainder of price is admittedly high, but Is excused on the ground that labor costs more, that leather, Hke everything else, is rising in response to imitation, and for the final reason that "busine8 is diserganized.
 Attention was called to a statement issued a few days ago by J. Franklin McElwaine, President of the National Boot and Shoe Manufacturers' Asso- ciation. which has it's headquarters m Boston. In this Mir. McEiwaine said the .hoe manufacturers of the United states "dcplore the unprecedented advances which have taken place in hides. leather and shoes during the past six months, and each one of us sAossid do his utmost to curb and check the advance and discourage all buying of . speculative character both among manufacturers and mer- chAnt8."
 The word "prontser" is under strict ban in leather circles. The word ~sDcculator'' has taken its place, SO when MT. MoE1Naine talkedSof curo- ,anx specuiators among leather men he nneant producers. The statement from ,vAach tho plea of Mfr. McElwaine Is 's,ksn wna made after he had called a r,eseine of his association to discuss ea,e a1axus1nE advances. He professeo !So be much disturbed
 while even the tanners and middle u,~n cannot 9fve accurately In pounds or money value tho stock of hides ls,d leather goods, including shoes' ihoid for shipment abroad, 1t is an ao- ,,,itfed fact that storehouSes arc packed to the roofs. not only nere but throughout the Middle west. III she leather msn did know 1t would nof be for sfsir interest to dfvulge ehe facta for they wos1d then nnd 1t ~~eodinxfy difficult to show the pub mo why shoes should be 1istsd to sell ef szS a pair within few months -r,ie imusnse quantities of shoe stocks are on hand
 Yt has becn suggested that the a.fhsr interests hope to 70 thor rr-fiv reduce these stocks be- tween now and next spring as to De aSie to then say with truth that hiRn DT1oss arc a result of dsplefed stocks. A Tedern1 inquiry begun now prop a6sy would result in much moro iHu- initiating findings than f put on une'i Ivfmfsr has passed.
 A glance at tho Governments ex- ,port tablSs affecting leather dlscioses come interesting facts concerning the ou<Ro of feathers. These tables arc 6rouSft down to June l. The ealcu- iaUons for June exports wer" fur n1sa,ed bx John R. Arnold. Chief of She Foreign Trahe Bureau or tha Tanncre Council.
 During Janeary. February. March snA Aprii. 1913, the exports of leathel 4oxa1ied se1.Ss7.443. against s1s.se7.- Sff fox tAs dnal months of 1918. This As an incrsaes of 936.71s.83z. The fa~ures by months were; January, 1S.7o9.osa. February, $s.272.so2; o6arst, S1z.ss3.61s and April. s7o.- 9zs.sss, In May exports dropped to Sff.sez 3s7. followed by the immense advance of June. when the total reached the record breaking figure of Sso 900, 900. Figures for July are as vet unobtainabie. bat 1t Is con eeded that they probably win make . new high record,
 Ieat4asr folk will be very happy il Inc increases go right on, for whc Snows but they will be able to force shoss up to SIS or even $40 pair They say the public has taken th' boosts more stoicaiiy than was ex psvtsd. not only in shoes but In al Sau1s of ieafhsr goods. The fact tha
 n now coats from e3.5o to es to hav' . paav Of sisOes tapped has not Oauset ARsv.eaas ts lose their we'll knows