Arizona republican., 1919-08-19
Shoes


 Why are shoes so high? Is often asked. The an swer is apt to be- Because everything else is alt- tadinous But before the war the prices of wOmen's shoes were soaring amazingly and mems shoes began 10 be infected There was really relation between them though. It was explained as to women's shoes that the colored feathers of which they were made were very expensive But the kind of leather as had been formerly used went into shoes Leather was cheap and the price of Texas hides two years ago was lower than it had ever been
 But all that has nothing to do with the present situation of sl2 to SIS mems shoes or the menace shortly of s2O shoes.
 The chicago Tribune asked not long ago who was paying such exrayagant prices for shoes. Somebody must be doing it or they would be high. The Tribune set out to find out and naturally went to who could best afford such shoes It first called Roger Sullivan the gas magnate and Illinois politician. Mr sullivan entered albi in behalf of himself and his friend c K G Billings whom he had lately been visiting in California Neither of them he said had bought 8 pair of shoes in the last two years.
 J. Ogden Armour said the had the week before purchased his first pair of shoes in three or four years Mr. Armour added: -The repair man has kept my footwear in good shape. I like to buy when prices are high"
 President Ernest Hamill of the Corn Exchange National bank had not bought pair of shoes since 1916 He said:
 some of. my shoes have been resoled twice Most of the men of my acquaintance have spent less on their wardrobe in the last years than in other TWO years of the last twenty. The average business man sees the need for conservative buying in times of high prices. It is a matter of good business with him.
 President Budd of the Chicago elevated lines said that he had had his shoes made and over ever since this coutnry entered the war. At first he trained from buying out of patriotic motives-to conserve the leather supply.
 The most interesting contribution is that of Julius Rosenwald head of Sears, Roebuck Co which owns one or more shoe factories He said he had not taken a pair of shoes out of stock in than two years
 q will wait until they down in price before buying more shoes" he said the phone from his home in Highland Park. Meantime having new soles put on my old shoes fast they wear out"
 H. H. Merrick president of the Chicago Assoeia- ton of Commerce and the Great Lakes Trust com pany said was evidently the workingmen- who are buying shoes at the top of the market and keeping prices high Mir. Merrick added:
 Top grade shoes and other luxuries are going to those who never before have been able to pay for them and now are not able to afford them. The work ing man with scale of wages buying regard less of price increasing the quantity of his purchases of price, increasing the quantity of his purchases when good business dictates reduction.
 If the worlingman would be as conservative and economical in his personal expenditures the bus- ness man and business family the high cost of living would be bound to drop
 MT Merrick has bought only pair of shoes in the years.
 Now all these spend vast sums of money for their personal wants when the expenditure is neces- sary or advisable. If of them wants s1O,o0o automobile. no he buys it and does not sider 1t waste He wants it and that is enough. If he wanted or needed SIS pair of shoe he would buy them. but he does not happen to want them had enough to waste even that small Oo him) trife. He can afford to wear cheaper mended shoes some thing that many poorer feels that he can not afford to do.
 Undoubtedly the suddenly high wages which the war brought are responsible high prices not be- cause they were factor in the cost of productions but because they put large sums of money into the hands of many not used. to handling They did not know what to do with it.
 The Guiek Immigration Bill