The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1919-07-19
Shoes That Now Cost $40
viii Soon Be Sold for
$40 and $22.
LEATHER FAMINE HERE.
Demand for 1t Is Worldwide
Raw Material and Labor
Non-ExiStent.
By Frederick Laurence.

pair OF shoes around the FIRST Of next
October must be prepared 70 pay
from 80 to 20 per cent. more than the
present prices. This warning is
voiced by retailers, wholesalers and
tanners through their trade organi-
cations, by individuals engaged in the
shoe and leather business. and by
the we'll informed trade papers.
There are two paramount reasons
for this situation. They are:
1. The cost of raw materials, prin-
clpally hides. has advanced to un-
precedented prices.
branches Of the shoe making industry
have advanced from 100 TO $50 per
cent.
From the retailers point of view
this prediction was made, by Henry
w. Cook in an address before the
New York state Retail Shoe Dealers'
Association and indorsed by the con-
vention which was held at Rochester
last week:
Il think prices are going higher.
and materially so; and the principal
reasons are perfectly obvious-scar-
city Of raw materials. coupled with
an unprecedented demand for both
leather and shoes at home and abroad.
and the foreign demand Is probably
the greater factor"
There is no relief in sight, accord
ing to John Slater Of No. as 6th Ave-
nue.. Chairman OF the associations
Committee on, Resolutions.
prices OF shoes are bound to go on
increasing" Mr.. Slater said, "and no
man can forecast when the upward
tendency will STOP"
ARE THE STOCK RAIsERs AND
WoRkINoMEN PRoFITEERs2
"who is profiteering2" Mr.. Slater
was asked.
"The retail dealers. the wholesalers
the manufacturers and tho tanners
are positively not prohteering." Mr.
Slater answered. The retailers in
normal times figured on 30 to 40 per
cent. profit. Some. not many. whose
risks are greater than others have
been compelled to allow themselves
at present a so per cent. margin for
profit. The wholesalers, manufac-
turers and tanners are figuring or
no higher per cent. of profit than they
earned before the war. The increased
cost OF hides and increased wages TO
employees is the rockbottom cause
OF high shoe prices"
What will be the cost next fall 81
a pair OF shoes which now costs the
public S127" Mr.. Slater was asked.
Anywhere from SIC TO $50, and the
same ratio OF increase will apply L
all grades OF footwear" was the an
swer.
T.. A. Brand, Executive Secretary
Of the Tanners Council OF the Unitet
States, exhibited statistics indicating
that the tanners have added 70 shs
price OF leather not more than the in
creased cost OF hides and labor, and
that tanners profits have reached nc
higher percentage
John Coward OF the James CowarC
Company, manufacturers as we'll a
retailers OF popular price shoes, sale
that dealers usually figlffe on from
} 80 to so per cent. margin Of profit anC
that the higher prices viii not meal
Increased profits. From tanners Il
retailers, all laid the blame primarily
on the great packers and other dis
tributers of raw hides Speaking fo
Armour & Co. and the packers sid
OF the case, A. II. Van Pelt, genera
superintendent OF the New York Of
fices OF Armour & Co, said:
Hides have reached record break
ing prices and the Indications arr
that stu higher prices will be at
tained. The whole world Is in thu
market for leather and hides and IN,
supply cannot possibly be made Il
equal tho demand. Europe Is bidding
unprecedented high prices and thu
United States Is competing agains
the Europeans. There will be no sub
stantial relief until animal prOduc
ton in all the hide producing coun
tries becomes normal and shipping
TONNAGE TO regularly move the i'm
port and export OF hides is provided.
ARMOUR TELLS WHY .sHoI
PRICES ARE GOING UP.
]. Ogden Armour, in a statemen
given to the PUBLIC in Chicago, mad
reference to conditions existing 4
, the cattle raising and packing in
dustries which had bearing on tn
, soaring values OF hides. Mr.. Armou
said: l-
|, "EiRhty 10 IS per cent. OF the tota
, amount which the packers get from
the sale OF live stock and the b!
: products is paid back TO the produce
of the live animal. That makes tn
cost OF the raw material the over
whelming factor In determining tn
cost the consumer must pay. Sine
q the outbreak OF the war the cost o
,, hide animals has advanced great,
! and the cattle raiser has been receiv
4 ing the benefit. Coupled with this 1
a the fact that the cost OF labor o
u avarv kind cOnnectRd with the mach