The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-06-20

soon after the public would be paying
S25 par for fire shoes that now can bel
had for SIG OF SIS.
Low priced shoes will he advanced pro.l
portionatey Even in these days there
are some qualities selling at $3.50 or $50
pair. A retailer who handles such shoes
in great quantities says that they are
now costing HIM from 81 to $l,75 more
than they did a year ago.
John Slater, president of the retail deal
ers association and manufacturer as
well, speaking of the reasons for these
conditions, said that five weeks ago he
bought leather at 81 cents foot which
has now advanced to 81 IA
The European demand for American
leather is tremendous he said. Agents
from abroad are buying everything they
can get hold of at any price. | know
Isof one agent in Paris who formerly
bought .Americanf stock in 100000 lots and
buying l,ND,000 feet at a TINE. There
lisa huge lot OF leather tied mp IN Russla,
| but nobody knows when it will be re-
lleased" 81
An officer Of another manufacturing
| firm which has its own retail stores
and also sells to 1000 other stores
| throughout the country said the supply
| Of sole leather was fairly adequate but
upper leather was hard TO get at any
price. Tanners were paving three times
| as much for hides as they did formerly,
| and whereas all shoe factories used to be
overrm with leather statesmen, now the
manufacturer had to 60 TO the tanners
and were lucky to get any leather at
| that on a take it or leave it, basis.
America used to get its best caltsklns
from France and Germany. When the
war shut off this supply American leather
manufacturers so improved their metheds
that their product is as good as the hes.
/ and IN Europe is now commanding bet
ter prices than the home made article
Similarly Europe Is taking all the Amef1
can shoes i can get The MANUFACTURER
81 q that the shelves Of MS retail stores
IN London and Paris wera virtually bart
all the t,rle, no matter hoN fast rcptac
meats were rushed across
/, He added that although the british
under their embargo regulations, wer,
allowing America to export only . PEI
cent of the quantity Of shoes it exported
, in 1918, at the same time We're a!iowln;
| England to buy all the leather i wants
in the American market, which seemed t
> manufacturers distinctly unfair
Manufacturers of mems shoes IN Brock
ton. Mass, have informed the retail trad
of an advance of - a pair On fall an
winter footwear.
Il wish | could say relief is in sight,
said the officer of the manufacturing firm
heretofore mentioned, "but / can't W
thought that when the war ended tn
price of leather would be stationary a
least, but it keeps on going up Righ
now we are compelled to make or whole
sale shoe prices 30 per cent higher tina
were the retail prices before the begin
ming of the great rise, four or i've yeaI
q ago
4 wish that the public could unietstan
that the shoe men are not prohteers. "
i are confronted by a two-edged sworC
Labor is demanding more pay and shor
CT hours, with decreased production an
4 increased overhead charges. Our supple
are advancing in price all the time an
its impossible to say when it will stoI
J | wish | could be optimistic When pri'
es are high our sales are lowered.
wish prices could he lowered. Ever
! manufacturer would rather cater to IL
million than to the few